Germany has come calling and India is answering the call. The Indo-German Urban Mela is all set to begin with a bang with former Miss Universe and actress Sushmita Sen roped in to help the Germans fuse their arts, crafts, cinema and music with the desi style.
To add icing to the cake, Indie rock bands like the Indian Ocean and the Ska Vengers will be key performers while the audience can feast on authentic German food and beer. The fest will also feature an interactive session with illustrious writers like Jeet Thayil, Rana Dasgupta, Indrajit Hazra and Nilanjana Roy among many others.
Sushmita, together with German ambassador Michael Steiner, will inaugurate the mela beginning from October 27 at the Indraprastha Millenium Park.
Sushmita is all thrilled to represent India at the do. “I am highly honoured that this responsibility has been presented to me. It fills me up with pride that I have been chosen to represent my country at such a prestigious fest. It is almost as exhilarating as my film going to Berlin Film Festival,” she says in an exclusive interview with this newspaper.
The 16 gemstone-like pavilions designed by celebrated German artist Markus Heinsdorff will be one of the major attractions. “Nine days, 16 pavilions, hopefully hundreds of thousands of visitors, the best on Indo-German future cooperation in a nutshell,” is how German ambassador Michael Steiner describes the upcoming mela.
To woo the visitors there will be a triangle shuttle starting from the Indraprashta Metro station with new German buses, minibuses and German cars like Audi, BMW, Volkswagon organised exclusively for the Delhiites.
Ambassador Steiner adds, “At the mela, you will discover that German companies have a lot on offer for India’s megacities — finest technical solutions from mobility to green energy, from chemical innovations in construction work to water management.”
“We want to have the brightest young minds from India to come to Germany as we know: Germany is a hub of innovation, India is a reservoir of extremely gifted young academics. This mela will not only be informative but also a fun-filled cultural experience for the youngsters,” ambassador Steiner said.
(The Indo-German Mela will be on till November 4 at Indraprastha Millennium Park with free entry)