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February brings with it the biggest street festival in the country, and perhaps even the best. The week-long FREE (yep) celebration of performing arts, cinema culture, heritage, literature and more makes for an action packed week, no matter where your interests align.
Specifically: the stalls set up all week are must-sees for rare finds, homemade handicrafts, and other cute knick-knacks. Streets will completely transform into immersive, walking galleries, so keep your eyes peeled for any art you spot at Rampart Row, Cross Maidan and Horniman Circle Garden; it’s from the city’s best. Whether you want to spend your Sunday running a Women’s 5K at 5am or get your portrait at a discounted price from the city’s oldest Hamilton Studios at 8am, the possibilities are endless.
But as exciting as the week is, it can tend to get crowded, fast-paced, and overwhelming. The programme itself is longer than a short novel, sitting at a cool 104 pages. Blink and you might miss interacting with some of the most prominent figureheads of the metropolitan’s culture zeitgeist.
Luckily for you, I went through every single page of the programme to curate the best and the coolest of the lot for you. We know you’re busy so instead of spending the week figuring out what to do, where to go and who to see, here’s everything worth checking out at this year’s edition of the iconic festival. Some musts, some underrated events slipping through the cracks and some pure fun.
Your KGAF Week At A Glance
Wednesday, February 4
3-5pm: Noodle Pulling masterclass
4-6pm: Breast of Luck 4-6 PM
Thursday, February 5
3-5pm: Mahua Cocktail Tasting
7-8pm: The Great Indian Novel with Kiran Desai
8:30pm-midnight: Screening of Sholay, the final cut
Friday, February 6
3-4:30pm: Sushi Rolling masterclass
5-8pm: Screening of documentary Urf
7-8pm: Vir Das book launch
8:45- 9:50pm: Imran Khan and Nina Ogot
Saturday, February 7
4:00-5:30pm: Jump (Hindi/English)
6-7pm: Celebrating Gulzar
6-7pm: Ricky Kej live in concert
4:30-6pm: Art Deco Walk
Sunday, February 8
5:10-10am: Women’s 5K Run
7:15-9:0pm: Naam Mein Ka Rakhwo Hai?
5:30-6:45pm: Farhan Akhtar Live
8:15-9:50pm: Monali Thakur Live
Cinema and theatre
Perhaps the most notable part of the festival, the theatre scene at KGAF has evolved from street nukkad nataks to a series of avant-garde performances taking place at the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre throughout the week in Marathi, Hindi and English and even regional languages like Bundelkhandi. Additionally, for cinema-heads, there are a ton of film screenings and panel discussions taking place across iconic venues in the neighbourhood. Highlights (these are NOT child-friendly) include:
1. A screening of the final cut of Sholay at the historic Regal Cinema.
When: Thursday, February 5, 8:30pm-midnight
2. A screening followed by a Q&A with director Geetika Narang Abbasi of the documentary Urf, a reflection on stardom and personal dreams through the stories of Bollywood lookalikes at Cama Hall.
When: Friday, February 6, 5-8pm
3. Breast of Luck in the main auditorium follows a neighbours turned couple navigating stage 4 breast cancer.
When: Wednesday, February 4, 4-6pm
Naam Mein Ka Rakhwo Hai?: A Hindi and gibberish is a Swayamvar like no other at the main auditorium.
When: Sunday, February 8, 7:15-9:05pm
Jump (Hindi/English): A corporate titan on the verge of suicide meets a taxi driver
When: Saturday, February 7, 4:00-5:30pm in the main auditorium
Time Out tip: Apart from some great street plays this week, you can attend some great stand-up features taking place everyday from 4-6:30pm featuring comedians like Govind Menon (personal favourite), Rajat Sood, Md. Hussain and more at the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre Rangswar Auditorium till Friday, February 6 (see the official programme for more details).
Music
The coolest part of the festival is getting to experience some incredible artists live for free in heritage spots in the city. It’s a unique opportunity to experience an evening of music open-air amphitheatre style, in prime Mumbai weather. A very esteemed soundtrack to your tryst with the city. Must-catch performances include:
1. Africa Meets India unites sitarist Imran Khan and singer Nina Ogot with artists from three continents at Cross Maidan.
When: Friday, February 6, 8:45-9:50pm
2. 3 x Grammy® Award Winner Ricky Kej Live in Concert at the Asiatic Library Steps.
When: Saturday, February 7, 6:00-7:30pm
3. The legendary Usha Uthup live, showcasing blends of jazz, pop, Bollywood, and Indian classics.
When: Saturday, February 7, 8-9:30pm
4. Farhan Akhtar at the Asiatic Library Steps regale Kala Ghoda audiences yet again with a new collection of self-written English songs.
When: Sunday, February 8, 5:30-6:45pm
5. Monali Thakur’s live performance of soulful ballads and high-energy hits.
When: Sunday, February 8, 8:15-9:50pm
Time Out Tip: As you’re wandering around Kala Ghoda, soul and tummy full, be sure to also stumble upon some of the incredible dance performances taking place at Cross Maidan throughout the week.
Literature
The festival is a haven for literature and reading enthusiasts. Be it poetry reading, talks with the country’s best and book launches. I urge ultra bookworms to peruse the literature programme with a fine tooth comb as I truly recommend every event. Noteworthy highlights include:
1. The Great Indian Novel: Booker Prize–winner Kiran Desai in conversation with Namita Devidayal at the David Sassoon Library Garden.
When: Thursday, February 5, 7-8pm
2. The Outsider Book Launch: Vir Das launches his memoir in conversation with Rohini Ramnathan at Elphinstone College Quadrangle.
When: Friday, February 6, 7-8pm
Heritage walks and talks
The festival is a great opportunity to take a heritage walk (for free!). While the walks are limited to the Fort area (seeing as it is the Kala Ghoda fest), virtual tours held at the Khaki Lab in Fort explore Byculla, Parel, Dongri, Chembur and more. Physical walks are digestible (an hour and a half) yet detailed explorations of the neighbourhood's heritage streets layered with history, art and culture. I would personally not miss:
1. Elf In Stone: A night walk inside Elphinstone College
When: February 4 & 6, 8-9pm
2. Martyr’s Memorial: A walk inside Colaba’s Chabad House, one of the targets of the 2008 terror attack.
When: February 5, 5-6:30pm
3. Ballard Ballads: A port, a business district, a slice of ‘Edwardian London’- a 3-in-1 walk.
When: February 3 & 7, 5-6:30pm
Time Out tip: Also be sure to check out this Urban Design and Architecture walkthrough of Mumbai’s infamous Art-Deco Street in Churchgate, meeting at Soona Mahal on Saturday February 7, 4:30-6pm, hosted by architect Nikhil Mahashur.
Food
What’s a festival without food, and free food at that? You’ve got masterclasses with esteemed chefs from some of the best restaurants in the city, cocktail tasting to justify Tipsy Thursday and more. Be sure to check out these events in particular:
1. Noodle Pulling masterclass with Chef Rahul Punjabi of Bang Bang! Noodle on Wednesday February 4, 3-5pm at YWCA International (25 person capacity)
2. Mahua Cocktail Tasting from Six Brothers Mahura on Thursday, February 5, 3-5pm at Bombay Brasserie, Colaba (25 person capacity)
3. Sushi Rolling Masterclass with Otoki’s Chef Mohit Singh on Friday, February 6, 3-4:30pm at Otoki, Colaba (20 person capacity)