DISCOVERY AND ENJOYMENT of India's performing, cinematic, culinary, visual and literary arts are central to the experiences ICC brings to the communities we serve. Below are just a few events that ICC has hosted.
06/23/21
Alka Joshi Book Launch
ICC hosted its first hybrid event at the Rye Free Reading Room. Those attending in person enjoyed a reception of cocktails and Indian chaat followed by a spirited live-streamed conversation with Alka Joshi and Sharbari Ahmed about the launch of Alka's second novel The Secret Keeper of Jaipur..
The Secret Keeper of Jaipur is the story of Malik, Henna artist Laksmi's protege. It is 1969. Laksmi arranges for Malik to apprentice at the Jaipur Royal Palace which is working on a state-of-the-art cinema. On opening night, the cinema's balcony collapses. Malik suspects that there are dark secrets behind the cover-up and sets out to untangle a web of lies.
Alka Josh moved to the US from Rajasthan when she was nine. She graduated from Stanford University and received her MFA from the California College of the Arts. Her debut novel, The Henna Artist, was a Reese Book Club pick and NYTimes bestseller. A TV series of The Henna Artist starring Frieda Pinto is in development.
Sharbari Ahmed, a Bangladeshi American writer is known for being a writer on the ABC show Quantico. Her debut novel Dust Under Her Feet explored race, class, women, and India's role in WWII during the end of the British Rajin Calcutta. Sharbari wrote the script for The Rickshaw Driver" and teaches creative writing at Manhattanville College.
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05/26/21
Vipassana Meditation
Vipassana Meditation is a non-sectarian meditation technique discovered by the Buddha in India more than 2,500 years ago. It is a scientific transformational process that has helped people from all walks of life, including business executives and government leaders. Vipassana has had a profound impact on the lives of those who practice it, including those suffering from depression, anxiety, and addiction.
Barry Lapping, a co-founder, teacher, and director of the Vipassana Meditation Center, Dhamma Dharā, in Shelburne, MA, the first Vipassana Center outside India founded in 1982. spoke with ICC Director, Nitin Jindal and Charles Mitchen on May 26. Nitin attended the Chicago center in 2015 and Charles attended the Shelburne Center for three months in 2000,. Barry, Charles, and Nitin discussed the technique of Vipassana meditation and its many benefits.
The program began with a 17-minute videotaped introductory talk by the late S.N. Goenka, who provided an overview of Vipassana meditation practice.
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04/15/21
Avni Doshi, Author of Burnt Sugar
ICC and Greenwich Library co-hosted Avni Doshi, author of Burnt Sugar which was shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize. Avni was interviewed by her friend and fellow author Sharbari Ahmed.
Described as "stunning and unforgettable" and "at once shocking and empathetic" Burnt Sugar is about the love and deception shared between a mother and a daughter, the journey into shifting memories, alternating identities, and the subjective nature of truth. Burnt Sugar has already sold rights into 21 languages.
Avni Doshi was born in New Jersey and educated at Barnard College and University College, London. While working as an art
writer and curator in India, Avni began writing fiction. She
has been awarded the Tibor Jones South Asia Prize and a
Charles Pick Fellowship. Burnt Sugar, her debut novel, was
longlisted for the prestigious Tata Literature Live! First Book
Award upon its publication in India shortlisted for the Booker.
Sharbari Ahmed is familiar to audiences who have watched her lively and informative interviews with director Viba Bhaski and author Alka Joshi and who joined ICC to discuss Dust Under Her Feet, Sharbari's debut novel that explores race, women's independence, and tangled love in the backdrop of the bombing of Calcutta during WWII.
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02/22 to 03/21
Virtual Fine Art Show
ICC showcased the art of seven Indian artists from February 22, 2021, to March 21, 2021. Wright Harvey, Founder and President of Sugarlift, spoke with the artists during an Opening Night Reception on Wednesday, February 23. Featured artists were Sabeena Jindal, Shreya Mehta, Manu Saluja, Sarasvathy TK, Sajal Sarkar, Raj Shalini, and Hemali Vadalia.
Featured to the left: Buddha in Harmony by Sabeena Jindal.
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02/11/21
Valentine's Day Dinner Demonstration
Michelin-star Chef Hemant Mathur brought his culinary talents to ICC direct from his New York City restaurant Saar on February 11. Chef Hemant and Seema Pai planned and demonstrated a three-course meal -- perfect for a special occasion when restaurants are closed.
MENU
Cauliflower Latkes with Cranberry Chutney
Kerala Fish OR Paneer Pollichathu (Marinated fish/paneer wrapped in a banana leaf] with South Indian Potato Fry
Rose Panna Cotta
Recorded Valentine's Dinner Demonstration
For recipes, email
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12/06/20
Fauja Singh Keeps Going
Meet the remarkable real-life Fauja Singh as author Simran Jeet Singh reads his book about the 100-year old Sikh who was the oldest person to ever run a marathon and who as a child, overcame obstacles to walk. Simran wrote: "Fauja Singh's perseverance and resilience inspire me to this day, and they are exactly the values I want to instill in my own kids." He added "I also believe that this book can help cultivate empathy for children of all backgrounds: if our kids can learn to see the humanity in those who seem most different from them, they will see the humanity in everyone they meet." Simran joined ICC and Greenwich Library on December 5 to read the book and answer kids' questions.
Free. Click on the link below to view the recorded conversation with Simran Jeet Singh.
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Recorded 12/02/20
Alka Joshi in a Conversation with ICC
What a debut! Alka Joshi's first novel is a New York Times, USA Today, Publisher's Weekly, Toronto Star, and Calgary Herald bestseller. It was also chosen as a Reeses (Witherspoon) Book Club Pick. Ms. Joshi spoke with Sharbari Ahmed, author, screenwriter and playwright, in a conversation that was aired on December 2. It is a spirited and wide-ranging discussion about post-Partition India, upending women's roles, caste, the inspiration for her characters, the TV adaptation of The Henna Artist, and her next two books coming soon. It's a great listen. Set in the 1950s, The Henna Artist has been described as visual, evocative, eloquent, and culturally rich.
Free. Click on the link below to view the recorded conversation between Alka Joshi and Sharbari Ahmed.
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10/22/20
India in Realtime: Emerging Contemporary Artists
ICC traveled to Mumbai by Zoom to meet Sameer Kulavoor, graphic designer and artist who is making a public statement with his outdoor murals and tee-shirt designs; and Rithika Merchant, the artist behind French fashion house Chloe's forklore-inspired collection.
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Recorded
An Interview with Vibha Bakshi
Vibha Bakshi, director and producer of SON RISE, speaks with screenwriter and author Sharbari Ahmed, about how SON RISE found her, how men have become heroes in the fight for gender justice, and how SON RISE has inspired a movement in Haryana, in India and worldwide.
The making of SON RISE transformed how the most powerful men in Haryana became the flag bearers for women's rights. Enjoy this interview about how art can create hope and change.
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07/01/20
Diversity, Inclusion, and Raising Resilient Children in Our Community
This is a time kids will remember for the rest of their lives. How our children process the shutdown, their reactions to killings of black Americans, the protests and the spotlight on racism will impact their self-awareness and how they see themselves fitting into our community.
We want our kids to reenter the world emotionally whole and feeling good about themselves. Parents are the most important influencers in helping children navigate this period of remarkable change.
Rachel Jean-Baptiste, PhD, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at King School, spoke with Madhu Mathur, MD, MPH; and Sunitha Prasannakumar, LCSW, about what you can say or do to help your children talk comfortably about race, to answer their questions about what is happening and why, and become resilient as the conversation on race is redefined.
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05/11/19
Veera Hiranandani and
The Night Diary
ICC and the Greenwich Library hosted Newberry Honor Award author, Veera Hiranandani. Meera is the author of The Night Diary, a poignant and gripping story of a young girl's search for home, her identify and a hopeful future set during Partition in 1947.
Introduced by ICC President Meera Gilbert, Veera read an excerpt from the heart of The Night Diary and talked about her writing process and how she came to write The Night Diary which was inspired by her father's experiences during Partition. It is the first YA book written about Partition.
In addition to the Newberry Honor Award, The Night Diary received the 2019 Walter Dean Myers Honor Award and the 2018 Malka Penn Award for Human Rights in Children's Literature. It was featured on NPR's Weekend Edition, is a New York Times Editor's Choice Pick, and was chosen as a 2018 Best Children's Book of the Year by The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Amazon, School Library Journal, and Kirkus Reviews, among others.
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02/12 - 2/22
India and North America Contemporary Art from India and the Diaspora
The first-ever exhibit of Indian artists in Greenwich, featured
contemporary Indian artists working in indigenous traditions of Warli and Madhubani art and five local artists from the Indian diaspora whose watercolors, acrylic, mixed media and oil paintings reflect the influence of the Indian sensibility in color, subject and culture. Local artists exhibiting were Meera Agarwal, Pratibha Garawal, Prachi Khade-Gurjar, Madhu Mathur, and Chitra Ramcharandas. On loan from Professor Kathryn Myers, Professor of Painting at UConn and 2002, 2011 and 2020 Fulbright Fellow to India, were works by Mahalaxmi Karn, Santosh Kumar Das, Rani Jha and Naresh Kumar Paswan.
The opening reception was held February 13. Kathryn Myers presented the widely ranging artistic styles of contemporary Indian artists. ICC thanks Cap, Cork and Cellar for donating the wine for the reception.
Bendheim Gallery, Greenwich Arts Council
299 Greenwich Avenue
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05/05/18
ASHKARA
On May 5, ICC and Greenwich Arts Council co-hosted Akshara Music Ensemble at the Greenwich Arts Council’s Meeting Room. Founded by Carnatic musician and composer Bala Skandan in 2008, Akshara performed an hour of classical Carnatic ragas and talas reimagined through world music, jazz improvisation, and modern composition.
Akshara's founder and composer, Bala Skandan, performed on the mridangam (double-headed Indian drum) and konnakkol (vocal rhythm). Max ZT was on the hammered dulcimer and Jay Gandhi was on the bansuri (Indian flute).
To learn more about Akshara and listen to their Indian Classical Inspired compositions visit .
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05/17/18
30th Anniversary Salaam Bombay! with Mira Nair
In 1988, at the age of 31, Ms. Nair went into the streets of Bombay to learn about the lives of street children. Out of their experiences, Salaam Bombay! was born. Street children were cast as actors. The result was a tour de force that captured the order in the chaos in the poorest of Bombay's slums. Salaam Bombay! was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film; it won the Camera D'Or (for best first feature) and the Prix du Publique (for most popular entry) at the Cannes Film Festival and 25 other international awards.
On May 17, Mira Nair joined ICC and The Avon in marking 30 years since she directed this ground-breaking film with a special screening of Salaam Bombay!. Temple University Associate Professor Kartik Nair introduced the film and moderated a conversation with Ms. Nair on the challenges of filming on location on the streets of Bombay, her success in directing street children to be actors, and where the children are 30 years after the film was released.
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