A vibrant celebration of performances, workshops, and cinematic conversations that blended Telugu heritage with contemporary creativity across Bhavani Island and Punnami Ghat.
The Avakai Amaravati Festival of Cinema, Culture and Literature continued to captivate audiences on Friday with a compelling blend of intellectual discourse, artistic expression and participatory experiences at the scenic Bhavani Island. The festival’s second day strengthened Avakai’s vision of celebrating Telugu heritage while creating meaningful conversations around cinema, storytelling, music and traditional art forms through curated panels, workshops and live performances.
The day opened with an insightful session titled “Pure Evil: Anti-heroes of Cinema”, featuring S. Hussain Zaidi, Yandamuri Veerendranath and Sudhir Mishra in conversation with Balaji Vittal, exploring evolving portrayals of anti-heroes in Indian cinema and literature. This was followed by “Evolving Storytelling: The Journey of Indian Mythology”, with BNIM, Kasturi Muralikrishna, Sanjeev Pasricha and Anuradha Mothali, and “Katha Kalakshepam: Timeless Tales through Music and Word” by StoryHour UK, bringing the Ramayanam alive through music, narration and visual art. The afternoon also featured “Abhilasha – From Novel to Screen”, where Yandamuri Veerendranath and A. Kodandarami Reddy explored the journey of literary works into cinematic adaptations.
Hands-on workshops added a vibrant, interactive dimension to the festival. The Dance Workshop by French choreographer Gilles Chuyen drew enthusiastic participants, offering a unique opportunity to engage with movement and rhythm, while Martial Arts with Tuhon Aditya Roy, Nagada with master percussionist Nathoo Lal Solanki, Puppet-making with celebrated puppeteer Shameem, and Kalamkari sessions celebrated traditional craftsmanship and physical expression.
The post-lunch panel “Cinema in the Age of OTT” engaged Leena Yadav, Shibashish Sarkar, Sunil Chainani, Saugata Mukherjee, Supriya Yarlagadda and Shreerupa Mitra in a discussion on digital platforms, original storytelling and evolving creator-audience dynamics. Evening performances at Punnami Ghat included Carnatic and devotional music by Chandana Bala Kalyan, Kuchipudi by Vanashree Rao in “Dramatic Tales – Rasa United”, and “The Sound of Stories: Music & Poetry in Cinema” featuring Shekhar Ravjiani and Kasarla Shyam. The day concluded on a high note with the celebrated Mushaira, Mehfil-e-Sukhan, featuring leading poets, followed by the musical collaboration “Aaj Rang Hai” by Anirudh Varma Collective and Nizami Bandhu.
