Art
Check out the second part of Emerging Discourse: Performance and Mimicry including artists like Leo Asemota, Nikhil Chopra and Shezad Dawood, at Bodhi New York until August 15. National award winner, Aditya Basak’s solo show Amber Alleys, Staccato Sounds is on view at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai until Aug 10, presented by Akar Prakar Gallery. Get diverted by Chintan Upadhyay’s caged ‘babies’ in Pet Shop presented by Ashish Balram Nagpal Galleries for Contemporary Art, Mumbai until August 18. Currently on at GALLERYSKE, Banaglore is Current, a group show of young artists young artists, Avinash Veeraraghavan, Minam A, Sakshi Gupta and Sreshta Premnath, until August 25. Medieval Bhakti poetry and metaphorical imagery come alive in V. Ramesh’s new works, which are on view at Gallery Threshold, Delhi, from August 8 until the end of the month. Bengaluru Artist Residency One (BAR1), a non-profit organisation formed by artists, brings a forum for discussion all through the month with guests including sculptors Atul Mahajan and Banita Bhau and artists Malvika Mankotia and Chandrakala MN, amongst others. The second in the 12-part monthly series Video Wednesdays showcases the works of contemporary video artists Rohini Daveshwar, Sharmila Samanth, Koumudi Patil and Hemali Bhuta at Gallery Espace on August 27. Metropolitan social critique comes alive in Roul Hemanta’s recent works exhibited at Gallery Art & Soul, Mumbai until August 21. Rotterdam-based Juul Kraijer, Mumbai-based Tushar Joag and Thiruvananthapuram-based N.N. Rimzon, come together in Drawing, Sculpture starting August 12 at GALERIE MIRCHANDANI + STEINRUECKE, Mumbai. Belgian artist Peter Buggenhout’s dust sculpture and installation, res derelictae II is on view at Warehouse on 3rd Pasta until September 7. Catch Dhruvi Acharya’s ‘breathless’ canvases in One Life on Earth at Chemould Prescott Road, Mumbai from August 10 until the end of the month.

Books
Sathya Saran on her book, Ten Years with Guru Dutt: Abrar Alvi’s Journey

Why is Guru Dutt relevant today?
For people who like cinema, he is an icon – ahead of his time, a person who put art into cinema without making it ‘arty’ and lifted the level of popular cinema. It is a great lesson for any actor or director. Guru Dutt was whimsical, and worked just as he pleased – like the CEO of a company would. Abrar Alvi (writer-director) managed to influence him and hold forte, which is also a lesson for any management student!

Having observed and chronicled Indian women for many years, what led to this book?
I have always been passionate about Indian cinema, particularly Hindi cinema. I’ve been writing about cinema for a long time, though as an editor of a women’s magazine, it just didn’t come to the fore.