Ahir Shah on all that's significant

LIVE PERFORMANCE

SEVENS

When: Friday, November 5

Where: Pavilion Dance South West Westover Road, Bournemouth BH1 2BU

What: An ensemble cast of UK-based Indian classical dancers and musicians will be sharing the stage in this triple bill show conceptualised and choreographed by award-winning Bharatanatyam dancer and choreographer Nina Rajarani MBE.

www.pdsw.org.uk

DEEPAVALI: THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHT

When: Saturday, November 6

Where: Midlands Arts Centre, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH

What: Uplifting family-friendly performances in celebration of Diwali, which showcase Bollywood, Kathak, Bharatanatyam and bhangra by some of the best British south Asian dance artists, companies, as well as community groups.

www.macbirmingham.co.uk

MEHFIL NIGHTS

When: Saturday, November 6

Where: Karamel, 4 Coburg Road, London N22 6UJ

What: A special Diwali celebration featuring Bollywood, bhajans, mantra chants and Sufi music in an acoustic intimate mehfil setting.

www.musicglue.com

USTAD NISHAT KHAN

When: Thursday, November 11

Where: Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX

What: The legendary sitar maestro presents evening and night ragas live in a culturally rich classical Indian concert.

www.southbankcentre.co.uk

SONU NIGAM: RAFI KISHORE AUR MAIN

When: Saturday, November 13-Sunday, November 14

Where: Resorts World Arena, Perimeter Rd, Birmingham B40 1NT & SSE Arena, Arena Square, Engineers Way, London HA9 0AA

What: The popular Bollywood singer returns for a two-date UK tour, which sees him mix up his own hits with classic film songs by golden greats Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar.

www.ticketmaster.co.uk

YUVA NARTAN

When: Saturday, November 13

Where: Curve Theatre, Rutland Street, Leicester LE1 1SB

What: An exhilarating evening of vibrant Indian classical and contemporary dance featuring several emerging and established artists, performing Odissi, Kathak, Bharatanatyam and contemporary dance styles.

www.curveonline.co.uk

VIJAY IYER, LINDA MAY HAN OH, TYSHAWN SOREY

When: Sunday, November 14

Where: Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX

What: The jazz trio made up of pianist Vijay Iyer, bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Tyshawn Sorey showcase their innovative and dynamic new album UnEasy.

www.southbankcentre.co.uk

EVENTS

JO DIXON - AN INDIAN JOURNEY

When: Until Friday, November 5

Where: Zari Gallery, 73 Newman Street, London W1T 3EJ

What: Artist Jo Dixon’s collection of paintings from his recent visits to India, which reveal the dignity and depth of spirituality of a society that retains an intrinsic beauty, which is distinguished and mystical.

www.zarigallery.co.uk

HAUNTED HAVELI HALLOWEEN PARTY

When: Friday, October 29

Where: 229 LONDON, 229 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5PN

What: The annual Bombay Funkadelic Halloween party featuring DJ Shai Guy and guests spinning a spooktacular mix of Bollywood, desi beats, and club classics. There is also a dhol player and prizes for most ghoulish makeup and creative costumes.

www.bombayfunkadelic.com and www.eventbrite.com

A LIFE IN SPICE – DIWALI DINNER

When: Tuesday, November 2

Where: Cinnamon Kitchen & Anise, 9 Devonshire Square, London EC2M 4YL

What: The final event of the ‘Life in Spice’ series is dedicated to celebrating Diwali with a 12-dish menu created by acclaimed chefs.

www.eventbrite.com

BADNAAM

When: Saturday, November 6

Where: Sway Bar 61-65 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5BZ

What: First Saturday of the month residency in London’s west end. Resident

DJ Shai Guy playing Bollywood and urban desi alongside rotating special guests, such as BBC Asian Network radio presenters DJ Nish and Manara.

www.eventbrite.com

THEATRE

10 NIGHTS

When: Until November 6

Where: Bush Theatre, 7 Uxbridge Road, Shepherd’s Bush, London W12 8LJ

What: The moving and funny new play by Shahid Iqbal Khan is the story of one man’s journey of self-discovery as he decides to take part in itikaf – sleeping and fasting in the mosque for the last 10 nights of Ramadan – as he navigates smug worshippers, shared bathrooms, and recurring thoughts of chunky chips.

www.bushtheatre.co.uk

EAST IS EAST

When: Wednesday, November 3–Saturday, November 6

Where: Chichester Festival Theatre, Oaklands Way, Chichester PO19 6AP

What: The 25th anniversary production of Ayub Khan Din’s widely acclaimed 1970s-set comedy about children brought up by their strict Pakistani father and white English mother.

www.cft.org.uk

THE WASTE LAND & BIDROHI

When: Sunday, November 14

Where: Rich Mix Arts Centre 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, London E1 6LA

What: A unique celebration stages a haunting theatrical performance of the two epitomic masterpieces of the 20th century, The Waste Land by T S Elliot, and Bidrohi by Kazi Nazrul Islam. This live music, spoken word and theatrical performance is directed by poet T M Ahmed Kaysher.

www.richmix.org.uk

COMEDY

PAUL CHOWDHRY - FAMILYFRIENDLY COMEDIAN

When: Saturday, October 30

Where: Eventim Apollo, 45 Queen Caroline Street, London W6 9QH

What: The popular comedian returns with a brand-new stand-up show about UK’s handling of the pandemic, why the rules of six only worked for white people, fame, England football fans and Tom Cruise landing his helicopter in someone’s garden.

www.eventimapollo.com

DESI CENTRAL COMEDY SHOW

When: Sunday, October 31

Where: The Deco, Abington Square, Northampton NN1 4AE & The Y Theatre, 7 East St, Leicester LE1 6EY

What: The stand-up tour continues with two events featuring four comedy talents at each venue delivering plenty of laughs. Full line-ups available on the official site.

www.luventertainment.co.uk

AHIR SHAH

When: Monday, November 1–Saturday, November 13

Where: Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, London W1D 3NE

What: The double Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee returns with a new stand-up show about significance, insignificance, and scurvy.

www.sohotheatre.com

SINDHU VEE: ALPHABET

When: Tuesday, November 2

Where: Town Hall, Victoria Square, Birmingham B3 3DQ

What: A brand-new stand-up show with the popular comedian about the hair we want, the friends we have, and living the vast difference between virus and viral.

www.sindhuvee.com

TEZ ILYAS: THE VICKED TOUR

When: Friday, November 5

Where: Royal & Derngate, 19-21 Guildhall Road, Northampton NN1 1DP

What: A brand-new stand-up show with the comedian, TV personality and author as he uses his trademark silly, smart, and subversive humour to celebrate all that we still have.

www.royalandderngate.co.uk

CLASSES

SHAKTI DIVAS BHANGRA FUSION 2021

When: Until Tuesday, December 14

Where: Heston Community School, Heston Road, Heston, Hounslow TW5 0QR

What: A weekly bhangra-Bollywood dance class led by renowned choreographer Rakhi Sood, which is designed to keep you fit in a fun and friendly environment.

www.watermans.org.uk

INDIAN BLOCK PRINTING

When: Friday, November 5–Friday, November 19

Where: Beeston Library, Foster Avenue, Beeston NG9 1AE

What: Three session course, every Friday, that teaches you how to confidently create prints with traditional carved blocks from India. It also looks at the history of Indian print blocking and how it is done today.

www.eventbrite.com