LIVE PERFORMANCE
MUMBAI MASALA
When: Until Sunday August 28
Where: Proud City, 1 Mark Lane, Opposite Fenchurch Street Station, London EC3R 7AH
What: Spicy new immersive Bollywood musical experience, featuring hip shaking dances, heart breaking romance, hilarious comedy, and delectable cuisine.
www.proudcabaret.com
USTAD SHAHID PARVEZ KHAN
When: Friday July 1 and Saturday July 2
Where: St George’s Bristol, Great George Street, Bristol BS1 5RR; and Kings Place 90 York Way, London N1 9AG
What: The globally acclaimed sitar maestro embarks on a UK tour. Accompanied by Sanju Sahai on tabla, he will deliver a culturally rich concert connected to Indian musical tradition. Check website for further tour dates.
www.asianartsagency.co.uk
SEVENS
When: Tuesday July 5
Where: Curve Theatre, 60 Rutland Street, Leicester LE1 1SB
What: An ensemble cast of UK-based Indian classical dancers and musicians share the stage in this triple bill show conceptualised by award-winning Bharatanatyam dancer and choreographer Nina Rajarani MBE, which explores the sacred, and sometimes sinful, significance of the number seven.
www.curveonline.co.uk
DANCING NIKITA COMPANY
When: Saturday July 9
Where: The Bhavan, 4A Castletown Rd, London W14 9HE
What: Dancing Nikita Company presents their annual summer production with more than 50 students from children to adults performing an array of Kathak dances. The performance will also include a special tribute to late great dance maestro Pandit Birju Maharaj
www.bhavan.net
EID MUSICAL GALA DINNER
When: Wednesday July 13
Where: Grand Sapphire Hotel & Banqueting, 45 Imperial Way, Croydon CR0 4RR
What: An evening of qawwali and ghazal headlined by acclaimed singer Shujat Ali Khan with a live band. Tickets include dinner with table service.
www.eventbrite.com
SAUDHA – FRIDA KAHLO THROUGH INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC
When: Wednesday July 13
Where: Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, South Kensington, London SW7 2AP
What: A reinterpretation of the iconic Mexican surrealist painter’s melancholic universe of art through a visceral presentation of Indian classical music. Performers on the evening include acclaimed maestros Vidushi Kala Ramnath (violin), Pt Sanju Sahai (tabla), Shapla Salique (Bengali singer) and Shree Ganguly (spoken-word artist)
www.royalalberthall.com
DARBAR FRINGE: JASDEEP DEGUN
When: Sunday July 17
Where: Curve Theatre, 60 Rutland Street, Leicester LE1 1SB
What: British Asian sitar maestro Jasdeep Degun performs compositions from his acclaimed and recently released debut album Anomaly.
www.curveonline.co.uk
AN EVENING WITH PARRY & REKHA
When: Friday July 22
Where: Pump House Theatre and Arts Centre, 5 Local Board Road, Watford WD17 2JP
What: Versatile British Asian singer Parry Mad and Rekha perform an array of live songs, ranging from classic Bollywood to western pop, accompanied by a live band.
www.ticketsource.co.uk/ParryandRekha
NITIN SAWHNEY
When: Saturday July 23
Where: Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, London W1U 2BP
What: Live performance headlined by musical maestro Nitin Sawhney. He is accompanied by acclaimed artists Aref Durvesh (tabla) YVA (vocalist) and Ian Burdge (cello).
www.wigmore-hall.org.uk
EK SHAAM QUEEN OF SUFI MUSIC LEGEND ABIDA PARVEEN JI KE NAAM
When: Saturday July 30
Where: Elliot Hall in Harrow Arts Centre, 171 Uxbridge Road, Middlesex HA5 4EA
What: A special tribute performance dedicated to Sufi great Abida Parveen, headlined by rising singing star Tahseen Sakina, who is also a student of the music legend.
www.harrowarts.com
THEATRE
(Photo: Johan Persson)
LIFE OF PI
When: Until Sunday October 30
Where: Wyndham’s Theatre, 32-36 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0DA
What: Theatre play based on Yann Martel’s Man Booker Prize-winning novel of the same name, which revolves around the sole human survivor of a shipwreck stuck on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger, as they battle to survive an epic voyage across the ocean.
www.lifeofpionstage.com
INVISIBLE
When: Until Saturday July 16
Where: Bush Theatre, 7 Uxbridge Road, Shepherd’s Bush, London W12 8LJ
What: Dark comedy tracking one man’s desperate struggle to be seen as the hero of his own narrative, written and performed by Nikhil Parmar.
www.bushtheatre.co.uk
FAVOUR
When: Until Saturday August 6
Where: Bush Theatre, 7 Uxbridge Road, Shepherd’s Bush, London W12 8LJ
What: The new play from Ambreen Razia is a touching and hopeful drama of a working-class Muslim family that tackles duty, addiction, and the battle of putting yourself back together.
www.bushtheatre.co.uk
CHASING HARES
When: Saturday July 16 – Saturday August 13
Where: Young Vic, 66 The Cut, Waterloo, London SE1 8LZ
What: Award-winning theatre production revolving around a factory worker in West Bengal, who is recruited to write a play for a popular actress and sees it as a chance to expose injustice. The world premiere stars Ayesha Dharker, Zainab Hasan, Scott Karim, Saroja-Lily Ratnavel, and Irfan Shamji.
www.youngvic.org
COMEDY
AN AUDIENCE WITH TEZ ILYAS
When: Saturday July 9
Where: The Stand Comedy Club, 31 High Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1EW
What: The popular comedian embarks on his new UK tour, which includes a stand-up set and a laughter-filled in-conversation. The ticket price includes the newly released paperback copy of Tez’s book The Secret Diary of a British Muslim Aged 13 3/4.
THE MUSLIMS ARE COMING
When: Sunday July 10
Where: The Wardrobe, 6 St Peter’s Square, Leeds LS9 8AH
What: The halal-arious comedy show continues its tour with top stand-up talents Sajeela Kershi, Mo Magaleo, Aatif Nawaz and Nabil Abdulrashid. Check website for further tour dates.
www.luventertainment.co.uk
Raj Poojara
BRING THE LAUGHTER
When: Friday July 15
Where: Harrow Arts Centre, 171 Uxbridge Road, Pinner HA5 4EA
What: Laughter filled comedy show featuring stand-up talents such as Sukh Ojla, Prince Abdi, Eshaan Akbar and Raj Poojara.
www.luventertainment.co.uk
CLASSES
FREE BHARATNATYAM CLASSES
When: Wednesday July 6, 13, 20, 27 and Thursday July 7, 14, 21, 28
Where: Gamgee House, 2 Darnley Road, Birmingham B16 8TE
What: The Consulate General of India in Birmingham is organising free and weekly dance classes on its premises. Participants need to register beforehand and will be allocated places on first come first serve basis.
www.eventbrite.com
SRI LANKAN COOKERY CLASS
When: Tuesday July 12
Where: All Saints Church, 7 Blenheim Grove, London SE15 4QS
What: Chef Jahan will teach delicious, authentic Sri Lankan dishes followed by a sit-down meal, with a fun, laid-back homestyle cooking experience.
www.eventbrite.com
FULL DAY INDIAN VEGETARIAN COOKERY COURSE
When: Saturday July 16
Where: Hounslow, London
What: A trip to the local Indian shop to learn about ingredients will be followed by a practical hands-on cooking course learning how to make a variety of Indian dishes, along with learning how to use spices to add a depth of flavour.
www.cookingwithmonisha.com
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Big B defends his choice to praise Abhishek openly and others privately
Amitabh Bachchan reveals why he praises Abhishek publicly but not Jaya or Aishwarya
Quick highlights:
Amitabh Bachchan has responded to online comments asking why he often praises son Abhishek Bachchan on social media but not wife Jaya Bachchan, daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai, or daughter Shweta. The actor explained that while he chooses to support Abhishek publicly, he honours the women in his family privately, saying he prefers to respect them “in his heart.”
Bachchan defends Abhishek praise, addresses fan remarks online
The 81-year-old actor, who regularly shares photos and thoughts with fans, recently posted images of himself meeting admirers outside his Mumbai home, Jalsa. Captioned “Yes, I praise Abhishek. So?”, the post sparked comments from users questioning why he doesn’t do the same for Jaya, Aishwarya, or Shweta.
Responding directly, Bachchan wrote, “Yes, I shall praise them in my heart… not publicly… respect for the ladies.” His reply quickly circulated across platforms, with many praising his thoughtful answer. Others pointed to his tendency to engage more often when defending Abhishek, especially around film releases.
Bachchan also shut down a user accusing him of having “paid fans,” bluntly replying, “Prove it! You are small-minded… why don’t you pay and get fans too?” When another person mocked those waiting outside his home as “unemployed,” he replied with characteristic wit: “So give them a job? When they stand at the gate of Jalsa, they are EMPLOYED in love.”
Actor remains active on social media while juggling film projects
Bachchan has become increasingly interactive online in recent years, often directly responding to criticism and fan feedback. Meanwhile, Abhishek was last seen in Housefull 5, a multi-starrer comedy that released earlier this month. Jaya Bachchan appeared in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani in 2023, while Aishwarya Rai was part of Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan films. Despite the online chatter, Amitabh continues to walk his own path, on-screen and online.