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Events : 2010 -2011
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Mrs Anuradha Dalmiya, President 2010-2011 | |||||
| Life Goes On : 26 March 2011 | ||||||
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An Interface with Sharmila Tagore, Soha Ali Khan and Sangeeta Datta Our Guest Speaker, Ms Sharmila Tagore, spoke about her early days in Kolkata and her Bengali upbringing and also a little about women in the film industry then and now . Ms Soha Ali Khan, who began her early film career with a Bengali film, added youth and energy to Sharmila’s charm and poise. She spoke about how she completed her masters and went on work with Ford Foundation and Citibank before she found her true calling…. Sangeeta Datta, though based in London, flits in and out of India. A Ph.D. in English literature, she is a trained singer. She founded a film society in London whose aim was to promote and perpetuate a culture of good Indian cinema in the UK. Her debut film “Life Goes On” is a coup of sorts. She is the first director to have Ms Sharmila Tagore and Ms Soha Ali Khan, acting mother and daughter in the film. |
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| Rock the Parliament : 15 March 2011 | ||||||
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At this event, some of our members took on the role of some of the most colourful parliamentarians and debated imaginative solutions to “pertinent” issues. This was an opportunity for our members to showcase their talent of caricaturing. And to steer the proceedings of the “House” we had - in a very alluring guise - the inimitable, irrepressible and one of the most comically entertaining, Mir. When the real MPs can mock the parliament and rock it, why not us? LSG members attended a House that was suitably dominated by confusion, quarrel and hilarious exchanges. |
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| The Homage Trip : Friday 25 February 2011 | ||||||
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The retreating winter urged LSG to organise a short get away trip Santiniketan – Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s home and small university town – to celebrate the 150 Birth Anniversary of the great poet. We set off with a small group early in the morning and went around the university, museum, small workshops where batic, kantha and ceramic is produced and also listened to Rabindra Sangeet and boul songs. Feasted on sumptuous Bengali food and finally took the evening train back to Kolkata. A wonderfully memorable experience! |  |
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| Tiger Conservation - 15 January 2011 | ||||||
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The Tiger was chosen as the National animal of India due to its rare combination of grace, strength, agility and enormous power. The Tiger as the National Animal of India symbolizes the power, alertness, intelligence and endurance of the nation. The tiger also symbolizes India's wildlife wealth. Mr Praveen Bhargav, Managing Trustee, Wildlife First, a Bangalore-based NGO, along with other similar thinking environmental activists, have made it their mission to redress past social injustices perpetrated against the forests and to protect India’s natural biodiversity. He was engaged in a very informative and thought provoking Interactive Session with Kolkata's own Tiger enthusiast, Mr Babi Nobis. The documentary – The Truth about Tigers – by award-winning wildlife and conservation filmmaker, Mr Shekhar Dattattri, tries to answer a number of very pertinent questions raised by the disappearance of India’s National Animal, at an alarming rate from our forests. The film also provided useful pointers on how ordinary citizens can contribute towards saving the tiger. |
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| 17 December, 2010 - Programme | ||||||
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Dr Ramachandra Guha is one the most seriously followed commentators of present day. His views on society, politics and environment are paid great attention to. And he is also one non-fiction writer who has been a big success in today’s world of reluctant readers. At the LSG event he spoke about our country and our times, and about our place in the very exciting yet often very confusing developments of the world. His talk, as can be expected was extremely thought provoking and eye opening. A book signing session was also held and copies of his latest publication Makers of Modern India, was picked up greedily like hot cakes. |
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| Design your destiny – Unfold the secrets of strengthening yourself in Life -- Tuesday, 30 November 2010 | ||||||
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Reena Jabran, and Chief Resource Person and Neuro Linguistics Programming (NLP) Coach of Jayakartha, Chennai, did succeed in making our members get out of their skin and break their boundaries. In this way she gave LSG members a glimpse of what difference NLP techniques could bring to their lives. NLP, she explained, helped explore one’s inner potential, motivation, powerful communication skills to use them in day-to-day practical life encounters. |  |
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| Wedneesday, 1 December 2010 | ||||||
| The next day she led an intensive 3-hour workshop titled “Handling everyday Pressure with Ease and Poise” using NLP, with a core group of only 10 participants. | ||||||
| LSG Gala Quiz - 1 October 2010 | ||||||
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LSG welcomed the Festive Season with the return of a carnival of their own -- the Gala Quiz -- along with a whole host of celebrities joining in the merry making. Organised by our all time favourite Oindrilla Dutt, the usual rounds were spiced up by some special rounds conducted by celebrities like Tanushree Shankar on Dance; Rakhi Purnima Dasgupta of Kewpies on Food and Cuisine; director-producer-actress Sudeshna Roy on Films amd trivia; singer Priscilla Corner on Music; and model Jessica on Fashion Designing. The participation of our members was extremely enthusiastic. Both members and celebrities had a wonderfully entertaining time. |
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| To Dare, Dream & Dominate: 11am, 4 September, 2010. Jamini Roy Gallery, ICCR | ||||||
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The Saturday morning saw a slow but steady trickle of ladies walking into the Jamini Roy Gallery at ICCR. Writer (and banker) Ravi Subramanian, whose debut novel “If God was a Banker” (Rupa- 2007) still continues to be on the bestseller list of every book store, spoke to LSG members about his work, his inspiration and also his forthcoming fourth novel about banking fraud, which is ready for publishing. Ravi also discussed his other well known books, “I bought the Monk’s Ferrari” and “Devil in Pinstripes”, read from them and of course spoke about the recent resurgence of original fiction writing set in the modern Indian mileu, by young Indian authors. At end of his talk and book reading, Ravi signed copies of his books, that members had bought from the Rupa counter put up at the event. |
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| Contemporary Dance as a tool for Empowerment Transcending Gender, 23 August 2010 | ||||||
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Jayachandran Palazhy, Founder and Artistic Director of Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts, Bangalore, gave a brilliant talk about Contemporary Dance. His presentation was ably assisted by dancer Diya Naidu and Hemabharathy Palani (also a choreographer) who rendered an awe inspiring performace. It was heart warming to learn that Jayachandran and members of this Repertory have presented Contemporary Dance at various Art Festivals and similar occasions, all around India as well as in the UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Finland, Spain, Japan, Australia, Canada & USA. |  |
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| Partners in Crime, 11 August 2010 | ||||||
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The “partners” were film director, Ashoke Viswanathan and actor Rajit Kapur, who kept the audience engrossed throughout their hour-long interaction with LSG members. Ashoke spoke about the history of crime fiction writing and its representation in the world of cinema. Rajit spoke about how he joined films after Shyam Benegal spotted him in a play. They both of course discussed their forthcoming film “Gumshuda”, which is an adaptation (by the eminent academic and actor N Viswanathan) of an Sherlock Holmes mystery, staring Rajit Kapur (the original Byomkesh Bakshi of television), as the detective. |  |
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| A Series of Workshops - 22 June 2010 | ||||||
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Palmistry is believed to be the art and science of self-discovery. The lines in our palms give us a lot of information about ourselves and various things that affect our life. We can use this information to help us shape our future in a constructive way, making positive choices regarding our work, our dealings with people around us, and many other important aspects of life. Shri SL Sharma, Astrologer and Palmist, who has been reading palms for over 50 years now and came all the way from Jodhpur to conduct a half-day workshop which left the participants wanting more….. The term "hypnosis" comes from the Greek word hypnos, meaning "sleep." Hypnotherapists use exercises that bring about deep relaxation and a heightened state of consciousness. But this does not mean that a hypnotist can control the person's mind and free will. On the contrary, hypnosis can actually teach people how to master their own states of awareness. |
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Dr Neerja Poddar, Clinical Hypnotherapist, led the next workshop Healing through Hypnosis, about Hypnosis and hypnotherapy, its powers and usefulness. She is the Kolkata Centre Head, of the California Hypnosis Institute of India (Mumbai). Dr Arindam Chakrabarti Professor of Indian Philosophy , and Director, of the Center for South Asian Studies, at the University of Hawaii, talk on Vedanta in Body, was undoubtedly the most awaited and highlight of the day’s events. A doctorate from Oxford University, Dr Chakrabarti has taught Philosophy at Calcutta University in the 80s and also at the University of Delhi in the 90s before leaving for Hawaii. His extremely lucid and absorbing talk had the audience listening in rapt attention. A great way to wrap the day’s programme. |
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| Valmiki Pratibha : The Story behind the making of the Film with – 11 May 2010 | ||||||
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Success stories are rather difficult to come by: especially one which has its origin in a prison. Mr BD Sharma, Additional DG Correctional Homes, West Bengal and Danseuse Alokananda Roy, are the authors of one such rare yet amazing success story. The progrramme began with the screening of a short documentary, which told the story of how the inmates of Presidency Correctional Home, Kolkata, – some hardcore criminals – were trained in Tagore’s dance drama Valmiki Pratibha The experience touched the lives all those who were involved. |
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LSG members were very moved by this inspiring tale and enthusiastically participated in the discussion following the film, when Alokananda Roy and Nigel Akara aka Vicky – an inmate who has now been released -- spoke about their individual experiences. It was a lively, candid and interesting interaction on crime, punishment and the dance therapy experience. The speakers’ honest opinion and perspectives on the various issues raised were very much appreciated. |
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| Women @ Work : A Panel Discussion - 23 April 2010 | ||||||
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Three of the most successful and competent career women, Manisha Girotra, Managing Director and Chairperson, UBS, India, Professor Anuradha Lohia, CEO, The Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance, Hyderabad and Chairperson of the Dept of Biochemistry at the Bose Institute, Kolkata, and Beth A Payne, Consul General at the US Consulate General Kolkata, spoke about work and home moderated by Corporate Public Relations expert, Rita Bhimani. A lively and revealing session where the ladies discussed the challenges in their career as well as home; about dealing with the sexual bias at work and finally rising above it all through sheer dint of competence, hard work and sincerity. |  |
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