Exec Lifestyle?s Weekend Watch recommends and previews television shows, films and live events that you simply cannot miss! Check out our recommendations for this weekend (15-17 May 2015)

About Town:

Art connoisseurs have much to anticipated this weekend with a number of exhibitions ongoing and even back to back. ?Passages from Reclusive Conversations? is one of the solo painting exhibition being displayed in the city, that features a series of new work by Mahesh Baliga. He creates allegorical and often satirical paintings that challenge the standard comprehension of everyday scenarios. His work explores age-old paradoxes such as the fact that the pursuit of order often leads instead to disorder.

Don?t miss his alluring work displayed at Project 88 in Colaba.

Shopping:

Lifestyle and shopping destination Summer Souk is celebrating the sunny days at the Corona Garden through a pop-up gala for the city which could be one's getaway for the weekend. Here you will find a treasure box filled with edgy and colorful fashion clothing, and a range of  accessories,from bags and clutches and a lot more. The grand summer festival has been designed to create an upmarket shopping experience filled with fun, quirk and style.

They also have food stalls such as Raw Pressery, Spoonful, 8 Food, Live2Eat by Brijwasi, Georgian Deli (Keema Pav Fusion), Cup-a-lusious, FoodWhizz by Chef Shwetambari and the dessert factory. So ladies, go pamper yourself this weekend with a dash of ?sugar and spice and all things nice!

Television:

Star Sports 4:

The football fanatics have a busy week ahead, with some very exciting matches lined up. Though the Premier League pole position is already cemented by Chelsea, the battle for second slot is wide open. Amidst these ups and down comes one of the fiercest battle of English Football as the Red Devils Manchester United host the Gunners Arsenal in the theatre of dreams at Old Trafford. Catch the action on Star Sports 4, 8.30pm  in the evening.  

By Papri Das

While many of us aren?t well acquainted with ceramic art, the recently held exhibition ?Under Construction? shows how the art form continues to garner patrons amongst an exclusive group of A-listers. Those who graced the inauguration ceremony include honchos like Siddharth Roy Kapur with his wife and Bollywood actress Vidya Balan, Dolly Thakore, Khushnuma Khambatta and many more. While that's a promising turn out, well-known ceramist Anjani Khanna, who was also featured in the exhibition, feels that the art form needs more patrons.

?I prefer it when the work is bought by people who enjoy art, and understand ceramics as a medium. There are few understanding collectors in Mumbai and Delhi, but we certainly need more serious buyers,? says Khanna, who was recently invited to China to contribute to a permanent collection at the FuLe International Ceramic Museum in Fuping.

While Khanna specialises in stoneware clay and porcelain, the other six contributing have varied expertise. ?In ?Under Construction?, all materials are represented. Neha Pullarwar and Tejashree Sagvekar have worked in terracotta and earthenware, Rashi Jain, Veena Chandran, Nausheen Bari, Shayonti Salvi and I have used mostly stoneware, and Rashi Jain has some works in porcelain,? Khanna points out.

She shares that she was interested in the art form from a young age thanks to her induction to ceramic art by well known ceramist Primula Pandit, but it was when she entered professional life that she realised that her true calling lay in dabbling with fire and clay.

?After college in Mumbai I studied pottery with Mr Ray Meeker at the Golden Bridge Pottery in Pondicherry. I then went on to study biology at the University of Cambridge in the UK and on returning to India worked as an environment policy analyst and journalist. However, I returned to clay and Pondicherry. I spent another year and a half working at Golden Bridge Pottery, before returning to Mumbai,? says Khanna, who now runs her studio and kiln in Alibad in western harbor of Mumbai.

When asked what appeals to her about ceramics the most, she explains, ?Clay is a very versatile, ancient and natural material. The material is completely transformed by fire from a soft malleable material to a hard, unchanging form. I find that and the process of working with clay very interesting. Not only does the medium facilitate aesthetic expression, but it also demands technical rigour as the processes of converting raw clay to fired ceramic is arduous and requires learning and skill.?

While Khanna gives a simplified idea, the process isn't that simple. ?I work in stoneware clay and fire the sculpture at almost 1300 degrees Celsius. I also work with porcelain, which is also fired at a high temperature. Terracotta and earthenware are fired at a lower temperature,? Khanna shares, adding that the choice of clay too plays an important role in the outcome.

Due of these harsh conditions and parameters, there are very few artists who pursue this form, and even lesser who are successful. Needless to say, that adds to the exclusivity of certain artworks, while others go unnoticed. ?There are a few artists working with clay who are successfully supporting themselves with their work. A lot of other artists are struggling,? says Khanna, hoping that more galleries will support the work of artists who work in clay, as the number of practitioners and the quality of their work continues to grow.

Exec Lifestyle?s Weekend Watch recommends and previews television shows, films and live events that you simply cannot miss! Check out our recommendations for this weekend (8-10 May 2015)

About Town

If you are a 90s kid, then you were mostly likely witness to the Vengaboyz craze that swept the world with their sensational songs, and perhaps sung along to their ?oh so? catchy songs as a guilty pleasure. Well here?s your chance to relive those moments, as the very popular Dutch Eurodance group  hit the city in full throttle this weekend. So go Boom Boom Boom Boom with Vengaboyz live in Mumbai at Phoenix Market City in Kurla West this Friday at 7:30 pm

Movies:

After enamoring viewers with the quirky trailers, the multi-starrer and much talked about Shoojit Sircar movie, Piku is finally hitting the screens this May 8th. What makes Piku intriguing isn't only the array of highly accomplished and popular actors -- Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, Irrfan Khan -- but the comedy Sircar promises to bring to the screen with them. Dont forget to book your tickets now, and enjoy a fun filled time with your family watching Piku this weekend.

Exec Lifestyle?s Weekend Watch recommends and previews television shows, films and live events that you simply cannot miss! Check out our recommendations for this weekend (1-3 May 2015)

About Town:

A chill is sure to run down your spine as you dive into the worlds of five witnesses who recount their versions of the incident involving the kidnapping and beheading of Hans Christian Ostro, a Norwegian trekker that marked of the beginning of turmoil in Kashmir in the 1990s. Under Shubhrajyoti Barat?s artful direction, watch the conflict between reality, assumption and rumours come live on stage with The Song Of The Swan. Catch this heart thumping theatrical performance live at 6 pm on Sunday in National Centre for Performing Arts, NCPA Marg, Nariman Point.

Movies

If theater is not your cup of tea, and your idea of fun is a weekend outing with the whole family, go for the big budget family entertainer Gabbar Is Back that is to hit the screens this friday. Named after the most infamous villain in indian cinema?s history, ?Gabbar?, director Krish has given a Bollywood twist to the Tamil blockbuster Ramana, and shaped his vigilante hero Gabbar Singh Rajpur, played by B?town khilari Akshay Khanna. The movie also features the gorgeous Shruti Haasan.

By Papri Das

When you take names like Madhuri Dixit and Terence Lewis in the same breath, you already know that you?re in for an epic dance show! This World International Dance Day, the two have come together to celebrate contemporary dance with a one of its kind dance festival in India - Jugnee.

So what makes this experience unique from the numerous dance festivals that happen round the year? Festival curator Terence Lewis throws light on it. ?In India and more so in Mumbai, we hardly have any ?only dance? festival and having one solely on contemporary dance is non-existent. Moreover, the dance community in India and Mumbai works in isolation and are unaware of the opportunities they have for themselves. Jugnee provides a platform to these dance enthusiasts to come together, interact and learn from each other, whether they are professionals, choreographers, trainers or amateurs.?

A five day non-profit festival, Jugnee offers a miscellanea of activities for dance lovers like workshops by international and national teachers, emerging artist, panel discussions, film and documentary screening, etc, that builds up a ?D Positive? (dance positive) atmosphere in Mumbai.

?Our efforts have been to keep this festival completely non-profit with minimum ticket prices for the performances. We are also granting a fully funded scholarship to one of the deserving participant of Jugnee, who will get the chance to go to Impulstanz International Dance Festival in Vienna,? shares Lewis.

An icon of dance in India, Dixit?s name is synonymous with talent grace and beauty! Since it is Mumbai's first indo contemporary dance festival, there?s no one better than this Mumbai girl, who gave dance respect and dignified it with her performance. Delighted at having her onboard with the festival, Lewis says, ?Madhuri has always supported dance and young artists selflessly, and seeing the potential this dance festival has as a platform to bring together various dancers from all over the country, she readily agreed to be part of the festival.?

Lewis is also working closely with Dixit in her free dance tutorial app (Dance With Madhuri: DWM). The main focus of the festival is to bridge the gap between international teachers and emerging dancers of India and provide guidance and opportunities on dance as a career. Splendid performances by the talented dancers from well-established companies as well as emerging artistes in the field are also in store at the festival.

The five-days of the festival will be held at the following venues across Mumbai:

? 29 April: NCPA

? 30 April: Prithvi Theatre

? 1 May: St Andrews

? 2 May: Social (Meet & Greet)

? 3 May: Equal street walk (Dancing on the streets)

Exec Lifestyle?s Weekend Watch recommends and previews television shows, films and live events that you simply cannot miss! Check out our recommendations for this weekend (17 - 19 April, 2015)

Movies:

Margarita With A Straw, the film which has already become the talk-of-the-town for having moved many stars to tears (including Aamir Khan), hits the big screen this weekend. This Kalki Koechlin starrer narrates a story of a rebellious girl suffering from cerebral palsy who embarks on a fascinating journey of music, love and self discovery. If you don?t mind a tear jerker, take a break from the usual formula movies and catch this off-beat film by director Shonali Bose, which has won several accolades at the Toronto Film Festival. Don?t forget to carry a box of tissue papers before you walk in.

About Town:

No matter what we say, a good old fairytale can never get too old. Even after many adaptation, the story remains relatable, equally enjoyable and leaves you with a fluffy and warm feeling in the end. Rashmi Sharma expects the same with her adaptation of Rapunzel. A Fairytale Of Rapunzel is an English musical that every fairytale lover must check out this Saturday at Palladium Mall, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel at 2 pm.