Lamakaan

Inglorious Basterds

In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a plan to assassinate Nazi leaders by a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers coincides with a theatre owner's vengeful plans for the same.
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Writer: Quentin Tarantino

Movie Screening - @7PM
Post Screening discussion - 15 mins

SADHANA CAFE

Sapthagiri “Giri” Iyengar will give a presentation about the work of Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus to mobilize Hindu Americans to connect their faith to social justice values, engage in community seva, and speak out against all injustice, bigotry and violence.
Giri will then facilitate a discussion and brainstorming about how to create a platform like Sadhana in India, and what it’s priorities and activities might be.

Giri is from Mysore, and is a Masters in Social Work student at Hunter College, New York. Giri has been an active member of Sadhana, particularly in the “sanctuary” movement for immigrants’ rights.

ALL ARE WELCOME!!!

The hopes of defeating fascism through electoral maneuvering have been dashed; the fascist juggernaut continues to roll on spilling ever more blood and rupturing the social fabric of the country. There is a sense of hopelessness and dismay among the Left and progressive circles in the wake of the return of Narendra Modi led NDA government at the helm. The setback has sent such a fiery shock wave that many have started blaming the masses while some are putting the entire blame on the EVM scam. Those who blame the masses for such a sorry state of affairs can only be asked to follow Brecht’s advice to dissolve the electorates and choose a new one. As regards the EVM scam, while it could have been responsible for the increase in the margin of victory, it alone cannot explain this second coming of Modi government. The question arises: is fascism still resistible? On the face of it, the fascist rise in India looks invincible. But if we keep our faith in science and history intact even in this testing time, we would know that in order to cure a disease, it is very important to diagnose it properly. The strategy of defeating fascism through electoral means was based on the understanding that fascism comes into existence when a fascist party like BJP comes to power and gets defeated if it goes out of power. This understanding was fundamentally flawed in the first place because it failed to take account the reactionary social movement behind the rise of fascism and no wonder the strategy has backfired. If we really want to resist fascism at this dark hour in the history of our country, it is of utmost importance that we seek answer to the following questions: what lies at the root of fascism? What are the factors that are responsible for the rise of fascism in any society? What is the similarity and dissimilarity between the fascist rise of the decade of 1930s and the current fascist rise? What should be the correct strategy of resisting fascism and smashing it?

The speaker, Anand Singh, will try to answer these questions and will also provide the contours of the new round of struggle that needs to be waged to smash fascism from both long term and short term perspectives.

Lamakaan invites all to a talk by Prof Rampunyani on the topic 'Preserving Democracy in Contemporary India.'

In this talk, Prof Punyani will take us through the journey of Independent India and how its founding fathers dreamt about a truly secular, socialist and republic India. He will also highlight the major challenges to Indian democracy in contemporary times.

The session will be interactive and followed by questions and answers session.


About Prof Ram Punyani:
Prof Ram Puniyani is a former professor of biomedical engineering and former senior medical officer affiliated with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. He began his medical career in 1973 and served IIT in various capacities for 27 years, beginning in 1977. In December 2004, he took voluntary retirement to work full-time for what has been stated by some as "communal harmony" in India. He is involved with human rights activities and initiatives to oppose something which some see as "the rising tide of fundamentalism in India". He is associated with the organizations All-India Secular Forum, Center for Study of Society and Secularism and ANHAD. In 2006, he was awarded the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration.

Early in June 2019, he received threatening phone calls from unknown persons who demanded that he stop his "anti-Hindu" activities. Puniyani filed a report with the Mumbai Police.

ALL ARE WELCOME

S.T.E.A.M CARNIVAL


The idea of the carnival is to showcase S.T.E.A.M learning (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) in an interactive and fun manner. We will have activities, challenges and games for both parents and children. These activities are small glimpses into the themes of our weekend and weekday camps.


Here's a rough breakdown of the activities covered during the carnival:


3D Printing (Ages 5-14)- Children get a demo of what goes into 3D modelling and printing. They can then 3D print a keychain of their initials and take it home.

Makey Makey (Ages 5-14)- We have a set up of different digital games made by our students, programmed with Makey- Makey where different everyday objects like fruits, clay, become joysticks and they get to play these games. There are also activities where the objects are programmed as musical instruments, fruits are used as musical keys that kids can play.

Build a Bot (Ages 9-14) - This is a timed challenge where the parent and child participate together to put together a bot (using materials like battery, spade connectors, motors, wheels and chassis).An instruction booklet is provided and they will have to follow the instructions and construct it

Stop Motion Video (Ages 9-14) - A fun challenge where kids cosplay and put together a costume and parents make a stop motion video of their kids

Engineering Challenge (Ages 9-14) - Kids are challenged to balance set of books on the table using only A4 sheets or ice cream sticks without glue or any other support material.

Build the Joint (Ages 5-8)- A biology themed fun activity where kids get to put together different joints like hinge, saddle, gliding, pivot, ball & socket using everyday items.

Match the bones (Ages 5-8) - Kids identify different bones in the body and stick it to the cut out of the human skeleton.

It will be a free event where both parents and kids can drop by.

Write Club Hyderabad helps you pen your thoughts, spill your mind and finally make an appointment with the writer in your head. We conduct free, weekly events that foster writing. Our Meetups aim at helping writers reach their goals in a supportive, collaborative, social setting. Writing doesn't have to be all by oneself. We welcome anyone who writes, regardless of genre, language or age. We have members writing novels, short stories, poetry, screenplays, essays, school reports and more. What we do, basically: One of the members of Write Club (anyone with a participation count over 2 consecutive meetups) hosts a session. They bring forth a theme and writing exercises. We all then write to the host’s prompts and guidelines for about an hour. Once we're done writing, we read out our write-ups (optional). We also exchange feedback and constructively critique each other's works. Entry is free, anyone with an interest in writing can walk in. Bring your writing devices and we’re all set! We promise to provide you with good coffee and a super-creative conversation. We have Write Club sessions every Saturday afternoon – 3 to 6 PM

A contemporary puppet show by the Nori Art and Puppetry Centre.
Bhallu the Bear comes to Hyderabad
The story is about a bear, Bhallu who lives in Narsapur jungle. His bird friends, who have travelled far and wide tell him about the beautiful city of Hyderabad. Bhallu dreams about this city and makes up his mind to visit Hyderabad.

Rocks Bachao, Musi bachao, Osmania Bachao, Bargad Bachao... Heritage Bachao, Pani Bachao! Errum Manzil bachao
This is a shout out to all those who have been fretting about how Hyderabad has been changing rapidly. There is never a quiet moment. Come summer, we have water scarcity, but even before we heave a sigh of relief as the temperatures come down, the traffic nightmares begin. We hear that there will be a long term strategy for the city to become world class but even before we take that in, we hear that trees are being cut or that rocks are being blown away and even as that dust settles down, we hear that the familiar landmarks are going to disappear. Public Interest Petitions, Recipes that worked once, do not seem to work everytime. Online appeals, media campaigns, lobbying the right people.. what else, what else do we need to do ? The immediate context for this is of course the latest news that the Errum Manzil will be replaced with a new secretariat building. But the broader context is to just meet, share, and think about how we can build collective capacities to take on multiple strategies simultaneously. So, if you care abbout the Errum Manzil and other heritage sites chalked up for demolition, if you care for trees and for water and for rock precincts, please show up. We promise there will be no onerous speeches. No exhortations to immediate action. We want to hear what each of you - especially if you are under 40, thinks can be done to conserve the continuity of Hyderabad's social, cultural, material and ecological heritage. We want to know how we can come together to act intelligently. Just bring your enthusiasm and yourself.

As part of World Music Day being celebrated in Hyderabad, Lamakaan invites one and all to this year's WMD celebrations.

The Fête de la Musique, also known as Music Day, Make Music Day or World Music Day, is an annual music celebration that takes place on 21 June. On Music Day the citizens of a city or country are allowed and urged to play music outside in their neighborhoods or in public spaces and parks. Free concerts are also organized, where musicians play for fun and not for payment.

Agenda:
1. Classical evening with Mrs Aradhana Karhade Shastri, sri Rahul Deshpande and sri Vivek khayal
A Radha Kumari,

All India radio Graded Artiste in Classical Vocal, Devotional & Light Music Vocal Genres.
Done Masters in English Literature as well as Music.

Been performing on stage for the last 25 years
Teaching music for the last 25 years.

2.QAWWALI PERFORMANCE
By
Shaheen Women Resource & Welfare Association
 
Qawwaliis a musical tradition, belonging to the Sufi culture, wherein the soul of the singer and audience ecstatically becomes one with the Almighty. It was popularized during the Mughal era. It is mostly performed by men at dargahs or at places of sacred importance.
Shaheen Women’s Resource and Welfare Association, an NGO located in the heart of Old City, Hyderabad, has been tirelessly working for the rights of young girls and women since the time of its establishment in 2002. Shaheen has successfully adopted Qawwali for its activities for twin reasons – firstly, to break the stereotype of Qawwals (singers) to be only men, and secondly, to create awareness in the community through Qawwalis on women’s rights. The Qawwalis performed by the dedicated interventionists of the organization are unique in nature, with their focus on gender issues. They include topics like the protection and education of the girl child, domestic violence, ‘Beti Basati Hi Ye Dunya Hamari Saari, discrimination against the girl child and child marriage, among a host of other women and child rights issues. The lyrics of the Qawwalis have been poignantly penned down by the Founder-Director of Shaheen, Ms. Jameela Nishat, who is an activist and poet herself. It is an exclusive effort on the part of Shaheen to promote cultural empowerment in society.
These Qawwalis portray the life story of girls suffering in the patriarchal society in such a way that one can visualize their agony. The performers often find the response from the audience to be overwhelming, and therefore feel this kind of a cultural activity to be an effective method of intervention to reach out to the masses.

ALL ARE WELCOME AND ENTRY IS FREE & OPEN TO ALL.

Languages come with their own stories, if you know where to look. The story of Dakhni, spoken across much of the Deccan, is intimately linked to the story of the medieval Deccan itself - its history, its power struggles, and its peoples. Dakhni came to represent a uniquely Deccan culture, with a courtly literary tradition that drew from Sanskritic traditions as well as the Persianate world, and a spoken form in the public sphere thoroughly influenced by local Dravidian languages. In this session we will explore these various influences and forces that have shaped Dakhni.

The life of boxer Jake LaMotta, who's violence and temper that lead him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.
Director: Martin Scorsese
Writers: Jake LaMotta (based on the book by) (as Jake La Motta), Joseph Carter
Stars: Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci

Movies Intro : 7:00 PM
Movies Starts at 7:10 PM
Post-Screening Discussion - 15 mins

India - in the name of God

"INDIA as of now stands world 4th worst country for religious violence"

In Jharkhand some days ago 24yr old Tabrez Ansari was tied down to a tree by group of people ( men, women & children)on the pretex of attempting a motorbike burglary. He was beaten with sticks, kicked etc for more than 7 hours. He was also threatened to shout " Jai shri ram" " Jai hanuman". The police arrived very late and yet showed not more than little interest in providing immediate emergency medical care to the victim following which Tabrez died 4 days after the attack.
In 2015 Akhlaq was murdered by a similar group in UP on a suspicion that he was carrying beef. Rakbar, Pehlu khan, Alwar are some among many who met the similar fate. Many such incidents have caught momentum in the last 5 years. And most of the victims are muslims and some dalits
There has also been a rise of self proclaimed vigilanti groups who call themselves "GOU RAKSHAKS'. These gou rashaks check vehicles on road without any permission and harrass also hit people to chant religious invocation.

Since 2014 to May 2019 47 citizens were murdered in hate crimes. Out of 47 76% of the victims are Muslims. In Jharkhan alone till today 18 were killed by a mob. Out of 18, 11 are muslims. Today all such murders have become next to normal making them a part of our daily dose of news.
INDIA on paper is a 1.democratic
2.republic
3.secular
4.sovereign and
5 socialist country. But with the rise of these inhumane polarized attacks on fellow citizens in the name of God takes our nation far away from the above 5. Therefore let us all sit down and contemplate by discussing on this increasing toll of such crimes their effects, the reasons and most importantly let us discuss about our part in changing the present .

On July 5th 2019 @lamakaan
From 7pm onwards.

Write Club Hyderabad helps you pen your thoughts, spill your mind and finally make an appointment with the writer in your head. We conduct free, weekly events that foster writing. Our Meetups aim at helping writers reach their goals in a supportive, collaborative, social setting. Writing doesn't have to be all by oneself. We welcome anyone who writes, regardless of genre, language or age. We have members writing novels, short stories, poetry, screenplays, essays, school reports and more. What we do, basically: One of the members of Write Club (anyone with a participation count over 2 consecutive meetups) hosts a session. They bring forth a theme and writing exercises. We all then write to the host’s prompts and guidelines for about an hour. Once we're done writing, we read out our write-ups (optional). We also exchange feedback and constructively critique each other's works. Entry is free, anyone with an interest in writing can walk in. Bring your writing devices and we’re all set! We promise to provide you with good coffee and a super-creative conversation. We have Write Club sessions every Saturday afternoon – 3 to 6 PM

Budget speeches are always windows into the future. This budget, the first statement of great significance for the national economy by the newly elected government, is being watched by observers world over. How has India fared in the last year, how will it do in the coming years on crucial indicators of economic wellbeing ? What do these indicators mean for different segments of the economy ? What are the signs that we need to watch out for ? What gains and what losses ? Come listen to Dr. Amir Ullah Khan, development and trade economist and advisor on development practice to many national and international bodies. The conversation will be moderated by G Sudhir, IAS, chairperson of the commission of inquiry into Minorities in Telangana State.

A 4th session on Urdu Prosody - on the techniques, styles and parameters to compose Urdu Shayeri; a discussion and writing session on various forms of Urdu Poetry and meters.

I am a free lancer artist and my works mostly goes with nature and contrast. I am looking for a platform to showcase my arts, exhibit and sell my arts.

No Laughing Matter: The Ambedkar Cartoons, 1932-1956

Lamakaan in association with Navayana invites one and all to the launch of Unnamti Syama Sundar's book 'No Laughing Matter: The Ambedkar Cartoons.'

The book launch will have a panel discussion.

Panellists:
1. Shankar Pamarthy, Cartoonist
2. Prof Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd, Political Thinker
3. Akhileshwari Ramagoud and
4. Unnamati Syama Sundar, Author of the book
5. S Anand, Publisher, Navayana Moderator of the panel discussion.

ALL ARE WELCOME!

Unki Awaaz, Meri Zubaani - A musical conversation with Salman Farshori about Hindi Cinema's musical journey, all the way from From K L Saigal, 90's Hindi Pop to the new era singers.

Rudy has always been told that he was too small to play college football. But he is determined to overcome the odds and fulfill his dream of

playing for Notre Dame.
Director: David Anspaugh
Writer: Angelo Pizzo
Stars: Sean Astin, Jon Favreau, Ned Beatty

Movies Intro : 7:00 PM
Movies Starts at 7:10 PM
Post-Screening Discussion - 15 mins

When we mention the word boss, we tend to imagine a man! The proportion of women in key leadership roles are relatively low in most organisations across sectors. A woman leader faces many challenges like scarcity of role models, unconscious bias, and a peer group that continually shrinks the more senior they become. Moreover, those women who do manage to climb up the ladder, face constant scrutiny and criticism. Women also face harder choices, often conflicted between personal fulfillment and professional success.

There are 190 heads of state, and only 9 are women. Of all the people in the parliament in the world, only 13 % are women. In the corporate sector, there are merely 15 to 16 % women. Even in the social sector, where so many organisations are working towards women empowerment, only 20% of women occupy the top jobs.

Being a woman and having a successful career can be difficult. ‘Women Leaders:By Accident?’ discusses and celebrates those women leaders of Hyderabad who have overcome these challenges in the social and development sector. These women leaders will talk about their journeys and how they fought their way to be where they are now. This panel of women leaders are here to inspire a generation of young women who want to be future change makers or future leaders. Join us in this panel discussion, headed by Anusha Bharadwaj, Founder and Director, SoCh for Social Change and Executive Director, VOICE 4 Girls to discuss their journey to leadership in the social sector.

How India Voted in 2019: Puzzles with No Clear Answers?

While a BJP / NDA victory in the 2019 election was anticipated, political workers and commentators alike were surprised to the extent - the seemingly unassailable capacity of the modi / shah duo and the BJP to craft an absolute sweep that has left the opposition in shambles. This has prompted some commentators to suggest that India has changed fundamentally and in some ways irreversibly. Is this really true? How would we characterize such a change? Or if not, how does one understand the results?

Pranjoy Guha Thakurta, Journalist & Political Commentator, Arafa Khanum Sherwani, Senior Editor, The Wire and Biju Mathew, Professor and Labor Organizer respond to these questions and more in lamakaan's key election analysis event. The event will be moderated by Malini Subramaniam, Journalist and Political Activist.

All are welcome!

A non-commercial, knowledge sharing program aimed at bringing students-teachers into the environment space. On this note, I request you and the Lamakaan Hyderabad management to consider being our venue partner for the same. we seek your support for venue on 12th and !3th of July 2019.

AS OF NOW THIS IS OUR FIRST SHORT FILM..SO WE ARE UTILIZING THE PLATFORM OF LAMAKAAN FOR SCREENING IT,HAVE A DISCUSSION ON IT AND TAKE THE OPINIONS OF THE AUDIENCE AT YOUR PLACE.

Vamsi Vakulabharanam
Associate Professor of Economics
University of Massachusetts, Amherst

In the recently concluded Indian election, economic factors did not play a decisive role. Despite a faltering economy, BJP returned to power with an enhanced majority. Political and cultural factors seemingly played a much more central role in the determination of the election outcome. What is in store over the next five years? Will economic factors become central once again? What kind of an economy can we expect in the near future? What indications can be gleaned from the newly minted 2019 budget? What are the emergent economic faultlines of the Indian economy?

12th July 2019
7:00pm

Do you like defending your opinion with facts, perspectives and and are also willing to be intellectually challenged on your opinions?
Yes? Welcome to the Hyderabad Debating Meetup.
We will have a list of topics(general topics, philosophical topics, current affairs etc.), which each pair of people will pick from and debate on.

Write Club Hyderabad helps you pen your thoughts, spill your mind and finally make an appointment with the writer in your head. We conduct free, weekly events that foster writing. Our Meetups aim at helping writers reach their goals in a supportive, collaborative, social setting. Writing doesn't have to be all by oneself. We welcome anyone who writes, regardless of genre, language or age. We have members writing novels, short stories, poetry, screenplays, essays, school reports and more. What we do, basically: One of the members of Write Club (anyone with a participation count over 2 consecutive meetups) hosts a session. They bring forth a theme and writing exercises. We all then write to the host’s prompts and guidelines for about an hour. Once we're done writing, we read out our write-ups (optional). We also exchange feedback and constructively critique each other's works. Entry is free, anyone with an interest in writing can walk in. Bring your writing devices and we’re all set! We promise to provide you with good coffee and a super-creative conversation. We have Write Club sessions every Saturday afternoon – 3 to 6 PM

We will celebrate monsoon with ragas and its semi classical forms. Season has always been playing roles to associate with particular emotions in Indian classical music. Amongst them monsoon has typically correlated with love and lorn. We will present some ragas which has been profusely used demonstrating monsoon and we will show the melody of those ragas on their semiclassical forms.

This will be a discussion about the relation between queer identities and
feminism in India. Can they live without each other? Do they strengthen
each other? Queries and doubts about the usefulness of feminism to queer lives and vice versa will be addressed. 

Chayanika Shah is an activist at heart, a Physicist by training and a teacher by choice. She has been an active member of two autonomous voluntary collectives in Mumbai -- Forum Against Oppression of Women and LABIA – A Queer Feminist LBT Collective. She has campaigned, researched, taught, and written on the politics of population control and reproductive technologies, communalism, feminist studies of science, and sexuality and sexual rights. Her co-authored books include “No Outlaws in the Gender Galaxy”; “Bharat ki Chaap”, and “We and Our Fertility: The politics of technological intervention”. Chayanika is also a member of National Human Rights commission’s core group on LGBTI issues.

Book reading and discussion with Chinese-American author Cathy Guo (Columbia University) about her latest book, Myth of the Entrepreneur, which she has co-authored with Ravi Kailas (a Hyderabadi serial entrepreneur)

About the book "Myth of the Entrepreneur"

What happens when a successful entrepreneur, who built and managed the world’s largest independent payphone company when he was still in his early thirties, begins questioning his identity as a value creator? What happens when he pauses and reflects on the nature of consciousness, value, and personal identity – only to redefine, for himself, the relationship between the entrepreneur and society?

Triggered off by a heart attack at thirty-eight, Ravi Kailas’s search takes us through the challenging, yet ultimately rewarding, process of shedding the self to discover service. His story is set against the backdrop of inspirations that are deep and varied: from Vipassana meditation to Alexander the Great, from Ashoka to Chuck Feeney, from the pioneers of trusteeship like Jamsetji Tata to a deep analysis of its relevance to modern-day inequality across the globe.

Myth of the Entrepreneur is an intimate exploration of Kailas’s journey to understand what constitutes tue value, and how each of us can interrogate this concept of ‘value’ to lead more fruitful, connected and liberated lives. For today’s young executives, this book will be an indispensable guide as they search for meaning and satisfaction in an ambitious, sometimes ruthless, world.

The discussion around the heritage status of the Errum Manzil Building has brought to the fore one fundamental issue about Hyderabad. This is one of the largest metropolises in India, with more than four centuries of urban history. It played a critical role in geopolitical and national territorial power from the time of its inception. Sitting on top of the Deccan plateau it has a unique geological and ecological system and a unique settlement history. At this juncture, looking to the prospects of becoming a global city - every decision we take - contributes to climate change, every decision we take has consequences for the future security not only for Hyderabad but for the region and the country. What role does the civil society play in all this ?
This meeting is in continuation of the meeting of June 30th, 2019. We hope to hear from participants on how to bring together our knowledges into meaningful action. We need you. The city needs you. So please do come.

Art, in its totality, is to celebrate longings and most of us can't spare ourselves from this burdening pleasure. Poetry by no means is any less capable of celebrating. On 2019-07-14 with the help of Lamakaan a charge free poetry event "Why not a poet?" is being hosted where I, raman, an unknown poet, will recite some of my poems and talk about how poetry talks to me at so many levels.

I.D is a Hindi independent movie directed by Kamal K.M starring Geetanjali Thapa.

Geetanjali Thapa plays Charu who lives in a rented accomodation in Mumbai along with her friends. One day a painter visits her house for a painting job when she is alone. The painter later falls unconcious. Charu tries to find his I.d to inform his condition to his family. But she doesn't fit d one on him. She takes the painters picture on her mobile to find his near ones.

In her quest ahe reaches the slums in Mumbai that are by the large dumping yards and is put in a situation where she meets and interacts with various people living there the diaplaced, the transgender, beggars etc.., all who do not have an I. D.

The movie depicts the lives of displaced and critiques the society on various levels very sensitively. There are no over the top monologues but the situations and scenes created by Kamal speak volumes on the differences between people like Charu and the displaced painter all along the movie.

National Education Policy 2019: A Panel Discussion


Made public a few weeks ago, the draft National Education Policy 2019 proposes major changes in the government funding policy on education, the structure of school education, the curricular design for school and higher education, the nature of teacher training and recruitment, among other crucial areas of India’s education system. The institutional implications of these policy measures will be wide ranging and deep, and invite therefore a critical and constructive engagement with the draft NEP. What is the process that has guided the making of the NEP? How do the NEP proposals relate to the Right to Education? Do the experiences of the socially marginal communities offer an alternate vantage point for responding to them? These are among the several questions addressed in the panel discussion.

Our Panelists:-

Chandan Gowda - CG is Professor of Sociology at Azim Premji University, Bengaluru."

Shantha Sinha is a former Chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, and retired as a Professor, department of Political Science, University of Hyderabad. As secretary trustee of MV Foundation she worked towards abolition of child labor and in support of children's right to education.

Sujatha Suryapally - Professor of Sociology at Satavahana University & Activist.

Ritesh Khunyakari- Faculty at TISS Hyderabad.

Moderator :- Dr.A.Suneetha is a Senior Fellow at Anveshi. She has studied women's madrassas as part of her research on gender and minorities.

Two British track athletes, one a determined Jew, and the other a devout Christian, compete in the 1924 Olympics.
Director: Hugh Hudson
Writer: Colin Welland (original screenplay)
Stars: Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Nicholas Farrell

Movies Intro : 7:00 PM
Movies Starts at 7:10 PM
Post-Screening Discussion - 15 mins

“The History of Irram Manzil, its preservation and ways for its rehabilitation for public use” A Talk By Dr Fatima Shahnaz

Ever since the state government decided to build the new secretariat at the complex of Irrum Manzil, one of the icons of Hyderabad Collective Heritage, there's this huge buzz amongst the activists to safeguard from monument from being razed to the ground. As part of several talks and discussions happened earlier at Lamakaan and at various other places, this talk by Prof Shahnaaz will give the detailed account of the Irrum Manzil, its history and the way out of preserving it from the clutches of the governmental agencies.

Dr Fatima Shahnaz is an international advocate of human rights, a Professor (Emeritus) of Political Science; an author and journalist. She obtained her B.A., M.A. and PhD from the Sorbonne University, Paris, France. Her school-leaving General Certificates of Education was from the Oxford/Cambridge Boards. She was the first Indian/Asian Head Girl at her English boarding school.

She has written one novel, GOLCONDA, on Hyderabad and the end of the Asaf Jahi NIzam’s rule and the integration of Hyderabad into the Indian Union in 1948; this book gives an insider’s insights into the Hyderabad of that period and its palace life. The book was published in New York by News India (Times). Other books include several poetical collections: Sarasvati; Shards; KHAKI –Poems on Pulwama; The New York Poems, In the Arms of Words – Poems whose funds went for the Relief of victims of the Asian Tsunami and Hurrican Katrina in New Orleans (by Sherman Asher publishers, USA) and others. She has given speeches and lectures in the New York area and in India, Delhi and Hyderabad, after returning to her homeland. She has worked on many human rights causes, and women’s rights, in India as well as overseas.

Lamakaan invites one and all to the launch of the book " Caste Matters" authored by Suraj Yengde. The launch will be followed by a panel discussion.

About the book: n this explosive book, Suraj Yengde, a first-generation Dalit scholar educated across continents, challenges deep-seated beliefs about caste and unpacks its many layers. He describes his gut-wrenching experiences of growing up in a Dalit basti, the multiple humiliations suffered by Dalits on a daily basis, and their incredible resilience enabled by love and humour. As he brings to light the immovable glass ceiling that exists for Dalits even in politics, bureaucracy and judiciary, Yengde provides an unflinchingly honest account of divisions within the Dalit community itself-from their internal caste divisions to the conduct of elite Dalits and their tokenized forms of modern-day untouchability-all operating under the inescapable influences of Brahminical doctrines.
This path-breaking book reveals how caste crushes human creativity and is disturbingly similar to other forms of oppression, such as race, class and gender. At once a reflection on inequality and a call to arms, Caste Matters argues that until Dalits lay claim to power and Brahmins join hands against Brahminism to effect real transformation, caste will continue to matter.

About the Author: Suraj Yengde is a Shorenstein Center inaugural post-doctoral fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School. He has worked with leading international organizations in Geneva, London and New York, and is associate editor of Caste: A Global Journal of Social Exclusion. His writings have featured in India Today, the Indian Express, Hindustan Times, Economic and Political Weekly, Huffington Post, the Conversation, Globe Post, Mail and Guardian, South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, and Social Transformations, among other leading publications.

The Discussants are:
1. Prof Kancha Illaiah Shepard
2. Dr. Manisha Bangar
Hepatologist, Socio-political Analyst, International speaker on Bahujan Rights, National Vice President People's Party of India-Democratic, Former National Vice President BAMCEF.
3. Prashanth Dontha, HCU

ALL ARE WELCOME. ENTRY IS FREE AND OPEN TO ALL

Write Club Hyderabad helps you pen your thoughts, spill your mind and finally make an appointment with the writer in your head. We conduct free, weekly events that foster writing. Our Meetups aim at helping writers reach their goals in a supportive, collaborative, social setting. Writing doesn't have to be all by oneself. We welcome anyone who writes, regardless of genre, language or age. We have members writing novels, short stories, poetry, screenplays, essays, school reports and more. What we do, basically: One of the members of Write Club (anyone with a participation count over 2 consecutive meetups) hosts a session. They bring forth a theme and writing exercises. We all then write to the host’s prompts and guidelines for about an hour. Once we're done writing, we read out our write-ups (optional). We also exchange feedback and constructively critique each other's works. Entry is free, anyone with an interest in writing can walk in. Bring your writing devices and we’re all set! We promise to provide you with good coffee and a super-creative conversation. We have Write Club sessions every Saturday afternoon – 3 to 6 PM

"We don't die from a Broken Heart. We only wish we did"
Well, this fact is true to its core. All stories do not end on a good note. Some have a
tragic conclusion and some end without even a proper closure. A relationship is
characterized by different kinds of emotion. It is a journey. A journey where two people find
each other, accept each other and create magical moments with each other. But what happens when
when this beautiful and magical relation ends! It brings a flood- A flood of emotions
where everything which was initially beautiful and magical, starts to hurt!
Come to watch Meera's story who is going through a similar kind of trauma.
Safarnama presents a Hindi Play- 'Broken' which will definitely touch your soul with its
take on modern day relationships.

This will be a discussion on how social norms and governments shape and control our ideas of sexual expression, identity and norms. Who can behave in what way or dress in which manner or have sex with who are highly charged questions. How does it  make love and sex do and die battles for so many young people in India?

A.Suneetha is a feminist scholar and activist who has worked in civil liberties and human rights organisations as well as with women's rights groups. She is part of a team that produced the first bilingual textbook on gender sensitisation in India - Towards a World of Equals. At present, she is a researcher working on gender and minority politics at Anveshi Research Centre on Women's Studies. 

It is a brief narrative of understanding of the human mind from a psychiatrist perspective. It is an effort to understand the confluence of Sufi, Bhakti traditions in India with a special focus of psychological processes. Drawing predominantly from Khusrow and Nammalwar. This talk is delivered by a Psychiatrist.

Dibiya - A short story reading by Amar Sankrit. Which is written by the famous writer & poet Uday Prakash.

SUSMAN (The Essence)
A film by Shyam Benegal 1987. 140 min

Shyam Benegal’s SUSMAN is a highly regarded
film. It provides a deep insight into the travails of
the “Ikat” handloom weavers of Pochampally.
From yarn to loom to final product, Susman
captures the backlash of irregular and inadequate
state support for the handloom industry in the 1980s.
The film has a host of powerful performances
including Om Puri, Shabana Azmi and Kulbhushan Kharbanda.
The words of Mandira, a designer, played by
Neena Gupta, resonate even more powerfully
today : “We must make space for creative persons
… so they can function even in an industrialised
society... (along with) a method by which markets
should be made available to craftsmen who work
with their own hands. Do you think we should
allow our remaining skilled craftsmen to die out or
become historical anachronisms?”
The film was selected for the Indian Panorama at Filmotsav 1987, Invited to the London Film Festival, the Chicago Film
Festival, the Vancouver International Film Festival, the Sydney & Melbourne Film Festivals 1987.
It was remade as Kancheevaram in Tamil by Priyadarshan.

Written by Shama Zaidi
Music : Vanraj Bhatia
Cinematography : Ashok Mehta
Editor : Bhanudas Divak
Cast :
Shabana Azmi - Gauramma
Om Puri - Ramulu
Kulbhushan Kharbanda - Narasimha
Neena Gupta -Mandira
Mohan Agashe - President of Handloom
Cooperative Society
K.K. Raina
Annu Kapoor - Lakshmaya
Ila Arun
Anita Kanwar
Pankaj Kapur
Jayant Kripalani
Satish Kaushik

Screening of Shyam Bengal’s masterful film from
1987 on the travails of the weavers of
Pochampally, and the handloom industry.
Followed by a discussion.

7.30 pm, Thursday, 18 July, 2019
at LAMAKAAN (off Road No. 1, Banjara Hills,
Opposite GVK One, Hyderabad – 500034)

The recent decision of the TISS adminstration to close down the campus"sine-die" after a week long peaceful protest by the students was blatant attempt to subdue the dissenting voices that wished to ensure that education could be accessed by all.
The administration has arbitrarily decided that students should pay Rs. 54,650 / - upfront for tuition fee and hostel, without which they will not be allowed access to hostel accommodation. This is clearly an exclusionary step whereby most students belonging to socio-economically marginalized communities will not be able to continue education and in an indirect way reinforces rigid caste structures whereby students only from certain social locations can access quality education. Such a huge monetary expectation runs contrary to the spirit and purpose of an exemplary institution like TISS as well as the previous guidelines which stipulated payment of Rs. 15,000/- as accommodation charges over three instalments.

In addition to the demand of reinstating the earlier fee structure, the TISS Hyderabad Student Action Committee (SAC) also raised in its Charter of Demands the need to enable those students unable to immediately pay the dining hall fee with the option of paying their dues once their student aid and scholarship amounts are disbursed. The fulfilment of this demand requires that the institute provide an assurance to the service provider (the private party running hostel on TISS campus) to this effect, which the administration is reportedly unwilling to do. It is also quite disconcerting that the TISS management seems unwilling to uphold principles of transparency and display its tender documents and contract with the private party Mr. CN Reddy, despite repeated demands from students. This is even more worrying since the private party is charging the students hostel fee for 6 months at an exorbitant rate of Rs. 8,600/- per month, while the semester itself is only for a period of four months ! (while reportedly the same service provider chares Rs. 4,500 outside)

Students have also been complaining that the location of the girls’ hostel is unsafe, with many women facing street sexual harassment near the hostel. However, we are informed that the administration has denied responsibility for their living conditions, stating that the campus is ‘non-residential’ from the current academic year.

In order to bring this issue to light for the general public and mainstream media, we would be grateful if Lamakaan would allow us to conduct a discussion about our present situation and link it with the larger socio-political and economical scenario of our country

Sports Movie Month - Invictus

Nelson Mandela, in his first term as the South African President, initiates a unique venture to unite the apartheid-torn land: enlist the

national rugby team on a mission to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
Director: Clint Eastwood
Writers: Anthony Peckham (screenplay), John Carlin (book)
Stars: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Tony Kgoroge

Movies Intro : 7:00 PM
Movies Starts at 7:10 PM
Post-Screening Discussion - 15 mins

Performing Classical Dance (Bharatnatyam)

Inglorious Basterds

In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a plan to assassinate Nazi leaders by a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers coincides with a theatre owner's vengeful plans for the same.
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Writer: Quentin Tarantino

Movie Screening - @7PM
Post Screening discussion - 15 mins

SADHANA CAFE

Sapthagiri “Giri” Iyengar will give a presentation about the work of Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus to mobilize Hindu Americans to connect their faith to social justice values, engage in community seva, and speak out against all injustice, bigotry and violence.
Giri will then facilitate a discussion and brainstorming about how to create a platform like Sadhana in India, and what it’s priorities and activities might be.

Giri is from Mysore, and is a Masters in Social Work student at Hunter College, New York. Giri has been an active member of Sadhana, particularly in the “sanctuary” movement for immigrants’ rights.

ALL ARE WELCOME!!!

The hopes of defeating fascism through electoral maneuvering have been dashed; the fascist juggernaut continues to roll on spilling ever more blood and rupturing the social fabric of the country. There is a sense of hopelessness and dismay among the Left and progressive circles in the wake of the return of Narendra Modi led NDA government at the helm. The setback has sent such a fiery shock wave that many have started blaming the masses while some are putting the entire blame on the EVM scam. Those who blame the masses for such a sorry state of affairs can only be asked to follow Brecht’s advice to dissolve the electorates and choose a new one. As regards the EVM scam, while it could have been responsible for the increase in the margin of victory, it alone cannot explain this second coming of Modi government. The question arises: is fascism still resistible? On the face of it, the fascist rise in India looks invincible. But if we keep our faith in science and history intact even in this testing time, we would know that in order to cure a disease, it is very important to diagnose it properly. The strategy of defeating fascism through electoral means was based on the understanding that fascism comes into existence when a fascist party like BJP comes to power and gets defeated if it goes out of power. This understanding was fundamentally flawed in the first place because it failed to take account the reactionary social movement behind the rise of fascism and no wonder the strategy has backfired. If we really want to resist fascism at this dark hour in the history of our country, it is of utmost importance that we seek answer to the following questions: what lies at the root of fascism? What are the factors that are responsible for the rise of fascism in any society? What is the similarity and dissimilarity between the fascist rise of the decade of 1930s and the current fascist rise? What should be the correct strategy of resisting fascism and smashing it?

The speaker, Anand Singh, will try to answer these questions and will also provide the contours of the new round of struggle that needs to be waged to smash fascism from both long term and short term perspectives.

Lamakaan invites all to a talk by Prof Rampunyani on the topic 'Preserving Democracy in Contemporary India.'

In this talk, Prof Punyani will take us through the journey of Independent India and how its founding fathers dreamt about a truly secular, socialist and republic India. He will also highlight the major challenges to Indian democracy in contemporary times.

The session will be interactive and followed by questions and answers session.


About Prof Ram Punyani:
Prof Ram Puniyani is a former professor of biomedical engineering and former senior medical officer affiliated with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. He began his medical career in 1973 and served IIT in various capacities for 27 years, beginning in 1977. In December 2004, he took voluntary retirement to work full-time for what has been stated by some as "communal harmony" in India. He is involved with human rights activities and initiatives to oppose something which some see as "the rising tide of fundamentalism in India". He is associated with the organizations All-India Secular Forum, Center for Study of Society and Secularism and ANHAD. In 2006, he was awarded the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration.

Early in June 2019, he received threatening phone calls from unknown persons who demanded that he stop his "anti-Hindu" activities. Puniyani filed a report with the Mumbai Police.

ALL ARE WELCOME

S.T.E.A.M CARNIVAL


The idea of the carnival is to showcase S.T.E.A.M learning (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) in an interactive and fun manner. We will have activities, challenges and games for both parents and children. These activities are small glimpses into the themes of our weekend and weekday camps.


Here's a rough breakdown of the activities covered during the carnival:


3D Printing (Ages 5-14)- Children get a demo of what goes into 3D modelling and printing. They can then 3D print a keychain of their initials and take it home.

Makey Makey (Ages 5-14)- We have a set up of different digital games made by our students, programmed with Makey- Makey where different everyday objects like fruits, clay, become joysticks and they get to play these games. There are also activities where the objects are programmed as musical instruments, fruits are used as musical keys that kids can play.

Build a Bot (Ages 9-14) - This is a timed challenge where the parent and child participate together to put together a bot (using materials like battery, spade connectors, motors, wheels and chassis).An instruction booklet is provided and they will have to follow the instructions and construct it

Stop Motion Video (Ages 9-14) - A fun challenge where kids cosplay and put together a costume and parents make a stop motion video of their kids

Engineering Challenge (Ages 9-14) - Kids are challenged to balance set of books on the table using only A4 sheets or ice cream sticks without glue or any other support material.

Build the Joint (Ages 5-8)- A biology themed fun activity where kids get to put together different joints like hinge, saddle, gliding, pivot, ball & socket using everyday items.

Match the bones (Ages 5-8) - Kids identify different bones in the body and stick it to the cut out of the human skeleton.

It will be a free event where both parents and kids can drop by.

Write Club Hyderabad helps you pen your thoughts, spill your mind and finally make an appointment with the writer in your head. We conduct free, weekly events that foster writing. Our Meetups aim at helping writers reach their goals in a supportive, collaborative, social setting. Writing doesn't have to be all by oneself. We welcome anyone who writes, regardless of genre, language or age. We have members writing novels, short stories, poetry, screenplays, essays, school reports and more. What we do, basically: One of the members of Write Club (anyone with a participation count over 2 consecutive meetups) hosts a session. They bring forth a theme and writing exercises. We all then write to the host’s prompts and guidelines for about an hour. Once we're done writing, we read out our write-ups (optional). We also exchange feedback and constructively critique each other's works. Entry is free, anyone with an interest in writing can walk in. Bring your writing devices and we’re all set! We promise to provide you with good coffee and a super-creative conversation. We have Write Club sessions every Saturday afternoon – 3 to 6 PM

A contemporary puppet show by the Nori Art and Puppetry Centre.
Bhallu the Bear comes to Hyderabad
The story is about a bear, Bhallu who lives in Narsapur jungle. His bird friends, who have travelled far and wide tell him about the beautiful city of Hyderabad. Bhallu dreams about this city and makes up his mind to visit Hyderabad.

Rocks Bachao, Musi bachao, Osmania Bachao, Bargad Bachao... Heritage Bachao, Pani Bachao! Errum Manzil bachao
This is a shout out to all those who have been fretting about how Hyderabad has been changing rapidly. There is never a quiet moment. Come summer, we have water scarcity, but even before we heave a sigh of relief as the temperatures come down, the traffic nightmares begin. We hear that there will be a long term strategy for the city to become world class but even before we take that in, we hear that trees are being cut or that rocks are being blown away and even as that dust settles down, we hear that the familiar landmarks are going to disappear. Public Interest Petitions, Recipes that worked once, do not seem to work everytime. Online appeals, media campaigns, lobbying the right people.. what else, what else do we need to do ? The immediate context for this is of course the latest news that the Errum Manzil will be replaced with a new secretariat building. But the broader context is to just meet, share, and think about how we can build collective capacities to take on multiple strategies simultaneously. So, if you care abbout the Errum Manzil and other heritage sites chalked up for demolition, if you care for trees and for water and for rock precincts, please show up. We promise there will be no onerous speeches. No exhortations to immediate action. We want to hear what each of you - especially if you are under 40, thinks can be done to conserve the continuity of Hyderabad's social, cultural, material and ecological heritage. We want to know how we can come together to act intelligently. Just bring your enthusiasm and yourself.

As part of World Music Day being celebrated in Hyderabad, Lamakaan invites one and all to this year's WMD celebrations.

The Fête de la Musique, also known as Music Day, Make Music Day or World Music Day, is an annual music celebration that takes place on 21 June. On Music Day the citizens of a city or country are allowed and urged to play music outside in their neighborhoods or in public spaces and parks. Free concerts are also organized, where musicians play for fun and not for payment.

Agenda:
1. Classical evening with Mrs Aradhana Karhade Shastri, sri Rahul Deshpande and sri Vivek khayal
A Radha Kumari,

All India radio Graded Artiste in Classical Vocal, Devotional & Light Music Vocal Genres.
Done Masters in English Literature as well as Music.

Been performing on stage for the last 25 years
Teaching music for the last 25 years.

2.QAWWALI PERFORMANCE
By
Shaheen Women Resource & Welfare Association
 
Qawwaliis a musical tradition, belonging to the Sufi culture, wherein the soul of the singer and audience ecstatically becomes one with the Almighty. It was popularized during the Mughal era. It is mostly performed by men at dargahs or at places of sacred importance.
Shaheen Women’s Resource and Welfare Association, an NGO located in the heart of Old City, Hyderabad, has been tirelessly working for the rights of young girls and women since the time of its establishment in 2002. Shaheen has successfully adopted Qawwali for its activities for twin reasons – firstly, to break the stereotype of Qawwals (singers) to be only men, and secondly, to create awareness in the community through Qawwalis on women’s rights. The Qawwalis performed by the dedicated interventionists of the organization are unique in nature, with their focus on gender issues. They include topics like the protection and education of the girl child, domestic violence, ‘Beti Basati Hi Ye Dunya Hamari Saari, discrimination against the girl child and child marriage, among a host of other women and child rights issues. The lyrics of the Qawwalis have been poignantly penned down by the Founder-Director of Shaheen, Ms. Jameela Nishat, who is an activist and poet herself. It is an exclusive effort on the part of Shaheen to promote cultural empowerment in society.
These Qawwalis portray the life story of girls suffering in the patriarchal society in such a way that one can visualize their agony. The performers often find the response from the audience to be overwhelming, and therefore feel this kind of a cultural activity to be an effective method of intervention to reach out to the masses.

ALL ARE WELCOME AND ENTRY IS FREE & OPEN TO ALL.

Languages come with their own stories, if you know where to look. The story of Dakhni, spoken across much of the Deccan, is intimately linked to the story of the medieval Deccan itself - its history, its power struggles, and its peoples. Dakhni came to represent a uniquely Deccan culture, with a courtly literary tradition that drew from Sanskritic traditions as well as the Persianate world, and a spoken form in the public sphere thoroughly influenced by local Dravidian languages. In this session we will explore these various influences and forces that have shaped Dakhni.

The life of boxer Jake LaMotta, who's violence and temper that lead him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.
Director: Martin Scorsese
Writers: Jake LaMotta (based on the book by) (as Jake La Motta), Joseph Carter
Stars: Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci

Movies Intro : 7:00 PM
Movies Starts at 7:10 PM
Post-Screening Discussion - 15 mins

India - in the name of God

"INDIA as of now stands world 4th worst country for religious violence"

In Jharkhand some days ago 24yr old Tabrez Ansari was tied down to a tree by group of people ( men, women & children)on the pretex of attempting a motorbike burglary. He was beaten with sticks, kicked etc for more than 7 hours. He was also threatened to shout " Jai shri ram" " Jai hanuman". The police arrived very late and yet showed not more than little interest in providing immediate emergency medical care to the victim following which Tabrez died 4 days after the attack.
In 2015 Akhlaq was murdered by a similar group in UP on a suspicion that he was carrying beef. Rakbar, Pehlu khan, Alwar are some among many who met the similar fate. Many such incidents have caught momentum in the last 5 years. And most of the victims are muslims and some dalits
There has also been a rise of self proclaimed vigilanti groups who call themselves "GOU RAKSHAKS'. These gou rashaks check vehicles on road without any permission and harrass also hit people to chant religious invocation.

Since 2014 to May 2019 47 citizens were murdered in hate crimes. Out of 47 76% of the victims are Muslims. In Jharkhan alone till today 18 were killed by a mob. Out of 18, 11 are muslims. Today all such murders have become next to normal making them a part of our daily dose of news.
INDIA on paper is a 1.democratic
2.republic
3.secular
4.sovereign and
5 socialist country. But with the rise of these inhumane polarized attacks on fellow citizens in the name of God takes our nation far away from the above 5. Therefore let us all sit down and contemplate by discussing on this increasing toll of such crimes their effects, the reasons and most importantly let us discuss about our part in changing the present .

On July 5th 2019 @lamakaan
From 7pm onwards.

Write Club Hyderabad helps you pen your thoughts, spill your mind and finally make an appointment with the writer in your head. We conduct free, weekly events that foster writing. Our Meetups aim at helping writers reach their goals in a supportive, collaborative, social setting. Writing doesn't have to be all by oneself. We welcome anyone who writes, regardless of genre, language or age. We have members writing novels, short stories, poetry, screenplays, essays, school reports and more. What we do, basically: One of the members of Write Club (anyone with a participation count over 2 consecutive meetups) hosts a session. They bring forth a theme and writing exercises. We all then write to the host’s prompts and guidelines for about an hour. Once we're done writing, we read out our write-ups (optional). We also exchange feedback and constructively critique each other's works. Entry is free, anyone with an interest in writing can walk in. Bring your writing devices and we’re all set! We promise to provide you with good coffee and a super-creative conversation. We have Write Club sessions every Saturday afternoon – 3 to 6 PM

Budget speeches are always windows into the future. This budget, the first statement of great significance for the national economy by the newly elected government, is being watched by observers world over. How has India fared in the last year, how will it do in the coming years on crucial indicators of economic wellbeing ? What do these indicators mean for different segments of the economy ? What are the signs that we need to watch out for ? What gains and what losses ? Come listen to Dr. Amir Ullah Khan, development and trade economist and advisor on development practice to many national and international bodies. The conversation will be moderated by G Sudhir, IAS, chairperson of the commission of inquiry into Minorities in Telangana State.

A 4th session on Urdu Prosody - on the techniques, styles and parameters to compose Urdu Shayeri; a discussion and writing session on various forms of Urdu Poetry and meters.

I am a free lancer artist and my works mostly goes with nature and contrast. I am looking for a platform to showcase my arts, exhibit and sell my arts.

No Laughing Matter: The Ambedkar Cartoons, 1932-1956

Lamakaan in association with Navayana invites one and all to the launch of Unnamti Syama Sundar's book 'No Laughing Matter: The Ambedkar Cartoons.'

The book launch will have a panel discussion.

Panellists:
1. Shankar Pamarthy, Cartoonist
2. Prof Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd, Political Thinker
3. Akhileshwari Ramagoud and
4. Unnamati Syama Sundar, Author of the book
5. S Anand, Publisher, Navayana Moderator of the panel discussion.

ALL ARE WELCOME!

Unki Awaaz, Meri Zubaani - A musical conversation with Salman Farshori about Hindi Cinema's musical journey, all the way from From K L Saigal, 90's Hindi Pop to the new era singers.

Rudy has always been told that he was too small to play college football. But he is determined to overcome the odds and fulfill his dream of

playing for Notre Dame.
Director: David Anspaugh
Writer: Angelo Pizzo
Stars: Sean Astin, Jon Favreau, Ned Beatty

Movies Intro : 7:00 PM
Movies Starts at 7:10 PM
Post-Screening Discussion - 15 mins

When we mention the word boss, we tend to imagine a man! The proportion of women in key leadership roles are relatively low in most organisations across sectors. A woman leader faces many challenges like scarcity of role models, unconscious bias, and a peer group that continually shrinks the more senior they become. Moreover, those women who do manage to climb up the ladder, face constant scrutiny and criticism. Women also face harder choices, often conflicted between personal fulfillment and professional success.

There are 190 heads of state, and only 9 are women. Of all the people in the parliament in the world, only 13 % are women. In the corporate sector, there are merely 15 to 16 % women. Even in the social sector, where so many organisations are working towards women empowerment, only 20% of women occupy the top jobs.

Being a woman and having a successful career can be difficult. ‘Women Leaders:By Accident?’ discusses and celebrates those women leaders of Hyderabad who have overcome these challenges in the social and development sector. These women leaders will talk about their journeys and how they fought their way to be where they are now. This panel of women leaders are here to inspire a generation of young women who want to be future change makers or future leaders. Join us in this panel discussion, headed by Anusha Bharadwaj, Founder and Director, SoCh for Social Change and Executive Director, VOICE 4 Girls to discuss their journey to leadership in the social sector.

How India Voted in 2019: Puzzles with No Clear Answers?

While a BJP / NDA victory in the 2019 election was anticipated, political workers and commentators alike were surprised to the extent - the seemingly unassailable capacity of the modi / shah duo and the BJP to craft an absolute sweep that has left the opposition in shambles. This has prompted some commentators to suggest that India has changed fundamentally and in some ways irreversibly. Is this really true? How would we characterize such a change? Or if not, how does one understand the results?

Pranjoy Guha Thakurta, Journalist & Political Commentator, Arafa Khanum Sherwani, Senior Editor, The Wire and Biju Mathew, Professor and Labor Organizer respond to these questions and more in lamakaan's key election analysis event. The event will be moderated by Malini Subramaniam, Journalist and Political Activist.

All are welcome!

A non-commercial, knowledge sharing program aimed at bringing students-teachers into the environment space. On this note, I request you and the Lamakaan Hyderabad management to consider being our venue partner for the same. we seek your support for venue on 12th and !3th of July 2019.

AS OF NOW THIS IS OUR FIRST SHORT FILM..SO WE ARE UTILIZING THE PLATFORM OF LAMAKAAN FOR SCREENING IT,HAVE A DISCUSSION ON IT AND TAKE THE OPINIONS OF THE AUDIENCE AT YOUR PLACE.

Vamsi Vakulabharanam
Associate Professor of Economics
University of Massachusetts, Amherst

In the recently concluded Indian election, economic factors did not play a decisive role. Despite a faltering economy, BJP returned to power with an enhanced majority. Political and cultural factors seemingly played a much more central role in the determination of the election outcome. What is in store over the next five years? Will economic factors become central once again? What kind of an economy can we expect in the near future? What indications can be gleaned from the newly minted 2019 budget? What are the emergent economic faultlines of the Indian economy?

12th July 2019
7:00pm

Do you like defending your opinion with facts, perspectives and and are also willing to be intellectually challenged on your opinions?
Yes? Welcome to the Hyderabad Debating Meetup.
We will have a list of topics(general topics, philosophical topics, current affairs etc.), which each pair of people will pick from and debate on.

Write Club Hyderabad helps you pen your thoughts, spill your mind and finally make an appointment with the writer in your head. We conduct free, weekly events that foster writing. Our Meetups aim at helping writers reach their goals in a supportive, collaborative, social setting. Writing doesn't have to be all by oneself. We welcome anyone who writes, regardless of genre, language or age. We have members writing novels, short stories, poetry, screenplays, essays, school reports and more. What we do, basically: One of the members of Write Club (anyone with a participation count over 2 consecutive meetups) hosts a session. They bring forth a theme and writing exercises. We all then write to the host’s prompts and guidelines for about an hour. Once we're done writing, we read out our write-ups (optional). We also exchange feedback and constructively critique each other's works. Entry is free, anyone with an interest in writing can walk in. Bring your writing devices and we’re all set! We promise to provide you with good coffee and a super-creative conversation. We have Write Club sessions every Saturday afternoon – 3 to 6 PM

We will celebrate monsoon with ragas and its semi classical forms. Season has always been playing roles to associate with particular emotions in Indian classical music. Amongst them monsoon has typically correlated with love and lorn. We will present some ragas which has been profusely used demonstrating monsoon and we will show the melody of those ragas on their semiclassical forms.

This will be a discussion about the relation between queer identities and
feminism in India. Can they live without each other? Do they strengthen
each other? Queries and doubts about the usefulness of feminism to queer lives and vice versa will be addressed. 

Chayanika Shah is an activist at heart, a Physicist by training and a teacher by choice. She has been an active member of two autonomous voluntary collectives in Mumbai -- Forum Against Oppression of Women and LABIA – A Queer Feminist LBT Collective. She has campaigned, researched, taught, and written on the politics of population control and reproductive technologies, communalism, feminist studies of science, and sexuality and sexual rights. Her co-authored books include “No Outlaws in the Gender Galaxy”; “Bharat ki Chaap”, and “We and Our Fertility: The politics of technological intervention”. Chayanika is also a member of National Human Rights commission’s core group on LGBTI issues.

Book reading and discussion with Chinese-American author Cathy Guo (Columbia University) about her latest book, Myth of the Entrepreneur, which she has co-authored with Ravi Kailas (a Hyderabadi serial entrepreneur)

About the book "Myth of the Entrepreneur"

What happens when a successful entrepreneur, who built and managed the world’s largest independent payphone company when he was still in his early thirties, begins questioning his identity as a value creator? What happens when he pauses and reflects on the nature of consciousness, value, and personal identity – only to redefine, for himself, the relationship between the entrepreneur and society?

Triggered off by a heart attack at thirty-eight, Ravi Kailas’s search takes us through the challenging, yet ultimately rewarding, process of shedding the self to discover service. His story is set against the backdrop of inspirations that are deep and varied: from Vipassana meditation to Alexander the Great, from Ashoka to Chuck Feeney, from the pioneers of trusteeship like Jamsetji Tata to a deep analysis of its relevance to modern-day inequality across the globe.

Myth of the Entrepreneur is an intimate exploration of Kailas’s journey to understand what constitutes tue value, and how each of us can interrogate this concept of ‘value’ to lead more fruitful, connected and liberated lives. For today’s young executives, this book will be an indispensable guide as they search for meaning and satisfaction in an ambitious, sometimes ruthless, world.

The discussion around the heritage status of the Errum Manzil Building has brought to the fore one fundamental issue about Hyderabad. This is one of the largest metropolises in India, with more than four centuries of urban history. It played a critical role in geopolitical and national territorial power from the time of its inception. Sitting on top of the Deccan plateau it has a unique geological and ecological system and a unique settlement history. At this juncture, looking to the prospects of becoming a global city - every decision we take - contributes to climate change, every decision we take has consequences for the future security not only for Hyderabad but for the region and the country. What role does the civil society play in all this ?
This meeting is in continuation of the meeting of June 30th, 2019. We hope to hear from participants on how to bring together our knowledges into meaningful action. We need you. The city needs you. So please do come.

Art, in its totality, is to celebrate longings and most of us can't spare ourselves from this burdening pleasure. Poetry by no means is any less capable of celebrating. On 2019-07-14 with the help of Lamakaan a charge free poetry event "Why not a poet?" is being hosted where I, raman, an unknown poet, will recite some of my poems and talk about how poetry talks to me at so many levels.

I.D is a Hindi independent movie directed by Kamal K.M starring Geetanjali Thapa.

Geetanjali Thapa plays Charu who lives in a rented accomodation in Mumbai along with her friends. One day a painter visits her house for a painting job when she is alone. The painter later falls unconcious. Charu tries to find his I.d to inform his condition to his family. But she doesn't fit d one on him. She takes the painters picture on her mobile to find his near ones.

In her quest ahe reaches the slums in Mumbai that are by the large dumping yards and is put in a situation where she meets and interacts with various people living there the diaplaced, the transgender, beggars etc.., all who do not have an I. D.

The movie depicts the lives of displaced and critiques the society on various levels very sensitively. There are no over the top monologues but the situations and scenes created by Kamal speak volumes on the differences between people like Charu and the displaced painter all along the movie.

National Education Policy 2019: A Panel Discussion


Made public a few weeks ago, the draft National Education Policy 2019 proposes major changes in the government funding policy on education, the structure of school education, the curricular design for school and higher education, the nature of teacher training and recruitment, among other crucial areas of India’s education system. The institutional implications of these policy measures will be wide ranging and deep, and invite therefore a critical and constructive engagement with the draft NEP. What is the process that has guided the making of the NEP? How do the NEP proposals relate to the Right to Education? Do the experiences of the socially marginal communities offer an alternate vantage point for responding to them? These are among the several questions addressed in the panel discussion.

Our Panelists:-

Chandan Gowda - CG is Professor of Sociology at Azim Premji University, Bengaluru."

Shantha Sinha is a former Chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, and retired as a Professor, department of Political Science, University of Hyderabad. As secretary trustee of MV Foundation she worked towards abolition of child labor and in support of children's right to education.

Sujatha Suryapally - Professor of Sociology at Satavahana University & Activist.

Ritesh Khunyakari- Faculty at TISS Hyderabad.

Moderator :- Dr.A.Suneetha is a Senior Fellow at Anveshi. She has studied women's madrassas as part of her research on gender and minorities.

Two British track athletes, one a determined Jew, and the other a devout Christian, compete in the 1924 Olympics.
Director: Hugh Hudson
Writer: Colin Welland (original screenplay)
Stars: Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Nicholas Farrell

Movies Intro : 7:00 PM
Movies Starts at 7:10 PM
Post-Screening Discussion - 15 mins

“The History of Irram Manzil, its preservation and ways for its rehabilitation for public use” A Talk By Dr Fatima Shahnaz

Ever since the state government decided to build the new secretariat at the complex of Irrum Manzil, one of the icons of Hyderabad Collective Heritage, there's this huge buzz amongst the activists to safeguard from monument from being razed to the ground. As part of several talks and discussions happened earlier at Lamakaan and at various other places, this talk by Prof Shahnaaz will give the detailed account of the Irrum Manzil, its history and the way out of preserving it from the clutches of the governmental agencies.

Dr Fatima Shahnaz is an international advocate of human rights, a Professor (Emeritus) of Political Science; an author and journalist. She obtained her B.A., M.A. and PhD from the Sorbonne University, Paris, France. Her school-leaving General Certificates of Education was from the Oxford/Cambridge Boards. She was the first Indian/Asian Head Girl at her English boarding school.

She has written one novel, GOLCONDA, on Hyderabad and the end of the Asaf Jahi NIzam’s rule and the integration of Hyderabad into the Indian Union in 1948; this book gives an insider’s insights into the Hyderabad of that period and its palace life. The book was published in New York by News India (Times). Other books include several poetical collections: Sarasvati; Shards; KHAKI –Poems on Pulwama; The New York Poems, In the Arms of Words – Poems whose funds went for the Relief of victims of the Asian Tsunami and Hurrican Katrina in New Orleans (by Sherman Asher publishers, USA) and others. She has given speeches and lectures in the New York area and in India, Delhi and Hyderabad, after returning to her homeland. She has worked on many human rights causes, and women’s rights, in India as well as overseas.

Lamakaan invites one and all to the launch of the book " Caste Matters" authored by Suraj Yengde. The launch will be followed by a panel discussion.

About the book: n this explosive book, Suraj Yengde, a first-generation Dalit scholar educated across continents, challenges deep-seated beliefs about caste and unpacks its many layers. He describes his gut-wrenching experiences of growing up in a Dalit basti, the multiple humiliations suffered by Dalits on a daily basis, and their incredible resilience enabled by love and humour. As he brings to light the immovable glass ceiling that exists for Dalits even in politics, bureaucracy and judiciary, Yengde provides an unflinchingly honest account of divisions within the Dalit community itself-from their internal caste divisions to the conduct of elite Dalits and their tokenized forms of modern-day untouchability-all operating under the inescapable influences of Brahminical doctrines.
This path-breaking book reveals how caste crushes human creativity and is disturbingly similar to other forms of oppression, such as race, class and gender. At once a reflection on inequality and a call to arms, Caste Matters argues that until Dalits lay claim to power and Brahmins join hands against Brahminism to effect real transformation, caste will continue to matter.

About the Author: Suraj Yengde is a Shorenstein Center inaugural post-doctoral fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School. He has worked with leading international organizations in Geneva, London and New York, and is associate editor of Caste: A Global Journal of Social Exclusion. His writings have featured in India Today, the Indian Express, Hindustan Times, Economic and Political Weekly, Huffington Post, the Conversation, Globe Post, Mail and Guardian, South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, and Social Transformations, among other leading publications.

The Discussants are:
1. Prof Kancha Illaiah Shepard
2. Dr. Manisha Bangar
Hepatologist, Socio-political Analyst, International speaker on Bahujan Rights, National Vice President People's Party of India-Democratic, Former National Vice President BAMCEF.
3. Prashanth Dontha, HCU

ALL ARE WELCOME. ENTRY IS FREE AND OPEN TO ALL

Write Club Hyderabad helps you pen your thoughts, spill your mind and finally make an appointment with the writer in your head. We conduct free, weekly events that foster writing. Our Meetups aim at helping writers reach their goals in a supportive, collaborative, social setting. Writing doesn't have to be all by oneself. We welcome anyone who writes, regardless of genre, language or age. We have members writing novels, short stories, poetry, screenplays, essays, school reports and more. What we do, basically: One of the members of Write Club (anyone with a participation count over 2 consecutive meetups) hosts a session. They bring forth a theme and writing exercises. We all then write to the host’s prompts and guidelines for about an hour. Once we're done writing, we read out our write-ups (optional). We also exchange feedback and constructively critique each other's works. Entry is free, anyone with an interest in writing can walk in. Bring your writing devices and we’re all set! We promise to provide you with good coffee and a super-creative conversation. We have Write Club sessions every Saturday afternoon – 3 to 6 PM

"We don't die from a Broken Heart. We only wish we did"
Well, this fact is true to its core. All stories do not end on a good note. Some have a
tragic conclusion and some end without even a proper closure. A relationship is
characterized by different kinds of emotion. It is a journey. A journey where two people find
each other, accept each other and create magical moments with each other. But what happens when
when this beautiful and magical relation ends! It brings a flood- A flood of emotions
where everything which was initially beautiful and magical, starts to hurt!
Come to watch Meera's story who is going through a similar kind of trauma.
Safarnama presents a Hindi Play- 'Broken' which will definitely touch your soul with its
take on modern day relationships.

This will be a discussion on how social norms and governments shape and control our ideas of sexual expression, identity and norms. Who can behave in what way or dress in which manner or have sex with who are highly charged questions. How does it  make love and sex do and die battles for so many young people in India?

A.Suneetha is a feminist scholar and activist who has worked in civil liberties and human rights organisations as well as with women's rights groups. She is part of a team that produced the first bilingual textbook on gender sensitisation in India - Towards a World of Equals. At present, she is a researcher working on gender and minority politics at Anveshi Research Centre on Women's Studies. 

It is a brief narrative of understanding of the human mind from a psychiatrist perspective. It is an effort to understand the confluence of Sufi, Bhakti traditions in India with a special focus of psychological processes. Drawing predominantly from Khusrow and Nammalwar. This talk is delivered by a Psychiatrist.

Dibiya - A short story reading by Amar Sankrit. Which is written by the famous writer & poet Uday Prakash.

SUSMAN (The Essence)
A film by Shyam Benegal 1987. 140 min

Shyam Benegal’s SUSMAN is a highly regarded
film. It provides a deep insight into the travails of
the “Ikat” handloom weavers of Pochampally.
From yarn to loom to final product, Susman
captures the backlash of irregular and inadequate
state support for the handloom industry in the 1980s.
The film has a host of powerful performances
including Om Puri, Shabana Azmi and Kulbhushan Kharbanda.
The words of Mandira, a designer, played by
Neena Gupta, resonate even more powerfully
today : “We must make space for creative persons
… so they can function even in an industrialised
society... (along with) a method by which markets
should be made available to craftsmen who work
with their own hands. Do you think we should
allow our remaining skilled craftsmen to die out or
become historical anachronisms?”
The film was selected for the Indian Panorama at Filmotsav 1987, Invited to the London Film Festival, the Chicago Film
Festival, the Vancouver International Film Festival, the Sydney & Melbourne Film Festivals 1987.
It was remade as Kancheevaram in Tamil by Priyadarshan.

Written by Shama Zaidi
Music : Vanraj Bhatia
Cinematography : Ashok Mehta
Editor : Bhanudas Divak
Cast :
Shabana Azmi - Gauramma
Om Puri - Ramulu
Kulbhushan Kharbanda - Narasimha
Neena Gupta -Mandira
Mohan Agashe - President of Handloom
Cooperative Society
K.K. Raina
Annu Kapoor - Lakshmaya
Ila Arun
Anita Kanwar
Pankaj Kapur
Jayant Kripalani
Satish Kaushik

Screening of Shyam Bengal’s masterful film from
1987 on the travails of the weavers of
Pochampally, and the handloom industry.
Followed by a discussion.

7.30 pm, Thursday, 18 July, 2019
at LAMAKAAN (off Road No. 1, Banjara Hills,
Opposite GVK One, Hyderabad – 500034)

The recent decision of the TISS adminstration to close down the campus"sine-die" after a week long peaceful protest by the students was blatant attempt to subdue the dissenting voices that wished to ensure that education could be accessed by all.
The administration has arbitrarily decided that students should pay Rs. 54,650 / - upfront for tuition fee and hostel, without which they will not be allowed access to hostel accommodation. This is clearly an exclusionary step whereby most students belonging to socio-economically marginalized communities will not be able to continue education and in an indirect way reinforces rigid caste structures whereby students only from certain social locations can access quality education. Such a huge monetary expectation runs contrary to the spirit and purpose of an exemplary institution like TISS as well as the previous guidelines which stipulated payment of Rs. 15,000/- as accommodation charges over three instalments.

In addition to the demand of reinstating the earlier fee structure, the TISS Hyderabad Student Action Committee (SAC) also raised in its Charter of Demands the need to enable those students unable to immediately pay the dining hall fee with the option of paying their dues once their student aid and scholarship amounts are disbursed. The fulfilment of this demand requires that the institute provide an assurance to the service provider (the private party running hostel on TISS campus) to this effect, which the administration is reportedly unwilling to do. It is also quite disconcerting that the TISS management seems unwilling to uphold principles of transparency and display its tender documents and contract with the private party Mr. CN Reddy, despite repeated demands from students. This is even more worrying since the private party is charging the students hostel fee for 6 months at an exorbitant rate of Rs. 8,600/- per month, while the semester itself is only for a period of four months ! (while reportedly the same service provider chares Rs. 4,500 outside)

Students have also been complaining that the location of the girls’ hostel is unsafe, with many women facing street sexual harassment near the hostel. However, we are informed that the administration has denied responsibility for their living conditions, stating that the campus is ‘non-residential’ from the current academic year.

In order to bring this issue to light for the general public and mainstream media, we would be grateful if Lamakaan would allow us to conduct a discussion about our present situation and link it with the larger socio-political and economical scenario of our country

Sports Movie Month - Invictus

Nelson Mandela, in his first term as the South African President, initiates a unique venture to unite the apartheid-torn land: enlist the

national rugby team on a mission to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
Director: Clint Eastwood
Writers: Anthony Peckham (screenplay), John Carlin (book)
Stars: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Tony Kgoroge

Movies Intro : 7:00 PM
Movies Starts at 7:10 PM
Post-Screening Discussion - 15 mins