Lamakaan

Join us for an immersive journey into the rich and evocative world of Urdu poetry with Mir Ali Husain This talk will explore its deep-rooted history and traditions, spotlighting key forms such as the ghazal, nazm, and marsiya. It will delve into Urdu poetry’s metaphors and similes, its legendary poets, and the socio-cultural currents that have shaped its evolution from classical poetics to its engagement with modernism, socialism, and feminism.

Santimmi prana is a series of one woman performances. There are six puranas like santimmi ramayana, santimmi buddhayana, santimmi soundarya purana, santimmi lav purana, santimmi election purana, santimmi election purana covering the issues of epic ramayana, concept of beauty, concept love, buddha's life, toxic masculinity and electoral politics This is an attempt to understand the issues from dalit women's perspective to break the myth of dalit women whose wisdom, world views are marginalized. Santimmi pakshipurana deals with toxic masculinity. It was written when a small girl was raped in Kashmir inside the temple. Toxic masculinity is an out come patriarchy which is not only harmful for women but also kills the human being in men. This playmakes an attempt to reach out the human among men through male bird world which is creative, caring and nurturing.

A discussion on Telugu Literature after Telugu Literature with Aditya Korlapati and Aruanank Lata

Based on a 1981 poem by the well known world poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Lori is a devastating depiction of a person who witnesses a series of air strikes in a refugee camp during war. Amidst the carnage and destruction, are the mutilated corpses of an entire family – a mother, father, a young boy and his elder sister. As she grieves, she hears the muffled cry of a child coming from underneath a pile of bodies. As she pulls the child out, she embraces the child and sings him a lullaby, trying to distract the little one from the horrific scene in front of them. write a brief in one sentence Concept and choreography - Aranyani Poetry - Faiz Ahmed Faiz Recitation - Shabana Azmi Music - Fragment of Light (Ganesh K and Leslie Charles)

The Hyderabad Junior Chorus formerly known as the Cadence Voices was founded by Ashrita Arockiam Dsouza, A musician and a Music Educator who also runs a Music school called Strings and Tunes. The Hyderabad Voices Junior Chorus is the only Secular Children’s choir in the city and it was started with a vision to invite children from different Religions, cultures, ethnicities etc. to come together and sing for the love of music. Today the choir stands strong with 36 children on board and looks forward to project and reach out to other parts of the country with their talented voices.

The Rise of Zohran Mamdani: Main Street’s Answer to Three Decades of Wall Street:

Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, was sworn in as the 112th mayor of New York City on Jan 1st 2026, by the New York State Attorney General. Later in a public ceremony he was administered the oath by the only socialist senator in the US– Bernie Sanders. In the days leading up to the swearing-in, Zohran had already announced the first ever Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice. Barely 48 hours after being sworn-in he announced the creation of the office for mass engagement, giving democracy itself a new vigour. His exceptionally high energy campaign had at its centre the question of affordability and the militant call to the immigrant working class of New York to rise up, unify and fight to recover their city. He has promised a rent-freeze, free childcare, free buses and subsidised grocery stores. Even as he won the mayoral race the streets of New York resounded the call “Tax the rich, not the poor.” Is this a new phase in American politics where socialism and fascism run on parallel tracks, setting up an eventual collision? Will Zohran be able to produce a new imaginary that will move the US (and other parts of the world) away from the fascist / authoritarian turn? Will Zohran be able to build a new vision of socialism itself? What lessons can we learn from the campaign that Zohran ran? These and other questions will be at the heart of a careful and grounded analysis of the Zohran moment. Biju Mathew is a co-founder of the New York Taxi Workers’ Alliance and president of International Alliance of App-based Transport Workers, a Hyderabadi and the co-founder of Lamakan. A New Yorker since the 1990s, he was among those who stood by the Zohran Campaign from the word go. Biju is a professor of American Studies and Technology at Rider University, NJ

Lamakaan will host a special evening dedicated to the works of acclaimed Kurdish-Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi this February. Scheduled for Wednesday evening, the festival brings together cinephiles, students, and lovers of world cinema to experience Ghobadi’s powerful storytelling that blends poetic realism with the struggles and resilience of Kurdish life.

About the Director: Bahman Ghobadi, born on February 1, 1969, in Baneh, Kurdistan Province, Iran, is a Kurdish-Iranian filmmaker celebrated for his poignant storytelling that blends poetic realism with the lived struggles of Kurdish communities. Educated in film directing at Iran Broadcasting College, Ghobadi rose to international prominence with his debut feature A Time for Drunken Horses (2000), which won the Caméra d'Or at Cannes. His subsequent films, including Turtles Can Fly (2004), Half Moon (2006), and No One Knows About Persian Cats (2009), further cemented his reputation as a filmmaker who captures resilience, identity, and the human spirit against the backdrop of political and social upheaval.

Film Title: A TIME FOR DRUKEN HORSES | 2000 | 80 Mins | Iran | Kurdish and Farsi with English Subtitles.

About the film: A Time for Drunken Horses is a 2000 Kurdish language drama film directed by Bahman Ghobadi and produced in Iran. It was a co-winner of the Caméra d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2000. Leonard Maltin notes that the film was "written by the director and shot in his native village, with a cast of extraordinary non-professionals.

Screening followed by Discussion. All are Welcome. Entry is free and open to all!

“కుటుంబీకుల కొండాటకం” పుస్తకం ఝాన్సీ పబ్లికేషన్స్ నుండి వెలువడింది. ఈ పుస్తకాన్ని రచించినది శరత్. రచయితకిది రెండో పుస్తకం. గాడ్ మేనియా కథా వస్తువుగా ఇది ఆద్యంతం వ్యంగ్యంగా సాగుతుంది.

Nosferatu: Eine Symphonie des Grauens


Director: F. W. Murnau
Year: 1922
German Intertitles with English Subtitles
Duration: 94 Minutes
Black and White


Set in 1838, the film Nosferatu: Eine Symphonie des Grauens (Nosferatu: A symphony of horror) follows a routine journey that slips into a nightmare you don’t wake up from. Count Orlok’s presence bends time, space, and silence itself.

Nearly a century later, Nosferatu remains a cornerstone of cinema for redefining horror through suggestion rather than spectacle. Shaped by post–World War I anxiety yet strikingly modern in its imagery of plague and isolation, the film proves that silence, shadow, and restraint can haunt longer than sound.

Join us for a screening of Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, and experience a film that still shapes how horror is seen and felt.

All are Invited! Entry is free and open to all!

Launch of Matti Rangula Nadi (మట్టి రంగుల నది)- poetry anthology of Sudha Kiran, hosted by Kaalam Gunde Chappudu ( కాలం గుండె చప్పుడు)

This event marks the inaugural meeting of a new reading circle dedicated exclusively to Indian science fiction. Founded with the aim of spotlighting the richness and diversity of speculative writing from India, the reading circle brings together readers interested in exploring how Indian authors imagine science, technology, history and the future.

Over the course of one year, we will collectively read and discuss eight selected works of Indian science fiction. The first in-person session will take place on February 15, 2026, from 2pm to 4pm (with subsequent meetings scheduled at six-week intervals). In addition to the offline gatherings, the group will also host regular online discussions to share progress, reflections, and insights between sessions. Anyone interested to join our community can you use this link: https://chat.whatsapp.com/LPQMXSgLpLbCIMyqwfPN43

The opening session will focus on The Calcutta Chromosome by Amitav Ghosh, a landmark novel that blends science fiction, history and mystery. It won the Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1997. The discussion will introduce participants to the themes of the book while setting the tone for thoughtful, inclusive and engaging conversations throughout the year.

The reading circle is open to anyone interested in discovering or revisiting Indian science fiction and aims to encourage more readers to engage with this important and often underrepresented literary tradition.

Tejas Academy of Arts, founded in 2022 by Guru Tejaswi Prasad, presents a Kuchipudi recital performed by its students. With over 15 years of national and international performance experience, Guru Tejaswi Prasad brings tradition and grace to the stage.

Performing Classical Dance (Bharatnatyam)

Join us for an immersive journey into the rich and evocative world of Urdu poetry with Mir Ali Husain This talk will explore its deep-rooted history and traditions, spotlighting key forms such as the ghazal, nazm, and marsiya. It will delve into Urdu poetry’s metaphors and similes, its legendary poets, and the socio-cultural currents that have shaped its evolution from classical poetics to its engagement with modernism, socialism, and feminism.

Santimmi prana is a series of one woman performances. There are six puranas like santimmi ramayana, santimmi buddhayana, santimmi soundarya purana, santimmi lav purana, santimmi election purana, santimmi election purana covering the issues of epic ramayana, concept of beauty, concept love, buddha's life, toxic masculinity and electoral politics This is an attempt to understand the issues from dalit women's perspective to break the myth of dalit women whose wisdom, world views are marginalized. Santimmi pakshipurana deals with toxic masculinity. It was written when a small girl was raped in Kashmir inside the temple. Toxic masculinity is an out come patriarchy which is not only harmful for women but also kills the human being in men. This playmakes an attempt to reach out the human among men through male bird world which is creative, caring and nurturing.

A discussion on Telugu Literature after Telugu Literature with Aditya Korlapati and Aruanank Lata

Based on a 1981 poem by the well known world poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Lori is a devastating depiction of a person who witnesses a series of air strikes in a refugee camp during war. Amidst the carnage and destruction, are the mutilated corpses of an entire family – a mother, father, a young boy and his elder sister. As she grieves, she hears the muffled cry of a child coming from underneath a pile of bodies. As she pulls the child out, she embraces the child and sings him a lullaby, trying to distract the little one from the horrific scene in front of them. write a brief in one sentence Concept and choreography - Aranyani Poetry - Faiz Ahmed Faiz Recitation - Shabana Azmi Music - Fragment of Light (Ganesh K and Leslie Charles)

The Hyderabad Junior Chorus formerly known as the Cadence Voices was founded by Ashrita Arockiam Dsouza, A musician and a Music Educator who also runs a Music school called Strings and Tunes. The Hyderabad Voices Junior Chorus is the only Secular Children’s choir in the city and it was started with a vision to invite children from different Religions, cultures, ethnicities etc. to come together and sing for the love of music. Today the choir stands strong with 36 children on board and looks forward to project and reach out to other parts of the country with their talented voices.

The Rise of Zohran Mamdani: Main Street’s Answer to Three Decades of Wall Street:

Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, was sworn in as the 112th mayor of New York City on Jan 1st 2026, by the New York State Attorney General. Later in a public ceremony he was administered the oath by the only socialist senator in the US– Bernie Sanders. In the days leading up to the swearing-in, Zohran had already announced the first ever Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice. Barely 48 hours after being sworn-in he announced the creation of the office for mass engagement, giving democracy itself a new vigour. His exceptionally high energy campaign had at its centre the question of affordability and the militant call to the immigrant working class of New York to rise up, unify and fight to recover their city. He has promised a rent-freeze, free childcare, free buses and subsidised grocery stores. Even as he won the mayoral race the streets of New York resounded the call “Tax the rich, not the poor.” Is this a new phase in American politics where socialism and fascism run on parallel tracks, setting up an eventual collision? Will Zohran be able to produce a new imaginary that will move the US (and other parts of the world) away from the fascist / authoritarian turn? Will Zohran be able to build a new vision of socialism itself? What lessons can we learn from the campaign that Zohran ran? These and other questions will be at the heart of a careful and grounded analysis of the Zohran moment. Biju Mathew is a co-founder of the New York Taxi Workers’ Alliance and president of International Alliance of App-based Transport Workers, a Hyderabadi and the co-founder of Lamakan. A New Yorker since the 1990s, he was among those who stood by the Zohran Campaign from the word go. Biju is a professor of American Studies and Technology at Rider University, NJ

Lamakaan will host a special evening dedicated to the works of acclaimed Kurdish-Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi this February. Scheduled for Wednesday evening, the festival brings together cinephiles, students, and lovers of world cinema to experience Ghobadi’s powerful storytelling that blends poetic realism with the struggles and resilience of Kurdish life.

About the Director: Bahman Ghobadi, born on February 1, 1969, in Baneh, Kurdistan Province, Iran, is a Kurdish-Iranian filmmaker celebrated for his poignant storytelling that blends poetic realism with the lived struggles of Kurdish communities. Educated in film directing at Iran Broadcasting College, Ghobadi rose to international prominence with his debut feature A Time for Drunken Horses (2000), which won the Caméra d'Or at Cannes. His subsequent films, including Turtles Can Fly (2004), Half Moon (2006), and No One Knows About Persian Cats (2009), further cemented his reputation as a filmmaker who captures resilience, identity, and the human spirit against the backdrop of political and social upheaval.

Film Title: A TIME FOR DRUKEN HORSES | 2000 | 80 Mins | Iran | Kurdish and Farsi with English Subtitles.

About the film: A Time for Drunken Horses is a 2000 Kurdish language drama film directed by Bahman Ghobadi and produced in Iran. It was a co-winner of the Caméra d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2000. Leonard Maltin notes that the film was "written by the director and shot in his native village, with a cast of extraordinary non-professionals.

Screening followed by Discussion. All are Welcome. Entry is free and open to all!

“కుటుంబీకుల కొండాటకం” పుస్తకం ఝాన్సీ పబ్లికేషన్స్ నుండి వెలువడింది. ఈ పుస్తకాన్ని రచించినది శరత్. రచయితకిది రెండో పుస్తకం. గాడ్ మేనియా కథా వస్తువుగా ఇది ఆద్యంతం వ్యంగ్యంగా సాగుతుంది.

Nosferatu: Eine Symphonie des Grauens


Director: F. W. Murnau
Year: 1922
German Intertitles with English Subtitles
Duration: 94 Minutes
Black and White


Set in 1838, the film Nosferatu: Eine Symphonie des Grauens (Nosferatu: A symphony of horror) follows a routine journey that slips into a nightmare you don’t wake up from. Count Orlok’s presence bends time, space, and silence itself.

Nearly a century later, Nosferatu remains a cornerstone of cinema for redefining horror through suggestion rather than spectacle. Shaped by post–World War I anxiety yet strikingly modern in its imagery of plague and isolation, the film proves that silence, shadow, and restraint can haunt longer than sound.

Join us for a screening of Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, and experience a film that still shapes how horror is seen and felt.

All are Invited! Entry is free and open to all!

Launch of Matti Rangula Nadi (మట్టి రంగుల నది)- poetry anthology of Sudha Kiran, hosted by Kaalam Gunde Chappudu ( కాలం గుండె చప్పుడు)

This event marks the inaugural meeting of a new reading circle dedicated exclusively to Indian science fiction. Founded with the aim of spotlighting the richness and diversity of speculative writing from India, the reading circle brings together readers interested in exploring how Indian authors imagine science, technology, history and the future.

Over the course of one year, we will collectively read and discuss eight selected works of Indian science fiction. The first in-person session will take place on February 15, 2026, from 2pm to 4pm (with subsequent meetings scheduled at six-week intervals). In addition to the offline gatherings, the group will also host regular online discussions to share progress, reflections, and insights between sessions. Anyone interested to join our community can you use this link: https://chat.whatsapp.com/LPQMXSgLpLbCIMyqwfPN43

The opening session will focus on The Calcutta Chromosome by Amitav Ghosh, a landmark novel that blends science fiction, history and mystery. It won the Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1997. The discussion will introduce participants to the themes of the book while setting the tone for thoughtful, inclusive and engaging conversations throughout the year.

The reading circle is open to anyone interested in discovering or revisiting Indian science fiction and aims to encourage more readers to engage with this important and often underrepresented literary tradition.

Tejas Academy of Arts, founded in 2022 by Guru Tejaswi Prasad, presents a Kuchipudi recital performed by its students. With over 15 years of national and international performance experience, Guru Tejaswi Prasad brings tradition and grace to the stage.