A group of students from Bangalore have come together to present Kranti, a festival “to reclaim the culture of dissent” through political films, street plays, photo exhibitions, resistance music and dialogue with activists. The larger aim of this group is to engage people’s politics through art.
Speaking to The Hindu , Prem Ayyathurai, co-ordinator Kranti, said that the two-day event was being organised to trace and celebrate the culture of dissent across the country. Events of September 7 and 8 would showcase the art forms of different socially deprived groups from other States, he added.
The forum has tagged Saturday’s event as “Songs of Protest” and Sunday’s programme as “Reel Revolution”, focussing on music and films, respectively.
Sambhaji Bhagat from Mumbai, a Marathi folk singer, Makkal Mandram, a 20-members troupe from Arakkonam and Kabir Kala Manch, a cultural youth platform from Pune, will perform at Samsa Rangamandira (Raveendra Kalakshetra premises) from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the opening day.
On Sunday, Jai Bhim Comrade , a documentary by Anand Patawardhan, would be screened in Mount Carmel auditorium at 5.30 p.m. The morning session opens with audio-visual presentation by Taru Dalmia, a young Delhi based musician.
Kranti officially culminates with the “dissent conference” on September 15 which will be attended by Prafulla Samantara, Volga, Anand Teltumbde, Gautam Mody, Mihir Desai, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta and Amarjeet Sinha at Jnanajyothi auditorium, Central College, Bangalore. “The conference is an attempt at understanding dissent through displacement, trade unionism, caste identities and women’s struggle,” he explained. Mr. Ayyathurai said that the recent event in Pune, where five students of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) were attacked by members of Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishat (ABVP), had given a special impetus to the festival.
