PIAF offers a cha nee to 'act' in Raj Kapoor films

A strong Indian presence of film and dance made the annual arts festival a unique experience

BY ROHANA WOOD

India India once again took centre stage at the Perth arts scene this summer, with performers such as Shiva Shakti participating in the renowned Perth International Arts Festival (PIAF) held from February 10 - March 3 The festiv al occurs annually in Western Australia's capital city and encompasses in ternational and local contempora1·y dance act~, drama, live music and art installations.

r ow in its 60th year, PIAF 2013 attracted performers such as dance troupe Aracaladanza from Spain, respe cted author l\fargaret Arwood from Ca nada and the Berli ner Ensemble from Ge rmany, co perform exclusively for the festival.

Indian participants joined o cher esteemed international acts at the event co share their talents, stories and shows with the people of Perth. The Indian contingent included acclaimed film clil:ector Srinivas K rishn a who has links to Canada and India.

Described b y The Critical Guide to Contemporary Director s as 'one of the most talented and provoca ch-re directors worki ng in North America today', },fr Krishna burst onto the film scene in 'J 993 with his international hit, Masala.

Thi s time around too, Mr lvis hna did not d isappoint: his installation for PIAF was fantastic. My L ame is Raj is the first crossgen.re project of the director and it combines photography with film. The project was inspired by famous Indian filmmaker and acto r Raj Kapoor, with the artist and audience bringing him back ro life in the installatio n.

An old shop from on Beaufort Street in the heart of d1e city of Perth was transfo rmed by a niixrure of photos and film into a magical homage to Kapoor. Audience members entering di e makeshift studio could have a picrure taken as a film d,aracter and tben become a star in one of Kapoor's movies.

The crowds at the installation we re a mix of students from d1e nearby Central Institute of Technology, passers-by, lovers of Indian film, and children. It was an ina:iguing installation which was pra ised by Perth Festival Artistic Director,Jonathan Hollowa y.

"S rinivas Krishna brings a filmmaker's eye and a visual artist's sensibility to the celebration of 100 years of Bollywood films. Putting you right at tbe centre of the work - this is 15 mi nutes of fame tl1ac feels like it p redates Andy Warhol," he said.

Mr Holloway was n or wro ng as the audience clearly revelled in di e joy of appearing alongside ac rors in lndian films.

The Indian talent on show as pare of PIAF did n ot stop wi th Srinivas Krishna. The production Sliiva Shakti from the internationally acclaimed Daksh a Sheth Dance Company also resonated with t he audi ence. The company is a family affair, founded and n ow co-clirected by Daksha Sheth and Australian born musician Devis saro

The husband and w i fe duo have worked cogetl1er co establish d1e dance company and collaborate creatively witli Devissaro, using hi s composing skills a nd Daksha

Shedi 's 45 years of dance ei-.-perience. The lead dancers are Devi ssaro and Daksha Sheth's daug hter, as well as Bollywoo d actress Isha Sharvani, for whom performing in Perth was a homecoming of sores, because she i s half Australian. Their son and brother Tao Issaro was also invo lved in creating tl1e music for Shiva Shakti.

The dance performance blended contemporary and traditional Indian dance, and represents a journey of t he ancient Indian philosophy of Ta n tra. Shiva is the male principle pure consciousness, represented in Tantcic rexes b y an upward facing triangle. Shakti, is the lively feniinine en ergy, denoted by the red downward facing t riangle. Shiva and Shakti combine toged1er to create b li ss, and d1e Kundalini Shakci whid,, manifests in everyo ne. This unites us and connect~ us in tl1e dance of Sliiva.

The ancient story was expressed in the PIAF performance as Isha and her fellow dancers used martial ar ts, yoga, dance and aerial acrobatics. The combination weaved an eJaborate web of ideas and took the audience co anotlier dimension.

Accornpanied onstage by five drummers, the dancers put o n a show of incredib le strength, agility and athleticism while using suspended hoops, s heets of red material and acr obatics Performing for four sold -out nights, the s how commenced with five drwnmers booniing a deafening beat and slowly the dance began. The initial aces took the audience on a journey of yoga : familiar poses such as the warrior pose and salute to tl1e sun could be seen in the routines lsha, accompanied by five

''Audience members entering the Krishna's studio could have a picture taken as characters and then become a star in one of Kapoor's movies

''other dancers, created an inten se e:...-perie n ce fo r die audience. While there was no doubt that the physical strength of the performers was breathtaking and d1e performance awe-inspiring, the overall energy mer its peak too late in the show and did not reach a crescendo u ntil tbe final two acts. When the energy did build it was fantastic, well developed and powerful, but overall the show \Vas not coo phenomen al With a surreal and booming in strum ental, there is n o doubt about d1e creative brilliance in the D aksha Sheth D ance Company And because of the Jin ks they have with Perd1, Australia will sure ly bring tl1em back to perform again.

Indian artists and performers were n o r only the only In dian link at PIAF: so too were people who were interested in India and the couou-y's srories. British journalise an d au tl1or, Anne de Courcy's hi stori cal book The Fishing Fleet exami n ed d1e rela ti onsh ip between d1e UK and India in a n ew, unusual way. Talking to an audience of about 300 people at the Perdi Writers Festival which is pare of PIAF, Ms de Courcy was witty and emertaining as she discussed her research, travels an d die tales uncovered while writi ng die book. Her quips and anecdotes, deli vered in her distinct English accent, pleased and am u sed the audience.

The Fish ing Fleer cells the sro ry of hundreds of young British women who went to India during the Ra j period These women were different as they went to lndia in seard1 of husbands. In tl1e book tliere are stories about A u straLians, British aod Indians, and it paints an interesting picture about this particular period in hisro1-y Ir reflects di e complex relationship between India and the UK.

Overall, the PIAF ·was a g reat platform to showcase talent from d1e subcon tinent to an app reciative audience.