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A monthly communiqué
May 2017 No. 5
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Today is the Big Day: Come and Enjoy "...Chale Hans ki Chal" "...Chale Hans ki Chal," the Hindi family drama and delightful comedy is being presented by IAGB and New England Leherein today, Saturday, May 13, from 3 pm until 6:30 pm at Littleton High School Auditorium, 56 King Street, Littleton, MA 02460. Ticket prices are $100, $60, $35, $15. Inquire about 20% and 10% discounts for IAGB Life and Annual members, respectively.
Complimentary Reception and Turkish Airlines Raffle There will be a complimentary reception for guests from 3 pm until 3:45 pm. In addition, each $100, $60 and $35 ticket will get a free raffle entry for a round trip on Turkish Airlines.
For more information, contact any of the following:
Praveena Naduthota, 978-850-2127 Suzana Naik, 508-517-7161 Syed Ali Rizvi, 973-220-2713 Aditi Taylor, 781-783-5744
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…Chale Hans ki Chal Delivers a Message Play Director Avinash Padhye Shares His Insights …Chale Hans ki Chal, the play being presented jointly by IAGB and Leherein on May 13, is evoking lot of interest in the community. If you saw IAGB’s hit suspense play “Sach aur Sach ke Siva” last year, you have already enjoyed the work of Director Avinash Padhye. IAGB Director and eNews Editor Zehra Khan chatted with Avinash to discuss the play and explore his thought process.
The Right Script is Key Why did Avinash choose to direct …Chale Hans ki Chal? “Theater is my passion,” begins Avinash. “…Chale Hans ki Chal has a powerful script, which is the first thing I look for in a play. It is also a comedy, which is one of the toughest genres to portray.” Trying not to reveal too much, he explains that the play reflects how society perceives certain individuals to be within certain norms, and how those individuals struggle to keep up with the burden of society’s expectations. “The characters of …Chale Hans ki Chal are a lot like people we encounter in our daily lives.”
Avinash considers identifying the right script to be a challenge. “You basically need a real good script with top-notch humor. It should have a story line that would resonate with the audience,” he observes. “However, comedy is tough to stage because you are walking a thin line. In literature, humor is mostly used to portray the shortcomings of the individual or society. Therefore, it is important to maintain a fine balance, and convey the message without hurting someone's sentiments. I strongly believe the script for this play meets those criteria.”
Convincing actors to get used to a script that may not appear to be a comedy at first glance is also important, as is the tight timing. Avinash considers his directorial approach to have more of a “Maharashtrian” style, and appreciates the fact that he can communicate with several talented Boston-area artistes who respond to his style. Together, they have all worked in approximately 20 plays to date.
Background An electrical engineer by profession, Avinash is well known in the Boston area’s Marathi theater circles as a director and an actor. He attributes his love of the theater to growing up in Mumbai, the land of Bollywood. Surrounded by a vibrant community of actors and directors, he helped launch a three-day theater festival in Mumbai that is held even today. It is how he met his wife Hirkani, an occupational therapist by profession. They have a daughter, who lives in Richmond, VA.
In Boston, Avinash met people who were enthusiastic about acting and had talent. The interactions motivated him to leverage his Mumbai theater background. He resumed working in plays, and directed and acted in Hindi and Marathi plays, and English skits. Though he had directed IAGB’s suspense play last year, Avinash has worked more in the comedy genre.
More to Come "A play takes six to seven months to complete, from script selection to presentation and everything in between," summarizes Avinash. "It requires a lot of dedication, and rehearsals every weekend." You can look forward to enjoying more of Avinash's work, when the two scripts he is currently considering come to a stage near you.
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First IAGB's Innovator-Spaces Competition Deadline Is May 23
IAGB, in association with its corporate and industry sponsors, is launching the Innovator-Spaces competition for innovative ideas. According to IAGB Director Syed Ali Rizvi, groups of two-three students from 8th grade to the undergraduate level will pitch their ideas via a five-minute video. Selected teams will be mentored and given space and materials for their projects for 10-12 weeks.
Upon completion, the winning teams will be awarded first, second and third prizes. The inventor will own the patent rights of any invention. Our thanks to JMD Manufacturing, the sponsor of this program.
Apply by the deadline of Tuesday, May 23. There is no application fee.
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Jaya Voruganti and Aditi Taylor Join List of Outstanding Women
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IAFPE, MIT India and MIT South Asia Host Colors of the Commonwealth: Building Alliances to Combat Hate The Indian American Forum for Political Education MA Chapter presented a panel discussion, "Colors of the Commonwealth: Building Alliances to Combat Hate," on May 6. It was co-hosted by MIT India and MIT South Asia and supported by numerous South Asian and other organizations, including IAGB. Directors Syed Ali Rizvi and Zehra Khan attended the event.
Billed as a solidarity event, it was held in "light of rising hate crimes and a sense of fear among residents who could be the target of such crimes." It was also offered as an opportunity for concerned citizens to share their experiences, learn from the panelists and develop a coordinated response plan.
The event opening speaker was Vivek Bald, a Sikh American MIT Scholar, writer and documentary film maker. Dr. V. Kasturi Rangan, Professor of Marketing and co-chair of the Social Enterprise Initiative at Harvard Business School moderated the panel, consisting of:
- Commissioner William Evans, Boston Police Department
- Genevieve Nadeau, Chief, Civil Rights Division, Office of Attorney General
- Kashif Syed, Community Outreach, Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center (ISBCC)
- Robert Trestan, Executive Director, New England Region Anti Defamation League
Dr. Kenneth Oye, Japanese American MIT faculty and political scientist, was the closing speaker of the afternoon.
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"Like" IAGB's New Facebook Community IAGB has launched its new Facebook community. Be sure to visit the page and "Like" it.
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eNews Archive on IAGB Website
The IAGB website features links to archived editions of
eNews. P
lease forward our newsletter to those you think might be interested in reading it or benefit from its contents.
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Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America's Hindu Heritage Day: May 20
Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America organizes the annual Hindu Heritage Day at 3 pm on Saturday, May 20. The event will be held at Marlboro Middle School, 25 Union Street, Marlboro, MA 01752.
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NE SRS Brundavan Hosts Community Celebration: August 12 New England Shri Raghavendra Swami Brundavan (NE SRS Brundavan) is a registered nonprofit organization that provides services across New England. Its mission is to establish a permanent, self-sustaining prarthana mandir/mutt for Shri Raghavendra Swami, a Madhwa saint, philosopher and proponent of Dvaita philosophy. Madhwas are Kannada-speaking people.
Devotees believe that Raghavendra Swami voluntarily attained “Jeeva Samadhi” by entering a tomb or Brundavana in Mantralayam on the banks of the river Tungabhadra in Andhra Pradesh, from where he has been casting his benevolence on them for 700 years. The Mantralayam Raghavendra mutt maintains an unbroken lineage of gurus. The current swami, HH Shri Subudendra Theertha launched a global outreach program of which NE SRS Brundavan is the second chapter. The first is the Great Britain SRS Brundavan temple in Slough, UK.
NE SRS Brundavan invites the community and volunteers to the second aradhana of the saint on Saturday, August 12. Over 400 devotees had participated in the first Boston-area celebration when volunteers organized, crafted, cooked, cleaned and served more than 30 dishes in a free traditional banana-leaf lunch.
For more information, look for the NESRSB group on Facebook or send an email to join the mailing list.
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Editor: Zehra Khan I Associate
Editor: Noura Khan
IAGB Communications
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