Israel sponsored mural honours Indian-Jewish Actresses
The Israeli Embassy has collaborated with Delhi Street Art to conceive and execute a wall art project in the national Capitalto honour three yesteryears Indian-Jewish actresses. The Israeli Ambassador Naor Gilon and Meenakashi Lekhi, Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture, on Monday unveiled remarkable mural in Connaught Place (Block ‘F’, adjoining NDMC substation). The mural is a tribute to mark 30 years of diplomatic andcultural relations between Israel and India. Through this artwork developed by Delhi Street Art, the prominent Indian-Jewish actresses who made a mark in the Indian cinematic history–Pramila-Esther Victoria Abraham, Sulochana- Ruby Myers and Nadira-Florence Ezekiel, are highlighted. Ambassador Gilon said, “This mural reminds us of the work of extraordinary actresses from the Jewish community in India, and we are also revealing another layer of the unique cultural connection between India and Israel.”
“We hope that passers-by in this corner of New Delhi’s most popular shopping complex will be inspired by these characters,” Gilon observed. Meenakashi Lekhi said, “This project represents the shared history and friendship between India and Israel. I congratulate the people of both nations as we celebrate 75 years of India’s independence and 30 years of our diplomatic relations”.
The mural was designed by Delhi Street Art’s founder Yogesh Saini and his team of artists. Saini told The Sunday Guardian: “This mural is the fruition of several months of conceptualising, planning and designing.” The mural depicting yesteryears Indian-Jewish actresses are:
Pramila-Esther Victoria Abraham
She is widely known by her stage name, Pramila. She was the first woman to be crowned Miss India in 1947. She belonged to the Baghdadi-Jewish community in Calcutta. Pramila starred in about 30 films as a fearless stunt star, including Ulti Ganga, Basant and Jungle King. In 1942, Pramila became the first-ever woman producer in India, when she founded a production house with her husband by the name of Silver Films.
Nadira-Florence Ezekiel
Florence Ezekiel, popularly known as Nadira, was an actress in Indian cinema. She was born to a Baghdadi-Jewish family. She is best remembered for her performances in films during the 1950s and 1960s such as Shree 420, Pakeezah, and Julie. Nadira’s cinematic prominence rose with the 1952 film Aan with her role as a Rajput princess. She won a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Julie’s mother Margaret, ‘Maggie’ in the 1975 film Julie.
Sulochana-Ruby Myers
Ruby Myers, better known as Sulochana, was one of the most successful silent films era stars. She belonged to a Baghdadi Jewish family. Ruby’s career took off with her debut role in Veer Bala (1925). She went on to act in several movies, ranging in a number of genres like Typist Girl, Balidaan, Cinema Queen and Wildcat of Bombay, where she played eight different characters.
No, No…No Airport In My Name
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai some days ago announced that the Shivamogga airport would be named after his predecessor, B.S.Yediyurappa. The former CM panicked as he realized that it would “ground” him forever in politics. Although Yediyurappa is 79, in politics, ambitions never die. Known for his shrewd moves, BSY immediately wrote to Bommai asking him not to name the airport after him. “The airport should be named after someone who has contributed to the betterment of the nation,” he suggested. By doing so, Yediyurappa’s supporters are claiming that he has not only silenced critics, but also earned praises from the ordinary Kannadigas and this move is also expected to be appreciated by the BJP’s top leadership. Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Bangalore is scheduled for the next week. It is causing fear among many party circles in the state. The CM recently got a go-ahead signal for Cabinet expansion to prepare the party for elections next year. He seems to be getting more support from the central leadership. There is a buzz that Shah will have lunch at Bommai’s place. Although sources close to Bommai are saying that it will be an official meeting between the CM and Shah, many senior leaders suspect that it is much more than that, especially as it comes at a time when the Cabinet expansion is about to happen.
sleepless Nights
During the Raisina dialogue on the Russia-Ukraine war, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar delivered some sharp responses to European ministers and leaders. But there was an unusual query. Jaishankar was asked what keeps him up at night, what preoccupied his mind most. A diplomat for four decades before becoming a minister, Jaishankar said, “The only thing that keeps me up at night is jet lag.”