Chandra Keerthi B

This Foundation Project implemented by IFA enables an engagement with the legacy of Majestic through personal and collective memories and narratives. Chandra Keerthi B will be the Coordinator for this project. 

Chandra Keerthi B is a theatre actor, director, costume designer and make-up artist based in Bangalore. He has undergone training in make-up and Bunraku puppetry under eminent senior artists and has been part of the acting workshop in Poorvaranga and the Young Directors’ workshop hosted by Rangashankara. Given his experience, he is best placed to be the Project Coordinator of this Foundation Project of IFA. 

Majestic, nestled in the heart of Bangalore, holds an illustrious history woven within its streets. Chandra Keerthi himself has familial roots in this vibrant neighbourhood. The area has been home to his immediate and extended family for a few generations now; and, therefore, his relationship with Majestic is steeped in cherished memories and untold stories. In this project, Chandra Keerthi will bring these memories and stories to the fore and layer them with the larger history of the neighbourhood and the history of the city. 

The project will involve a solo theatre performance integrated into a guided walk through of key locations in Majestic where the stories will unfold. Moving through stories about the illustrious Majestic Printing Press, the birth of Bangalore's pioneering film tabloid named Cinema, the golden era of the Company Theatre, the performance and the walk will weave together narratives across four generations. Personal and family histories will be juxtaposed with the larger social and cultural histories of the area. The performance will be enhanced through audio-visual elements including evocative soundtracks intertwined with people’s voices, and old photographs of Majestic sourced from personal and public archives. The performance and the walk will draw upon and engage with residents and businesses that have been integral to Majestic’s fabric, thereby enabling a collective reflection on Bangalore’s metamorphosis and an appreciation for how the city has evolved over time.  

The outcomes of this project will be the performance and the guided walk. The Project Coordinator’s deliverables to IFA along with the final reports will be photo and video documentation of the performance and the walk, and a copy of the performance script. 

This project suitably addresses the broad framework of IFA's Project 560 programme in the manner in which it engages with the legacy of Majestic and redefines its significance within the larger narrative of Bangalore's cultural heritage.

IFA will ensure that the implementation of this project happens in a timely manner and funds expended are accounted for. IFA will also review the progress of the project at midterm and document it through an Implementation Memorandum. After the project is finished and all deliverables are submitted, IFA will put together a Final Evaluation to share with Trustees.

This project is made possible with support from BNP Paribas India.