Delhi International Arts Festival underway

The two-week high profile Delhi International Arts Festival (DIAF), that began recently, has prompted Delhi-ites to scurry between multiple venues to take in an array of music, dance, theatre performances from India and abroad. They also look forward to an exciting fare of international visual arts, films, traditional arts and crafts.
On the opening this year, the historic Purana Qila took on an otherworldly appearance as Manipuri dancers performed Pung Cholam and  the ever-popular Langas &Manganiars from Rajasthan staged some fusion numbers with  Hety & Zambo from Columbia, also known as the “Kings of Creole”. Besides, there are traditional dances from Sri Lanka, Rouf Dance from Kashmir and dancers from Egypt who are rarely seen in this part of the world.
The rare and unseen seems to be the selling point of the seventh edition of the festival. We have traditional music and dance groups from remote parts of India like Singari Melam & Chavinattakam from Kerala, Karma & Sarfa dance from Jharkand and Fakiri songs and Mamore Puja and Rampa dance from West Bengal. From far flung Berhampore in Himachal Pradesh comes a Padma Shri-awarded performer who plays an ancient copper drum also known as Shiva drum.
Classical music too has a firm place at the fest. A Dhrupad festival is slated for February 21-22 which features internationally acclaimed musicians like Ustad Wasiffudin Dagar, Ustad Hussain Sayeeduddin Dagar and Pandit Uday Bhawalkar -- to name just a few.
Besides, there are literary events and crafts demonstrations. For Hollywood film addicts, there are is a flurry of films like “Wolverine”, “Elysium”, “White House Down” and “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”.
The curtains come down with a Sufi-Qawwali night on February 23.
At the helm of DIAF is founder-festival director, Prathibha Prahlad, a Bharatanatyam dancer and choreographer. “I want people to be touched by art. In fact, the concept of a huge cultural festival never existed in the past; there was never a one festival branding that swept the entire city, just pockets of culture. We have been successful because we have introduced the concept of an arts festival and brought it to a level of recognition where everyone has an instant connect with the logo,” she says.
While it may seem like a pretty picture, the reality is different. Sponsors for traditional and classical art forms are hard to come by. Bollywood and cricket, says Prathibha, are the hot favourites for government organisations and corporates to sink their money in.  “The entire country does not define itself by Bollywood actors and actresses. In our country, we have a huge depth and diversity of art in every nook and corner; if we don't appreciate our art forms if we don't identify them if we don't give our energy to supporting them then who are we on the world stage?” She asks the question that perplexes every serious art lover in the subcontinent.
The festival ends on the 23rd of this month.