A boy wakes up one morning to find his father missing, and begins a journey from home in search of him. In this devised performance, directed by Vinod Ravindran and produced by Just Theatre, imagery and objects are used to follow the boy on his travels. The play explores the ideas of ‘real’ and ‘unreal’.  Whether the boy finds his father or goes back home, whether the idea of ‘home’ as he once understood it still exists, are questions he encounters constantly during his travels.

Somewhat Like a Balloon, 4 and 5 May, Ranga Shankara, 36/2 8th Cross, II Phase, JP Nagar, Bangalore. For more information, call +91 96116 95270 or visit www.rangashankara.org. 

From the beleaguered Niyamgiri hills of Odisha, adivasis come forth, bearing axes, and songs. In the lanes of rural Punjab, hope revives around the iconic figure of Bhagat Singh. Red Ant Dream (Mati ke Lal) is Sanjay Kak’s documentary encounter with the often invisible world of those who defend another ideal of the world, the third in a cycle of films that interrogate the workings of Indian democracy, following Words on Water, about the struggle against large dams in the Narmada valley, and Jashn-e-Azadi, about the idea of freedom for Kashmir. The screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker.

Red Ant Dream, 7 May, 7 pm, Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, Delhi. For more information, visit www.indiahabitat.org.

Writers, Etc is Alliance Francaise’s literary platform—a space where written ideas and their practitioners can interact with each other and the general public to ask pertinent questions on the role of literature in contemporary societies. In their 21st session, Indrajit Hazra will be in conversation with Arpita Das. Hazra is a Delhi-based writer and journalist, author of the novels, The Burnt Forehead of Max Saul (2000), The Garden of Earthly Delights (2003) and The Bioscope Man (2008). His first work of non-fiction, Grand Delusions: A Short History of Kolkata, is scheduled for publication later this year. Arpita Das is the owner of the independent publishing house Yoda Press and the bookstore Yodakin, both in Delhi.

Writers Etc., 9 May, 6.30 pm, ML Bhartia Auditorium, Alliance Française de Delhi, 72, Max Mueller Road , Lodhi Estate, Delhi. For more information, visit www.delhi.afindia.org or call 0124-4061032.

The Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival is an attempt to encourage greater visibility of Indian and international queer cinema among audiences as a means to foster better understanding of queer thoughts, desires and expression. In its fourth edition, Kashish will offer over 100 films from all over the world.

Kashish, 22 to 26 May, Alliance Française de Bombay, Theosophy Hall, 40, New Marine Lines, Churchgate, Mumbai. For more information, visit www.mumbaiqueerfest.com.

The Bolshoi Ballet’s performance of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s world famous ballet Swan Lake comes to Mumbai along with other great productions by the company. The NCPA has joined hands with film distributors Pathé Live to bring high quality screenings of Bolshoi’s latest seasons to theatre audiences in India. Based on Russian folk tales, and brilliantly choreographed by Yury Grigorovich, Swan Lake tells the story of a princess, Odette, who is turned into a swan by a sorcerer’s curse. Ever since the act premiered in 1877, it has become one of the classic pieces in the world of ballet.

Swan Lake, 14 and 15 April, National Centre for the Performing Arts, NCPA Marg, Nariman Point, Mumbai.  For more information, visit www.ncpamumbai.com.

The Motley Theatre Group was started by Naseeruddin Shah and Benjamin Gilani in 1979, and has since produced some of the most memorable Indian performances of plays by Beckett, Shaw, Ionesco and others. From being an itinerant troupe of two, Motley (later including Tom Alter, Ratna Pathak, Kenny Desai and Akash Khurana) now has a large membership. Over the past ten years they’ve also widened their repertoire to include work in Hindustani. The latest edition of their annual festival includes Dear Liar, By George, A Walk in the Woods, and Ismat Apa Ke Naam.

Motley Theatre Festival 2013, 26 March to 7 April, Prithvi Theatre, Janki Kutir, Juhu, Mumbai. For more information, visit www.prithvitheatre.org or contact Jayraj on +91 98201-54838.

Dualist Inquiry is the solo electronica project of Sahej Bakshi, a producer, guitarist and composer from Delhi. Bakshi has performed around the country and also at the Berlin Music Week in September, 2010 and The Great Escape festival in Brighton, UK in May, 2011. He released his debut EP Dualism in June 2011.

Dualist Inquiry, April 13, 9 pm, Clarks Amer, Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg, Jaipur.  For more information, visit www.nh7.in.