India, Nov. 16 -- Come November and the tricity including Corbusier's Chandigarh along with adjoining New Chandigarh have been buzzing with cultural activity like never before. The range has been varied and vibrant, leaving art scribes like me in a tizzy recall the rare retro qawwali from the great musical era of Hindi cinema, penned by Shakeel Badayuni and set to music by none other than Naushad Sahib. It went thus 'Main idhar jaoon ya udhar jaoon?' (Should I go hither or should I go thither).

The tempting fare this fall included for the first time in the city 'Ismat Aapa ke Naam' which included short stories by the one-of-her-hind storyteller of Urdu enacted by the legendary, Ismat Chughtai, enacted by Naseeruddin Shah and his family i...