VANCOUVER’S 5TH ANNUAL A Festival Where Worlds Meet INDIANSUMMERFEST.CA JULY 9–18, 2015 PREMIER PARTNER MANAGING DIRECTOR LAURA BYSPALKO (LEFT) WITH SIRISH RAO We Turn 5 This Year! Welcome from the We’re incredibly proud to present a stellar cast Artistic Director of artists from Canada, South Asia and beyond. Sirish Rao Our thanks go out to our wonderful artists, funders, patrons, sponsors, volunteers and staff for being so generous to Indian Summer Festival This year, we turn five – in a way, the first major landmark in a festival’s life. with your talent, goodwill and generosity over the years. When we founded Indian Summer Festival in 2011, we wanted it to be a We’re especially grateful to those who have supported Indian Summer place that would allow us to question and understand the world we live in, and Festival from the start, denoted throughout the program with the five imagine how it could be if we shaped it together. symbol above. We feel a measure of pride that over the past four years the festival is where Vancouverites have journeyed together through incredibly diverse opinions, PAST ARTISTS INCLUDE: IDEAS SERIES ARUNDHATI ROY, YANN MARTEL, HARI KUNZRU, MJ AKBAR, SUDEEP CHAKRAVARTI, THE DABBAWALAS OF MUMBAI, perspectives and artistic creations. From Booker Prize-winning novelists to DJs, REZA ASLAN, RANA DASGUPTA, JEET THAYIL, COLEMAN BARKS, CHARLIE from classical musicians to political commentators, Indian Summer Festival has SMITH, PRISCILA UPPAL, URVASHI BUTALIA, ANOSH IRANI, DAVID CHARIANDY, become the place where worlds meet. ZACCHEUS JACKSON, VAN SLAM TEAM, AMEEN MERCHANT, ASHOK MATHUR, GURJINDER BASRAN, SHENIZ JANMOHAMED, VICTOR CHAN, CHARLES Our fifth edition is our most omnivorous yet. This year we present a Nobel Prize- MONTGOMERY, ANAKANA SCHOFIELD, MICHAEL TURNER, SHAUNA SINGH winning scientist in collaboration with a jazz quintet, bridging the worlds of art BALDWIN, IVAN COYOTE, PHINDER DULAI, RENEE SAROJINI SAKLIKAR, TERRY and science. Then one of India’s most brilliant journalists collaborates with a DJ GOULD, SHRABANI BASU, JILLIAN CHRISTMAS, CECILY NICHOLSON, LISHAI to take us back to the heady world of Bombay’s jazz age. We see the beauty PEEL, MUSIC L SUBRAMANIAM, MRIGYA, RAJASTHAN JOSH, RUP SIDHU, TARUN NAYAR, MOHAMED ASSANI, HOSSEIN BEHROOZINIA, THE NEELAMJIT DHILLON of legacies when one of India’s most venerated maestros, Ustad Amjad Ali QUARTET, ASHWIN SOOD, SARAH FITZPATRICK, LAPIS, SANGHA, SHARADA Khan, takes to the stage with his sons, seventh-generation musicians Amaan and ESWAR, DJ SKYCAVE, DJ BUZYB, DJ MTS, RUSSELL WALLACE VISUAL ARTS R A Q S Ayaan. A slew of eclectic, world-altering writers and social entrepreneurs open MEDIA COLLECTIVE, ORIJIT SEN, MICHAEL NICOLL YAHGULANAAS, DAVID our minds to issues as diverse as national traumas, social taboos, ISIS and the WONG, CHRIS CREIGHTON-KELLY FILM TABU, SHARMILA TAGORE, SHABANA art of taxi driving. A series of free public art projects provoke both smiles and AZMI, DEEPA MEHTA, ANITA MAJUMDAR, ZARQA NAWAZ CUISINE V I K R A M VIJ, SANJEEV KAPOOR, JOEL WATANABE, FRANK PABST, JAMES COLERIDGE, conversation around issues of migration. ABHISHEK ROY, ABI SHARMA, SIDDHARTH CHOUDHARY, MUSTAFA REZA, In other words, Indian Summer is a festival as diverse as our audience. As we TAI KEATTIVANICHVILY. celebrate our fifth, our thanks go out to you, for we have made this together. We look forward to the many more years of creation ahead. 1 2 “Congrats on what is becoming Vancouver’s premier arts event. You are a cultural catalyst, and catalysts are engines of innovation and life.” – DAVID WONG, ARCHITECT A Message from the President Greetings from Our Funders of Simon Fraser University Andrew Petter “Indian Summer Festival invites you to experience perspectives, rhythms and flavours from various parts of South Asia and beyond. It is certain to provide you with insight into a variety Simon Fraser University is delighted to be partnering once of cultures and broaden your cultural, literary and culinary again with the Indian Summer Arts Society to present the fifth horizons. Our Government is pleased to support this festival ANDREW PETTER annual Indian Summer Festival. This collaborative initiative and wishes you a wonderful time of discovery.” PRESIDENT featuring international, national and local organizations and AND VICE-CHANCELLOR talent is a wonderful fit with SFU’s strengths in arts, culture THE HONOURABLE SHELLY GLOVER SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY and ideas, and reflects our commitment to be Canada’s most MINISTER OF CANADIAN HERITAGE AND OFFICIAL LANGUAGES community-engaged research university. SFU’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts will be the cultural hub for PREMIER PARTNER this week’s exciting events featuring music, dance, literature, “British Columbians are fortunate to live in such a multicultural visual arts, cuisine, and above all, conversation. We are and diverse society where fabulous cultural festivals like this honoured to be celebrating the rich cultural heritage shared by take place. India’s colourful and inspiring cultural heritage has South Asia and Canada by hosting some of the finest talent brought so much to British Columbia over the years, and we from around the world. appreciate the time and energy everyone puts into bringing events like Indian Summer Festival forward.” We are especially thrilled to be the festival’s Premier Partner th th during the lead-up to SFU’s 50 Anniversary on September 9 . THE HONOURABLE CHRISTY CLARK th This is the first of several 50 Anniversary events and initiatives PREMIER OF BRITISH COLUMBIA to be held throughout the year ahead to mark this milestone, and we look forward to connecting with friends old and new during the festival and in the months to come. “Vancouver’s unique identity has been shaped by the Indian Congratulations to the production team who has worked so diasporic community for generations. The City of Vancouver hard to organize and deliver this year’s festival. Thanks also to is proud to host Indian Summer Festival 2015, which brings the sponsors, funders, patrons and partners whose support has together leading thinkers and artists in collaborative dialogue made the festival possible. about contemporary issues and bridges the diverse cultures of And a warm SFU welcome to everyone who attends! India and Canada.” GREGOR ROBERTSON MAYOR OF THE CITY OF VANCOUVER 3 4 STILL FROM MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN SUNDAY Anything Can Happen: June 14 An Evening with Anupam Kher WHEN “It is indeed a great blessing to share screen space 6pm Doors at 5pm with a veteran like Anupam, and I am just blown WHERE away by his attitude and down to earth nature. SFU’s Goldcorp You can’t get over his charm.” Centre for the Arts – MIA GEORGE (ACTRESS), TIMES OF INDIA Djavad Mowafaghian From the lovable, comic father in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Cinema, 149 West Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge; to the ruthless villain and cold Hastings St. businessman in Karma and Rang De Basanti; to the stern father grappling with generational and cultural challenges in Bend It TICKETS Like Beckham, legendary actor Anupam Kher has played more $25-50 roles than almost any other actor. It is this malleability that allows Kher to be equally at home working with Yash Chopra #ISFIDEAS and Karan Johar, as he is with Ang Lee and Woody Allen. Kher is often the one asking the questions on stage. His hit COMMUNITY PARTNER talk show Kuchh Bhi Ho Sakta Hai (Anything Can Happen) has seen him interview a range of stars including Shah Rukh Khan, Om Puri and Vidya Balan. At this special Indian Summer Festival curtain raiser event, Kher sits in the interviewee’s chair and chats candidly about life in Bollywood and his forays into international cinema with curator and former entertainment TV “Our real discoveries come from chaos, from going to host, Naveen Girn. Kher offers thoughts about celebrity, the masks that actors wear, and the clash of generations and the place that looks wrong and stupid and foolish.” cultures within that most intimate of units, the family. –ANUPAM KHER ANUPAM NAVEEN KHER GIRN 6 ISF2015 Opening Gala THURSDAY With Vikram Vij & Guest Chefs July 9 “Cooking is like art. You have spices and your “One of the top 10 parties to look forward to!” WHEN – 24 HRS 7pm pot is your canvas.” –VIKRAM VIJ WHERE Glamorous guests, fine sips and delectable nibbles curated by Vikram Vij; Indian Summer Festival’s Opening Gala is one of Roundhouse Community the city’s most sought after summer parties. Centre, 181 Roundhouse In a tribute to the venue’s history as the home of Canada’s Mews great steam locomotives, the Roundhouse transforms into The TICKETS Great Railway Food Bazaar. Chef Vikram Vij challenges some of Vancouver’s top chefs to create Indian-inspired street food. $90 Bringing to life the railway station theme is the work of award- #ISFGALA winning art director Aradhana Seth (The Darjeeling Limited). The evening also features a lively outdoor stage featuring musician and composer Rup Sidhu and the high energy Surya PARTNERS Brass Band. Don your finest couture, saris and dapper suits. Your ticket includes food and a complimentary beverage. VIKRAM ARADHANA R U P SURYA VIJ SETH SIDHU BRASS BAND 8 FRIDAY The Ever After: Memories, In the Driver’s Seat: Stories FRIDAY July 10 July 10 Silences, Traumas From the Cab WHEN Padma Viswanathan, Jaspreet Singh & Devyani Helen Potrebenko, Larry Claypool, Pav Nagra WHEN 6pm Doors at 5:30pm Saltzman & Keith McKellar 8pm Doors at 7:30pm WHERE WHERE SFU’s Goldcorp “Deftly written, constantly interesting, morally “A taxi is a chamber for intimacies, lies, SFU’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts serious yet sympathetic – I challenge any reader tensions.” – RAWI HAGE Centre for the Arts to start reading this book and give up on it.” Djavad Mowafaghian Taxi drivers don’t decide who steps into their cars.