Sandhya Mridul’s journey with grief; United by a love for music

Hello,

Heading to the theatre? Make sure you don’t miss out on cool movie merch.

In the era of streaming sites, cinema halls are no longer just selling crisp visuals–on sale, rather, is a complete experience. Gimmicky popcorn buckets, branded merchandise, 4DX experiences that make movies an amusement park-style attraction–movie halls are dipping into showmanship to lure theatregoers who have continued to stay away post-pandemic.

Who can forget the viral popcorn bucket, meant to resemble the mouth of the giant sandworm Shai-Hulud, that made social media rounds during the release of Dune: Part Two? 

From the looks of it, the battle of the buckets is here to stay.

No better time to observe this than in the present, where two of the most hyped Hollywood movies of the year are duking it out at the box office. But can Wicked and Gladiator II manage to recreate the “Barbenheimer” effect?

Meanwhile, fraud allegations in the US continue to haunt Adani, as the group’s finance chief clarified the indictment was linked to a single contract of Adani Green Energy that makes up some 10% of its business, and no other firms in the group were accused of wrongdoing. 

The conglomerate’s woes don’t end here, as some banks are considering halting credit to Adani Group after the indictment. Some analysts even fear this may have a ripple effect on the Indian renewable energy sector, which may face reduced international investment as a result of this controversy. 

ICYMI: After the tectonic shifts that rocked his empire this week, what’s next for the billionaire?

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Sandhya Mridul’s journey with grief
• United by a love for music
• Histories revived in Delhi’s havelis

Here’s your trivia for today: In which year did popular British science fiction series Doctor Who begin to air on television?

Art and Culture

Sandhya Mridul’s journey with grief

Actor Sandhya Mridul has never shied away from breaking boundaries. Following a longstanding career in television, cinema, dancing, and on stage in her debut as a comedian, she is now dabbling in poetry.

Her collection of poems, ‘Untamed’ was launched in the presence of legendary actress Shabana Azmi at the 6th edition of the Dehradun Literature Festival. The book is a tribute to Mridul’s untameable spirit, that refuses to be chained by the shackles of society. 

Spotlight on emotions:

• Mridul’s book takes the reader on a journey through her emotions of love, loss and pain. As she puts it, “I asked my heart how it felt, every piece told me a different story. And I pieced it all together—the heart and its stories that made me who I am.” 
• Poetry, according to her, is a journey that cannot be produced overnight. Her drive towards poetry began in the last decade but she only started writing and collating her works in the past few years.
• Speaking about her choice to focus on loss and grief, Mridul says, “...I believe today we are a part of collective grief…I am not the only one experiencing it. People need to talk about it, express it, and also know that we are all going through it.” 

Music

United by a love of music

Since its inception in May 2022, Soul Jams, an artist collective, music community and events startup, has conducted close to 53 shows across Bengaluru, and it now has its sights set on Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai.

Built with the idea to give a stage to amateur artists, or anyone who had a keen interest in music, the Bengaluru-based collective celebrated its second anniversary at the terrace of 1 MG Lido Mall in June this year.

Jam sessions:

• Soul Jams events start with a lineup of amateur musicians, who try their hand at their favourite songs across genres and languages. This is followed by a jamming session where everyone brings their instruments and their throats to sing along.
• Co-founders Ajay Varghese and Nishtha Barthakur hosted their first Soul Jams in May 2022 with an audience of 25. Within 18 months, they scaled the gathering to 800-1000 people per session and subsequently captured Zomato’s attention by October last year, who joined them as a ticketing partner.
• Going ahead, along with geographical expansion, Soul Jams is also looking to tap into a collaborative model with music labels and budding artists with a promise of dedicated stage time in a bigger lineup.

Art and Culture

Histories revived in Delhi’s havelis

Steeped in history and heritage and teeming with colour and cacophony, Delhi, the capital of India, is a juxtaposition of the old and the new. But rapid urbanisation and population increase have taken a toll on Delhi’s urban fabric, its havelis, and mohallas, impacting the city’s aesthetic and cultural history and its people’s sense of place and connection to the past.

Determined to revive heritage buildings to their former glory, Atul Khanna, a passionate heritage restorer and curator, has spearheaded a restoration movement, emphasising adaptive reuse and preserving architectural integrity while transforming historic structures to meet the needs of contemporary life.

Restoring heritage:

• The Kathika Cultural Centre, housed in two 19th-century havelis—Neem Ki Haveli and the Museum Haveli—located opposite each other in the heart of Mohalla Imli, Sitaram Bazaar, stands as a prime example of Khanna’s vision. 
• Kathika offers curated mehfils, baithaks, workshops, heritage walks, museumtours, and cultural events, which aim to change how people perceive the history of Old Delhi. It is also bridging the gap between past and present through its artefacts, archival photography, and restored spaces.
• When it comes to adaptive usage of heritage buildings, Khanna says every historical structure is different in build, architecture, nature, and material composition. Depending on the nature, extent of damage, and authentic or original purpose, different conservation methods or techniques could be applied.

News & updates

• Reinstated: Struggling British supermarket Asda said on Saturday veteran retailer Allan Leighton would return as executive chairman, more than two decades after he served as CEO when he turned around the business before selling it to Walmart.
• Fallout: Robert Bosch GmbH will reduce the working hours of about 10,000 employees in addition to massive job cuts it’s undertaking to counter a slump in demand for auto parts.
• Balancing act: The United Nations climate talks in Azerbaijan were teetering on the brink of collapse as delegations prepared to fly home and countries remained at loggerheads over issues ranging from finance to emissions.

In which year did popular British science fiction series Doctor Who begin to air on television?

Answer: 1963.

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