Kala Ghoda Arts Festival begins on a colourful, festive note

Touted to be Asia’s biggest multi-cultural festival across myriad verticals, the much-awaited annual Kala Ghoda Arts Festival began on Feb 4 and will go on till Feb 12. The fact that it is back after a break of two years, is evident in the scale of the festival this year and the unmissable enthusiasm that was palpable among the crowds that thronged the South Mumbai fest on Day 1.
Nostalgia-gripped Mumbaikars went from one installation to another as they looked at the various stalls.
Talking about the festival, Brinda Miller, the chairperson of the festival says, “This is a festival for the people and by the people. Our theme this year Past <> Forward is an ode to our legacy of 22 years while designing a festival of the future.”
Mumbaikars were witness to art in all its forms, including some stunning and totally instagrammable installations, where people thronged for selfies. There was a heritage bus ride, workshops on robotics, archaeology, cinema, theatre and many more events for people of all ages.
The multiple venues include Rampart Row, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sagrahalay, YB Chavan Centre, Cross Maidan, Cooperage Bandstand, National Gallery of Modern Art, Max Mueller Bhavan, Kitab Khana, IF.BE, Ministry of New, Café Knead, Smoke House Deli, Sequel, Ideal Corner, Blue Tokai, and I45 Kalaghoda, to name a few.
The festival known for its art, architecture, performances, workshops, panel discussions and food had veteran artiste Padma shri awardee Malavika Sarukkai performing solo Bharatanatyam with live musical ensemble in the evening at Cross Maidan.