The Desis are Coming!

Have you ever noticed how after someone becomes rich and famous suddenly everyone wants a piece of the action? Well India is no different.

As part of the mayor of London Ken Livingstone’s India Now celebration Trafalgar Square in London will host a festival of all things Indian. From now until the 19^th of August, you can catch specially commissioned performances by some of the leading dance South Asian artists, including dance, “Dreaming Now” by Akademi, theatre, “JUGGERNAUT Tara in the Sky” by Tara, and music by DJ Ritu.

And that’s not all, the India Now celebration which continues into September, also showcases native Indian wildlife at the London zoo, readings of Ramayana at the Wellcome library, tastings at Café Spice Namaste, and a Manish Arora exhibit at the Victoria and Albert museum.

The reason for the mayor’s interest in India? To strengthen India (can we say burgeoning superpower??) and London’s growing economic and cultural relationship while welcoming Indian companies and trade to the city. To help revelers out, Time Out has even produced a special 28 page special on India Now. How times have changed!

All this without the cost of flying to India. What more can you ask for?

For more details on the Trafalgar Square festival visit www.london.gov.uk. Performances are every Thursday and Friday night at 6 and 8pm respectively as well as Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 3pm.

Someone Special

“Beta, have you found anyone special yet”??

Ugh, the dread question all singletons fear. If you’re anything like most of the other single, educated, worldly desis, you may have very well met several special someones. Unfortunately THAT is not going to appease the parents.

As part of its SALAAM 3^rd Mondays series (S3M), SALAAM (South Asian League of Artists in America) Theatre in NYC, invites you to explore the sad state of such affairs tonight in a reading of the one act play, Marrying Nandini, written by and starring Nandita Shenoy. In the play Nandini’s parents decide to grab the bull by the horns and fill out a profile for their daughter on match.com. In doing so, they get a more than they bargained for, and of course hijinks and shenanigans ensue.

For 7 years, the non-profit theatre celebrates South Asian culture through plays, readings, fundraisers, collaborating with artists such as Karmacy, Bobby Friction and organizations such as Project Ahimsa. Of course, as a non-profit, SALAAM always needs your help. Writers can submit their work for consideration in S3M. Non-writers, you can donate money, goods, or just plain volunteer.

If all that desi love isn’t enough to get you in the mood, just think of all the vegetarian samosas and refreshments you can have after the reading. Sublime.

Marrying Nandini, SALAAM Theatre, 16 west 32^nd Street, 10^th Floor, NY, NY.

SALAAM Theatre. For more info: www.salaamtheatre.org