Swar Utsav, india today's annual musical spectacular, will now be held in the symmetrical lawns flanking Rajpath with India Gate forming the arched backdrop. The inaugural session (on Friday, November 23) has Bismillah Khan in a rare duet with sitarist Rais Khan followed by folk songs by Reshma and ghazals by Hariharan.

The next evening brings Hindustani classical vocalist Ajoy Chakraborty, a vocal sarod duet by Ashwini Bhide Deshpande and Biswajit Chowdhury and quasi-classical by Iqbal Bano. The concluding session on Sunday has ragas by Carnatic singer Aruna Sairam and a nightime line-up of Sufi Barkat Sidhu, fusionists Ganesh, Kumeresh and Taufiq and the Sri Lankan band, The Gypsies. Call (011) 508-8769 or 508-3851.

Mumbai
Home Store

United Nations of style? Bandhini, a new home furnishings store in Bandra, takes quotes from the interiors of Moulin Rouge, the Palace of Versailles, ancient Egypt and traditional Lhasa.
Supplementing the period vignettes is a line based on style diva Greta Garbo and a "spiritual sanctum" range in new age colours silver like soft blue and dull gold. At 107 St. Teresa's Road, 24th Road. Call (022) 600-5344.

Right Stage Of Life

She seemed doomed to stay on the periphery until Dil Chahta Hai. Now Sonali Kulkarni, 26, plays a married woman who meets an old college flame in Makarand Deshpande's Hindi play Sir Sir Sarla, on at Mumbai's Prithvi Theatre. Kulkarni, who will act in Junoon with Chandrachur Singh and Agni Varsha with Milind Soman, said she had "liberty to experiment" in the play. Prospective producers were have been given free tickets.

-Himanshi Dhawan