Followed by Q&A

In this unique live performance, accomplished musician and composer for film Gingger Shankar celebrates the life and work of her mother (Viji Shankar) and grandmother (Lakshmi Shankar). Hailing from India’s first family of music, and renowned artists in their own right, they helped bring Indian music to the West in the 1970s through their close collaborations with Ravi Shankar and George Harrison (The Beatles).

In Sanskrit, “nari” means both “woman” and “sacrifice.” As female artists trying to establish themselves in a male-dominated field, Lakshmi and Viji understood this only too well. They fought to overcome numerous challenges in both their artistic and personal lives as they found themselves catapulted from conservative Indian culture into the stratosphere of American rock n’roll. Official selection at both the Toronto and Sundance film festivals, this multimedia program blends archival sound recordings, film footage, and never-before-seen family photos, to uncover a hidden musical herstory. Featured on the double violin, Shankar is accompanied by bandmates Vivek Maddala and Rob Amjarv.

Shankar has worked with some of the top musicians, producers and film composers in the industry, including The Smashing Pumpkins, Trent Reznor, Mike Nichols, James Newton Howard, and Katy Perry. Maddala is an award- winning composer and performer, having scored over 40 productions, with recent premieres at the Cannes, Toronto, Berlin, Venice, and Sundance film festivals.