Behind the scenes of Temporary Lives!

So today is the big day we have all been waiting for! Before you come to see us on stage, we would like to share with you these small interviews realised some days ago. 

If you still don't have your tickets, read here how to get them. You can still buy them at the venue one hour before the show (if there are any left!).

See you soon! :) 

What is Diwali?

In the play Temporary Lives there is a happy scene where the characters are celebrating Diwali. But what is Diwali?

 Photo by Priyambada Nath / Flickr

It is a celebration of light, occurring around October or November according to the Hindu lunisolar calendar. It lasts for five days and marks the victory of light over darkness as well as good over evil. It's an important Hindu festival which people celebrate in many different ways. The rituals of Diwali vary, but most importantly people light lamps or candles and get together with their family to start a new year.

In many ways it resembles the Finnish way of celebrating New Year - you get together with your loved ones at the darkest time of the year, shoot fireworks and greet the upcoming year with joy.

Photo by Anthony Cramp / Flickr

We hope you can sense the warmth of Diwali in our play!

Text by: Vuokko Hangaslahti

Interview with Arti Sudhindra

The amazing, talented Arti Sudhindra acted in the role of the Mother in our previous play, Ek Kahani - Love Story. You can read her interview from here and see her dance performance here. Now she is back for Temporary Lives. She will be seen in the role of Anjali. 

Two years after the much celebrated Ek Kahani - Love Story, what made you want to join the same group again for a new play?

- I guess it’s the chance to work with the same director, the joy of working with partly the same crew, and the opportunity to take my passion further!

In Temporary Lives, you are playing the role of Anjali, an Indian woman living in Finland with her family. Are you playing yourself, or are there many differences between you and Anjali? 

- There is nothing like an easy role in the acting world! Every role requires equal dedication, practice, research. Talking of my experience in Finland as an Indian woman, at this point I only remember that I was shocked with the Sauna and Lake swimming concept when I was new to Finland. However I don’t recollect any time Finns embarrassed me at a grocery store (which happens to Anjali in the play), but I know it must have happened with someone - that is why our Director thought of it.

You are not alone on stage, but your husband and elder daughter are acting along with you. How does it make you feel? 

- It’s an Honor for me, my husband Sudhi is much Senior to me in every aspect, and has worked with well-known directors, and actors. I get to learn from him, on and off stage. Working with my daughter is fun, and I feel great that she has this opportunity, she loves to perform on stage. Her name PRERNA means Inspiration in Hindi, and she is truly the inspiration for us.

As said before, you are a great dancer, but an actress as well. What do you feel are the similarities and differences between acting & dancing?

- There are some differences I feel. As a Dancer I don’t need to speak but just follow the rhythm and express what I want. My body moments and facial expressions replace the words, there are no restrictions, and everything flows naturally. In Acting, my words speak for me, my movements have to be more calculated, I need to be more responsible about what I say, and how I say. But Acting and Dancing both can be highly intensive, emotional, and fun at the same time!

Only one day until the performance! What would you like to say to the audience waiting to see you and the others on stage? 

- DON’T MISS IT !!

You have founded your own dance group, KK Entertainments, in 2012. Would you like to tell more about it?

- KKE is a group that’s involved in dancing, acting, choreographing, and in spreading Indian culture across, organizing events to celebrate Indian Festivals like Holi, Navaratri, etc, workshops, and train the enthusiasts for their performances. We organize dance workshops for children, adults, and families, we are trying to add a new dimensions to celebrations, and set a trend of “celebrations together”. Performances at charity shows and shows for a cause are close to our hearts.

In the practices, you have amazed all of us by speaking a bit of Finnish. Was it hard for you to learn? Do you like living in Finland? 

- I started to learn Finnish only since few months, it's very hard, especially for a person who is weak in grammar (laughing), but I like it. Someday I will be able to speak better! I like Finland. It is a great country from many aspects, although I don’t appreciate the level alcohol and tobacco consumptions in teens here, and it makes me sad to see old people living alone although they have children, grandchildren. On the other hand, I highly appreciate the courage of Finns to live in a country which has such extreme weather conditions, and still they manage to do so much in life, their punctuality, respect for privacy, creativity, helpfulness, happiness, love for their country... They have to have a lot of patience to wait until summer to see flowers in their gardens, and yet they have no complaints...

But as far as me liking the place I live is concerned well, my Family is my world, and I like to live where it is. The best things about living in Finland are our home, friends, the opportunity to carry on with my passion, less pollution, facilities, snow snow snow!

Do you have any future plans after this project which you can share with the readers?

- Yes, Indian Festival celebrations, workshops and many more details will be posted on KKE page soon !

Anything else you want to say?

- Yes, a lot, but I want to point out one very important thing for the teens here: Addiction is good, when it’s for something that makes you better, a strong and respectful person. But the addictions that make you weak, pull you away from reality, are really bad - there is only one life and many ways to live, but you can choose the one which keeps you alive forever……

Interview by Laura Kunnas

Our previous production: Ek Kahani - Love Story

For the first time ever, we are releasing the whole video footage of all the dance scenes of our previous production, Ek Kahani - Love Story. To read more about Ek Kahani - Love Story, click here. To get to the playlist on Youtube, click here. 

Enjoy!

One more glimpse behind the scenes...

Big thanks to all our sponsors and partners!

ORGANIZERS

SPONSORS

Ravintola Musta Härkä

A diverse restaurant full of feeling at Mäkelänkatu 52, Helsinki. Be welcome to enjoy! 

mustaharka.fi/

Park Pub

The living room of Puistola. A pub with A-rights, free wlan, several games, karaoke, live music and dancing. 

parkpub.fi

Intia-Keskus 

For 30 years, the India Center has provided travellers 

with low-cost flights to all over the world!

intiakeskus.fi

Versio Jewelry 

Old boots and belts get a new life in a form of beautiful jewelry that is combined with shiny metals in hands of a skilled craftsman.

facebook.com/versiojewelry

Monikulttuurinen Taidekeskus Kassandra

The nationally operating multicultural art center Kassandra seeks to combat racism using art as its main tool. Also a main goal is to share knowledge on cultural diversity and at the same time bring together artists living in Finland.
kassandra.fi/

Also big thanks to Nadja Plösilä / Hartwall

PARTNERS

Kanneltalo

Esitystaiteen Keskus

Reetta Flink's Bollywood blog

Rosria Crystal Beauty

Kamal Kanhaiya Entertainments

Official photographers: Jaana Tihtonen, Ilkka Roitto
Videographer: Antti Suvilehto

Just one week to go! :)

 Next Saturday is the premier of Temporary Lives, and looks like our cast is ready for it! What about you, are YOU ready? Remember to buy your tickets in advance, read how here!