Events at TOSS

H.E. Hamid Karzai, former President of Afghanistan, inaugurated TOSS's Istalif Art Gallery and The Sheenkhalai Art Project on January 27, 2018.

The Sheenkhalai Art Project, a cultural manifestation of the documentary film Sheenkhalai - The Blue Skin by Shilpi Batra Adwani (link to mentor bio), featured life-size portraits of elder women of the Hindu-Pashtun community alongside their restored Kakarai Kameez, traditional attire, and jewelry brought with them during the 1947 Partition.

It was a historic moment for the Sheenkhalai team and the community elders, who met and interacted with Mr. Hamid Karzai while Pashto music sung by the elderly women brought the gathering alive.

An initiative by the Hank Nunn Institute, Jaipur (link to website), this series builds community awareness through a platform modeled after the chaupal in Rajasthan's villages: an open space where people brainstorm, debate, share knowledge, take important decisions, and socialize together.

With professional guidance, communities gather in a safe space to question, share, and explore ideas around mental health. These sessions have been happening regularly at TOSS since October 2018 and have discussed subjects such as the #MeToo movement and interdisciplinary prompts like "What is normal?".

We brought the flavors of Iran to our campus with a discussion on women empowerment and cinema led by Iranian film director, producer, screenwriter, and researcher Pouran Derakshandeh.

The afternoon continued with a screening of a short film by Dr. Leila Mostofi and a live music performance by Irshad Ali Kawa, while guests enjoyed Persian hi tea served by the eatery 2 Countries.

Written by Peter Gould and Stephen Stearns and presented with educational partners (link to educational partners), this riveting, funny, and heartwarming play follows a hill farmer and his family against the backdrop of civil unrest in the late 1970s.

Performed by Meher Acharia-Dar, Pramod Pathak, and Suhaas Ahuja, and directed by Quasar Thakore Padamsee, the 85-minute production brought TOSS alive with Spanish ballads, election spoofs, comical Americans, magical set design, and a quick but memorable peek into history in English with bits of Hindi and Spanish.

In an interactive session on filmmaking, Aruna Raje (link to mentor bio), a critically acclaimed and award-winning filmmaker, writer, editor, director, and producer, introduced audiences to the many facets of filmmaking through the lens of her own experience.

In conversation with journalist and Talk Journalism founder Avinash Kalla, renowned journalist, anchor, editor, and author Rajdeep Sardesai discussed his book Newsman alongside contemporary politics, issues, and developments in India.

The Padma Shri awardee used the conversation to highlight equality, justice, harmony with nature, and overall socio-economic development as crucial priorities, while inviting the audience to consider their own role in India's growth and development.