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The Bombay Picture Palace

The Bombay Picture Palace goes Down Under!

The Bombay Picture Palace is a mobile venue which promotes and celebrates Indian Cinema alongside the multifarious artforms which inform and influence it. This is achieved through a lively mix of live performing arts, music and moving image.

In March 2009, The Bombay Picture Palace was invited to appear at the WOMADelaide festival in Adelaide, Australia, part sponsored by the Government of South Australia.

The Bombay Picture Palace at WOMADelaide focused upon the tradition of Bollywood hoardings painting and featured as special guests Studio Balkrishna from Mumbai.

Founded in 1969, Studio Balkrishna is one of the few surviving studios in Mumbai today. During the course of the festival they painted in real-time a giant hoarding to celebrate the classic 1957 film, Mother India and the recent Oscar success of Slumdog Millionaire. In a unique meeting of traditions, crowds watched as the recent Oscar winner received artistic treatment in the hands of old masters.

in @ 3m23s - 3m47s

Making Links: Visitors also enjoyed moving image from the Horniman Museum, London and sounds courtesy of DJ Dr Matt from the UK. The tour successfully linked the Mumbai-based artists with UK-based performers and took the art of Mumbai Down Under.

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The Bombay Picture Palace at WOMADelaide 2009

Welcome to THE BOMBAY PICTURE PALACE

The Bombay Picture Palace is brought to you by Kananda.

The Bombay Picture Palace is a unique and exciting new venue, showcased in 2006 at the WOMAD Festival, Reading.

Housed in a marquee (or in static venues if required), The Bombay Picture Palace is a multi-arts venue, a “ night club in an art gallery “, an open venue featuring film, music, dance and visual art set against a backdrop of stunning giant artworks and sumptuous decoration.

WOMAD 2006

Bombay Picture Palace by Day Artist at Work

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The WOMAD project was a collaboration between Kananda, M. Ishaq, a Mumbai-born hoardings artist now living in the UK, and Spirited Events of Reading.

The artist was trained in Mumbai and came to the UK in the early 1970s, where he continues to practise his art.

At WOMAD 2006 he created a specially commissioned film hoarding LIVE at the Bombay Picture Palace.

The hoarding was based upon the classic 1961 Indian film, Mughal-e-Azam

During the course of the festival visitors were able to meet the artist and see a vast film hoarding take shape in front of them. On the final day of the festival the hoarding was mounted high on scaffolding outside the Bombay Picture Palace.

On Saturday night, DJ Nerm from the BBC Asian Network popped in and played a few tunes.

There was also an exhibition of the Kananda Collection of classic Indian cinema hoardings and printed film posters.

The Bombay Picture Palace is a versatile concept, and can provide a bespoke platform for film screenings and the performing arts. Kananda works on a collaborative basis and is keen to form partnerships with artists and organisations.

Please contact us at info@kananda.com if you are interested in what you have just read.