Mumbai : Mumbai will finally be the first venue for Osianama – India’s pioneering Cultural Centre with the launch of the first two (of nine) clubs focusing on Indian & World Cinema and Vintage & Classic Automobiles, at the iconic art-deco Liberty Cinema.

Osianama promises to be the nerve-centre for the exhibition, edutainment, screening & knowledge for the arts, auto, cinema, culture and the preservation of its heritage. It complements the vast emerging online knowledgebase – osianama.com – so systematically moving towards the long cherished objective of rebuilding the educational global platform for India’s cultural civilization.

Neville Tuli, Chairman of Osianama today stated that the Osianama embraces nine membership-driven cultural clubs under its umbrella which will be inaugurated step by step between January 2015 & March 2016. The Osianama ‘Clubs’ are as follows: 1 Vintage & Classic Automobiles; 2 Cinefan; 3 Antiquities & Fine Arts Appreciation; 4 Books & Poetry; 5 Photography; 6 Architectural Heritage & Preservation; 7 All Creatures Great & Small & Animal Welfare; 8 Design, Craft & Popular Cultures & 9 Sporting Heritage.

Osianama is starting with the launch of the first two clubs immediately, followed by the Fine Arts Club and Books & Poetry Club in April, when Osianama’s activities begin on a daily basis.

The Osianama Cinefan Club will host premieres of over 50 top quality films from India and the best of World Cinema in its first year. It will also organize twelve major exhibitions (e.g. On Orson Welles; Clark Gable & Marlon Brando; Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton & the Marx Brothers; Polish Poster Design 1950-70s; Japanese Aesthetics & the Samurai; Sci-Fi & Horror Designs of the 1950-60s) and related discussions, master classes & debates with a focus on Hollywood, Indian and World cinema.

Osianama’s activities will commence on Friday, 23rd January 2015 with a Red Carpet Premiere of Neeraj Pandey’s new film BABY. This will be followed by the Launch of Osianama’s Vintage & Classic Automobile Club on 24th January with a host of events bringing together some of the finest minds & classic cars in the world on Automotive History and Design. Sunday, 25th January will see the Launch of Osianama’s Cinefan Club with Conversation, Discussion & Master Class by Neeraj Pandey and Anupam Kher.

While announcing the launch of Osianama, Neville Tuli stated that, “…this has been a pivotal institutional step of one’s vision for the past twenty years. Few, if any, cultural institutions, have been built in this world with such independence from patronage, sponsorship and donations. We have always envisaged art, culture and its heritage as India’s greatest assets which will balance and nurture both economic and religious forces once having built its own material infrastructure with daily financial independence. Osianama will provide a new global learning platform for the connoisseurs & students of art, culture, cinema, architecture and its heritage, with the citizens of

Mumbai & India gaining a new confidence because of its intellectual energy, innovative presence and a sense of public entitlement based on creative merit being respected.”

source : Sachin Murdeshwar