Celebrating Bangalore is habba’s mantra

Celebrating Bangalore is habba’s mantra
Deccan Herald

With a dozen or so festivals already behind it, the City gears up for an encore to the Bangalore Habba. Metrolife checks out if it’s a case of too much of a good thing.

It’s that time of the year when winter tames the scorching sun, bathing the land in a warm glow and transforming it into a habba City! Theatre festivals, art festivals, fashion fiesta, film fests... are all jostling for attention this season. To top it all is the mother of all festivals, the Bangalore Habba, which opens tomorrow to eight days of cultural extravaganza.

It is encore for the habba, which debuted last year to a colourful and dazzling display of the City’s tradition, its culture, art and its people. “The habba creates a festive atmosphere to celebrate one’s belonging to Bangalore,” says Nandini Alva of the Artistes’ Foundation for Arts (AFFA), organisers of the habba. The focus is to bring the City together through performing arts “in a manner acceptable to everyone”. The organisers promise that the habba will have “elements of it all”.
“It definitely helps theatre, music, folk art; still I feel contemporary art is not given much importance. Perhaps, it is financial constraints that is holding back the organisers,” feels artist S G Vasudev, however, adding that the habba has his full support. “I am not too sure if Bangalore can take too many of such festivals,” he feels. Instead, Vasudev suggests that various groups should come together and organise one big festival.

Sustaining interest apart, it is also a question of fishing for funds from perhaps the same pool of corporates and government bodies. “Yes, that is a risk factor. It certainly is competitive. Last year, we had a much larger budget than this year’s budget of Rs 1.20 crore. We have cut down on a lot of expenses and are managing the event ourselves,” says Alva. This year, AFFA has a major patron in Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar, scion of the erstwhile Mysore royalty.
Jija Hari Singh, who organised Art Mantram festival only recently, feels there is room for everyone.

“It is like providing a variety of cuisine options. I don’t think we need more and more big festivals but a variety of smaller events throughout the year.” she states.
Celebrated playwright and filmmaker Mahesh Dattani, however, feels it is good to have so many in the race. “Eventually some will stay on.” Dattani feels the habba has proved itself by running into its second year. “What I like about the habba is its mix of local and outside talent.”

Considering most events are not ticketed, this cross pollination of talent will no doubt be a great winter spectacle in the celebration of Bangalore!