Moms and harlots A sharply intelligent and compassionate exploration of an east Indian social reality, Mothers for Sale: Women in Kolkata’s Sex Trade (written by Indrani Sinha and Shamita Das Dasgupta) is notable for its unblinking examination of the complexity and “thickness” of local culture. With deep insight and in-depth study, the authors have pointed out what the state, community and society should do to ensure the welfare and safeguard the human rights of sex workers. Based on information culled from more than 750 sex workers, including child prostitutes and 300 children of sex workers in the city, it focuses on the lives of mothers involved in the sex trade. It highlights the aspirations and fears, joys and disappointments, triumphs and failures that sex workers share with all mothers. Attempting to offer an understanding of sex workers as mothers, the work goes beyond the current debate on the viability and legitimacy of sex work for women. It also sets the local experience of these women and their children in the context of the global, emphasising their lack of resources and recourses in a patriarchal world. The book’s official launch this evening will graced by the presence of several distinguished guests from the literary, social and entertainment world. Event: Launch of Mothers for Sale: Women in Kolkata’s Sex Trade When: Today at 6 pm Where: Oxford Bookstore, Park Street

art

Till January 24 (except Sundays & holidays) at CIMA Gallery; 3 pm - 7 pm (Mondays) 2 pm - 7 pm (Tuesdays to Saturdays): Review, an exhibition of artworks that aspires to redefine our perception and understanding of art of the 20th century. Participating artists: Abir Karmakar, Alok Bal, Debraj Goswami, Farhad Hussain, Jogen Chowdhury, Kingshuk Sarkar, Mayank Kumar Shyam, Mithu Sen, Paresh Maity, Partha Pratim Deb, Rashmi Bagchi Sarkar, Samit Das, Santosh More, Sumitro Basak and Swarna Chitrakar. Till January 6 at Tejas Gallery; 1 pm - 7.30 pm: An exhibition of artworks by various artists from Calcutta, Santiniketan and Vietnam. The collection includes acrylics, charcoals, woodcuts and small sculptures. Till January 7 at Artline, 125 Rashbehari Avenue, 1st floor; 12 noon - 7 pm: An exhibition of paintings by Suhas Roy, Subimalendu Bikas Sinha, Samir Roy, Sumon Roy, Tapos Sardar and Sabyasachi Guha. Till January 7 at Weavers Studio Centre for the Arts, 94 Ballygunge Place, #2460 4245; 10 am - 7 pm: Wheel and Kiln, an exhibition of ceramic works by Indian and Japanese artists. Till January 8 at Chemould Art Gallery, 12F Park Street: Sensation Kolkata — a solo exhibition of recent works by Dilip Chaudhury. Till January 8 at Academy of Fine Arts, South Gallery; 3 pm - 8 pm: Art & Craft exhibition organised by Nandalal Art Academy, Sapling Academic Centre. Till January 10 at Anant Art Gallery, 18-A Alipore Road, 11am to 7 pm: Beyond Convention: A Glimpse of Contemporary Trends in Bengal Art – an exhibition of paintings and sculptures curated by Mrinal Ghosh. Till January 10 at Academy of Fine Arts, Gallery South ‘A’; 3 pm - 8 pm: An exhibition of sculptures by Chandrashekhar Das. Till January 10 at Academy of Fine Arts, West Gallery; 3 pm - 8 pm: Beyond the Surface, a solo exhibition of paintings by Joydeep Chatterjee Till January 10 at G.C. Laha Centenary Fine Arts Gallery, 7 Chittaranjan Avenue, #2228 9651: Scribble Artists Together presents an exhibition of paintings, sculptures and graphic prints. Till January 15 at Chitrakoot Art Gallery, 55 Gariahat Road, #24752275, 24618812; 3 pm - 8 pm: Pata — paintings of Bengal (Santhal Pat, Vishnupur Pat, Kalighat type Pat and others) from the collection of C.K. Kejriwal. Till January 15 at Aakriti Art Gallery, 12/3A Hungerford Street, #22893027: Bengal 2009, an exhibition of art works by the city’s eminent artists. Till January 15 (except Sunday) at Ganges Art Gallery, 33A Jatin Das Road, #2465 3212; 11 am - 7 pm: sEe, an abstract solo show of Deepak Tandon in three versions: painting, photographs and video. Till January 17 (except Monday) at Bose Pacia, Stephen’s Court, 18 Park Street, #40010148; 11 am - 7 pm: Recent works of Bari Kumar: Foreign Bodies. Till January 31 (weekdays only) at Masters Collection Art Gallery, G-7 Malalay Apartments, 3 Woodburn Park Road; 11 am - 7 pm: Small is Beautiful 3, an exhibition of miniature artworks by some of the greatest living legends along with some of the exciting new talents. Till January 31 (except Mondays) at Shree Art Gallery, 11 Gurusaday Road, Kusum Apartment, Flat no. 61, #9903235566; 3 pm - 7 pm: An exhibition of paintings, titled Festive Hues, featuring works by B.R. Panesar, Debabrata Chakrabarti, Dhiren Sasmal, Ratan Acharya, Samir Paul, Subrata Das, Sukanta Das, Soumitra Kar, Ritu Singh, Milanendu Mandal, Atin Mitra, Anirban Seth and others.

DRAMA FESTIVAL

January 6 at Academy of Fine Arts; 6 pm: The concluding evening of Dwandwik’s 11th Natyotsav, in memory of its founder Achintya Chowdhury, features presentation of Achintya Chowdhury Smarak Samman to Samik Bandyopadhyay, to be followed by the staging of the Dwandwik production, Tnatia Topi.

DRAMA

January 7 at Girish Mancha, 6.30 pm & January 8 at Academy of Fine Arts, 3 pm: Ajnatobass — Nandikar’s latest production directed by Sumanta Gangopadhyay. Directorial adviser: Rudraprasad Sengupta. January 8 at Girish Mancha; 6.30 pm: Gandhar will stage Kachher Manush, with Debshankar Halder and Bijoylakshmi Barman in the lead. Play: Dr Shirish Athawale. Translated by Kamal Sanyal and Bijoylakshmi Barman. Direction: Gautam Haldar. January 10 at Madhusudan Mancha; 6.30 pm: Abhaash will stage Bhalobasha Bharatbarsho. Direction: Sekhar Samaddar.

PERFORMING ARTS

Till January 11 at Barisha High School ground, Behala Chourasta; 6.30 pm: Behala Milanotsav 2009, organised by Barisha Behala Sarsuna Thakurpukur Krira Sanskritik Kendra. Today: Shruti-natak by Satyapriya Sarkar and Panchali Munshi, and Urmimala and Jagannath Basu; recitation by Dwipayan Das, Nikita Sarkar and Adrija Das; Dance by Nrityangan Dance Troupe, Sumangal Dance Troupe and Sarada Vidyapith for Girls High School; and Bangla band Bhoomi and Manomoy Bhattacharya. January 6 at Madhusudan Mancha; 6 pm: To raise funds for health related services to senior citizens, Monon-03 presents Aaji Gaane Gaane, a musical programme in celebration of the birth centenary of legendary music composer Surasagar Himnagshu Kumar Dutta. January 6 at Bharatiyam Cultural Multiplex, IB 201 Salt Lake; 6 pm: EZCC’s Sura Sandhya will feature a sitar recital by Jaya Biswas, with Samir Chatterjee on the tabla. January 6 at Sujata Sadan; 6 pm: Sangeetchinta presents songs by Abhijit Basu, a composite programme of Tagore songs, Aaro Aalo...Aaro Aalo, Tagore songs by Sanhita Bandyopadhyay, and drama Abinash Sarani, written and directed by Sumit Chattopadhyay. January 7 at Rotary Sadan, 94/2 Jawaharlal Nehru Road; 6.30 am: Rotary Club of Calcutta Metro City is organising a fund-raising musical evening, Transcendence, for its polio eradication programme. Featuring Pandit Tarun Bhattacharya (satatantri veena) and American guitarist Prof. Fred Hamilton from University of North Texas. The duo will be supported by Sohini Roychoudhury (classical vocal) and Krosswindz lead guitarist Vikramjit (Tuki) Banerjee. Artist Aloke Paul will portray the emotions thus generated on canvas. By invitation only. January 10 at Mohitlal Majumdar Mancha, Barisha High School ground, Behala Chourasta; 6 pm: Recitation by Partha Ghosh, Gouri Ghosh, Bratati Bandyopadhyay and Soumitra Chattopadhyay; Tagore songs by Manoj Murali Nair, Manisha Murali Nair and Gopa Roy.

TALK

January 6 at Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Shivananda Hall; 6 pm: Pradyot Kumar Mukhopadhyay will speak in Bengali on Dharma, Darshan O Vijnan. January 6 at Ramakrishna Vedanta Math, 19B Raja Rajkrishna Street; 7 pm: Swami Atmabodhananda will discuss in Bengali Sri Sri Mayer Katha.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Till January 15 at Earthcare Books and Resource Centre, 10 Middleton Street; 11 am - 7 pm: Calcutta! — an exhibition of black-and-white photographs taken by Thomas Patrick Kiernan.

EXHIBITION

Till January 7 at Weavers Studio Centre for the Arts, 94 Ballygunge Place, #2460 4245; 10 am - 7 pm: An exhibition of ceramic works by Indian and Japanese artists. Till January 11 at 46 Satish Mukherjee Road (near Rashbehari crossing), #24556942/43; 2 pm - 8 pm: Confetti Exports presents Hands That Feed, an exhibition of ceramics sculptures, studio pottery, terracotta and high-temperature earthenware by Suchismito Ghosh and traditional potters of Birbhum. Till January 12 (except Tuesday) at Halo Heritage Art Shop, 26 Ritchie Road, #24190133; 11.30 am - 9 pm: In collaboration with Soumya’s Creation, Halo Heritage presents an exhibition of textiles, jewellery and home accessories. Till January 15 at Design, 108 Raja Basanta Roy Road, #2466 4315: Paramita Viswanathan’s annual exhibition of silks from West Bengal and south India. Till January 20 at Genesis Art Gallery, 8B Middleton Street; 2 pm - 7 pm: Symphony: An exhibition of Canvas and Chinese Ceramics. Featuring cermaic works and paintings by Asit Patnaik, Bhagat Singh, Gautam Mukherjee, Shyamal Mukherjee, Seema Kohli, Harish Kumar, Phalguni Dasgupta, Dhananjay Mukherjee, Gosto Kumar and others.

QUIZ

January 11 at Ballygunge Bayam Samity, 36/B Bondel Road, Ballygunge Phari; 2 pm onwards: An open-to-all sports quiz for three-member teams Quizmaster: Jayanta Chakraborty. Details with Anup Dasgupta (9432211807).All those who wish events to be included in this column should write not less than a week ahead to: Time out, The Telegraph,6, Prafulla Sarkar Street, Calcutta-700 001; Fax: 2234-8244

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All those who wish events to be included in this column should write not less than a week ahead to:

Time out, The Telegraph, 6, Prafulla Sarkar Street, Calcutta-700 001;
Fax: 2234-8244