Mumbai:  To celebrate International Women?s Day this year, eight women, who are alumni of Sophia Polytechnic 1979 batch, will be coming together to celebrate the spirit of art and creativity with an exhibition of art called ?Timeless Energy ? An Art Connect.?

The art show commences on 27 February, 2015 at The Easel Gallery, Juhu and will showcase the work of these women in the form of free spirited expression. The creative energy that flows through their art is presented by bold strokes, colour blocks, textures and interesting treatments of varied mediums on surfaces from canvas to fabric, wood, glass and porcelain.

?This creative art connect took root at the onset of our glorious days in art college where we all met as teenagers, learning and experimenting our creative techniques and observations right through to adulthood, marriage, families, work and continues to this day by God?s grace,? explains the Timeless Energy team.

?Timeless Energy is constant, ever evolving and without limitations, a bond that is freeing as much as it brings together, a connect we share with each other and fellow artists,? the team further added.

Free flowing timeless energy has its roots entrenched in the ground, its heart reaching out to issues faced by the girl child and women in India. Timeless Energy signifies the power of a woman.

Mumbai:  Following through on the promise of presenting a new genre of cinema adapted from the best in Indian theatre to a larger audience, CinePlay has teamed up with the Matterden Center For Creation (CFC) to celebrate the anniversary of its first release. CinePlays will be regularly exhibited at the latter?s newly-renovated 480 seat theatre in Lower Parel.

Matterden CFC is India?s first international film center and aims to provide an opportunity for Indian audiences to experience alternative content unlike none other.

This association, the CinePlay Festival Act 1, will set the stage for the first theatrical release of CinePlays beginning on Friday 27^th February 2015, with the critically acclaimed CinePlay Between the Lines. It features Nandita Das and her husband and founder of CinePlay, Subodh Maskara, and has had incredibly successful screenings both in India as well as internationally, recently enthralling audiences at Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) in New York and Yale University.

CinePlay?s current catalogue features some of the most exalted theatre productions in India such as Mohan Rakesh?s Adhe Adhure and Mahesh Dattani?s Dance Like A Man, starring some of India?s leading theatre personalities including Lillete Dubey, Mohan Agashe, Vijay Crishna, Ira Dubey, and Suchitra Pillai.

CinePlay Festival?15 Act 1

?The coming together of Matterden and CinePlay is the beginning of a new chapter in this exciting journey of creating a new genre of entertainment,? said CinePlay, CEO and founder, Subodh Maskara.

Actress and co-founder of CinePlay, Nandita Das added, ?When I started writing Between the Lines, I had no idea that it would inspire Subodh to create this unique format of CinePlay. It has been a personal dream to have a theatre dedicated to quality cinema and Matterden sure promises that.?

Founder of Matterden CFC, Pranav Asher, remarked, ?Matterden CFC is a modern day cultural centre, with a focus on path breaking creatives and concepts. CinePlay has set an extremely high creative benchmark for alternative entertainment and it is definitely something we want the audiences to enjoy.? 

Books form an integral part of any book lover?s life. To anyone else, they may look like pages full of countless words but for the self-confessed bookworms, these are stories that transport them to a completely different world of fiction, fantasy and magic. Today on Exec Lifestyle, we spoke to KV Sridhar, Monica Tata, Prasana Krishnan, Rajat Barjatya and Rajshree Naik to find out what their favourite books are.

Mumbai: The 5^th Gionee Star Global Indian Music Awards (GiMA) powered by Hungama.com and Kelloggs Chocos took place in the presence of the cr?me de la cr?me of the music and film fraternity, in a spectacular ceremony at Reliance Media Works, Film City, Goregaon, Mumbai.

The ceremony hosted by Mika Singh and Manish Paul featured stellar performances by celebrated musicians and Bollywood stars including Atif Aslam, Arijit Singh, Pritam, Shraddha Kapoor, Benny Dayal with the Slumgods, Sonu Nigam, Ankit Tewari and Shankar Mahadevan among others. There was a special act by the Music Composers Association of India (MCAI) where Sonu Nigam, Suresh Wadkar, Alka Yagnik, Shaan, Shankar Mahadevan, Sapna Mukherji and Nitin Mukesh among several other stalwarts of the industry paid tribute to Anandji Virji Shah who received the Lifetime Achievement Award - Popular.

The ?Lifetime Achievement Award - Classical? went to Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia presented to him by classical legend Pandit Jasraj. The ?Global Musician Award? was bestowed upon music legend Ustad Zakir Hussain. Daler Mehndi took home the ?Wizcraft Honour for Best Live Performer? and a Special Award for ?Best Music Initiative? was awarded to the Red Bull Tour Bus.  

Queen and Ek Villain tied with 3 awards each leading the film category. A. R. Rahman won awards for Best Film Album for Highway and Best Fusion Album in the non-film category for Coke Studio at MTV Season 3. Armaan Malik won awards for Best Music Debut in both the Film as well as Non-Film category. Shankar Mahadevan won his first award ever for Devotional music.

The ceremony also saw the debut performance of the band NAFS, created by maestro A. R. Rahman. Speaking on the occasion, A.R. Rahman said, ?For me to give a platform to the next generation is my mission and this is one of the first initiatives to represent India internationally. The inspiration behind was Stevie Wonder. It has been my privilege to showcase NAFS at GiMA for the first time ever. ?

 Speaking on the occasion Wizcraft International Entertainment, director, Sabbas Joseph said, ?It has been an absolute honour to bring together some of the world?s finest musicians on a platform like GiMA. We?ve had the privilege of seeing greats like Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Pandit Jasraj, Usaat Zakir Hussain and A.R. Rahman on the same stage today. This is truly a great moment and one that will be treasured for years to come. ?

The award show will be telecasted on Star Plus on 15^th March 2015 at 8pm. 

Exec Lifestyle?s Weekend Watch recommends and previews the television shows and films that you simply cannot miss! Check out what you should not miss watching this weekend (13-15 Feb) ?

Television ?

Cricket World Cup Match ? India vs Pakistan

Get pumped up with all your buddies, wake up to an exciting Sunday as one of the biggest clashes in the World Cup ? India vs Pakistan?s much awaited cricket match will be telecasted at 9am on Star Sports this Sunday, 15 February 2015. Don?t forget to watch the best of players from both the countries battling it out in the ODI match.

Movies ...

Roy

Roy is a dramatic, romantic and suspenseful Bollywood thriller which releases on 13 February 2015. The story is about a filmmaker, Kabir who finds himself in a love triangle with his girlfriend, Ayesha and the criminal, Roy, who is the subject of his movies. Roy is a mysterious thief whom nobody seems to be able to get their hands on but Kabir seems to be the only one making a profit from all of Roy's robberies by making multiple films based on Roy's life and robberies. Directed by Vikramjit Singh, Roy is 2015?s much awaited film starring Ranbir Kapoor, Arjun Rampal and Jacqueline Fernandez. 

From where to go and what to do, The Event Diary will be your definitive guide to the exciting events, festivals and activities that are happening from Friday to Sunday. Check out what?s happening in the country this Valentine?s Day weekend (13 - 15 February 2015)!

Friday, 13 Feb 2015

Kala Ghoda Festival, 11am onwards @ Colaba, Mumbai
The Kala Ghoda Arts Festival is India?s largest multicultural festival, created to draw attention to this unique and beautiful area. Now in its 14th edition, the Festival draws visitors in the thousands, not just from the city but from all over the country, and, indeed, the world. A must visit.

Johny Lever Live, 9.30pm @ Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe Natyagraha, Pune
Johny Lever is all set to tickle your funny bone with his mind-blowing, blockbuster, live stand-up show Johny Lever Live! It is a modern day Hindi stand-up comedy show in which Johny Lever incorporates references and observations on social media, politics, human behavior, pop culture, cultural affairs and technology, among other things. He effortlessly absorbs them into his routines, the result of which is a laugh riot that is enjoyed by audiences of all age groups.

Saturday, 14 Feb 2015

Mahindra Blues Festival, 6pm @Mehboob Studios, Mumbai

The Mahindra Blues Festival celebrates five glorious years with its 2015 edition. This landmark festival has grown in reputation, and has gathered one of the largest online blues music-centric communities in the world.

Broadway's Romeo and Juliet, 4.15pm @ Cinemax, Mani Square Mall, Kolkata

Catch one of Shakespeare's most well-known and performed plays, Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families. The first Broadway staging in 36 years, this revival of Romeo and Juliet retains Shakespeare's language while moving the setting to contemporary times in which the warring Montague and Capulet families are of different ethnicities.

Sunday, 15 Feb 2015

iSKATE, 10.00am onwards @ Ambience Mall, Gurgaon

Considered one of the most loved adventure sports around the world, ice skating is the sports of moving on ice by using ice skates. It is done on both prepared indoor and outdoor tracks, as well as on naturally occurring bodies of frozen water, such as lakes and rivers. Set yourself free on ice on Gurgaon?s first indoor natural ice skating rink. From those looking to experience, ice skating for the first time to those keen to master their skills, iSKATE is a destination of endless fun for everyone.

Laugh OK Please!, 8.00pm @ Vapour Pub And Brewery, Bangalore
Laugh Ok Please! is a series of comedy nights which will have the famous EVAM, South India's best stand-up ensemble. They will take to the stage and blow all of us away with their unique comedy styling! Also, enjoy craft beers with a lovely Sunday dinner while you get bowled over by EVAM!