Ventilator & Dangal : The movies which have mesmerised the audience with powerful subject and brilliant handling

Ventilator & Dangal: The films that have mesmerized the audience with powerful subject and treatment. During the last summer, I went through a number of new movies like Dear Zindagi, Bahuballi -2, Ai Dil Hai Mushakil and so on. But, of all the movies, I liked these two movies especially very much-Ventilator and Dangal. Both the movies have been well received  by one and  all and appreciated very much because of the simple content and honest approach.

 Film: Ventilator

Directed By   Rajesh Mapuskar

Produced By :  Priyanka Copra

Starring:  Ashutosh Gowarikar, Jitendra Joshi, Sulbha arya sukhanya Kulkarni-Mone and so on

language: Marathi

Year: 2016

                                                                                   By this time,  I have seen this film not less than half a dozen times, but still, if it is screened, I do not miss to view this film again, and no doubt  with the same previous enthusiasm I will enjoy each and every scene. The story is very simple and revolves around the patient who is kept on ventilator surrounded by relatives. Throughout the length of the film, the line of relatives of the patient continues  run endlessly in to                                                                                                                                                         the hospital, on hearing the news of bedridden patient. No doubt, the film is very simple and depicts the true colours of human nature.  The relatives who drop in to the hospitals have their own agendas which surface within no time and that lead to humorous incidents in the hospital. This is a very realistic movie, which is packed with the emotions and mellow dramas of the members of family.   Every member of the family comes to the hospital with a worried look, but after some time the seriousness drops off due to their diverted interests. But there are some touching scenes that point out the value of relationships in life and the meaning of life.  In between, the film shows how religious aspects work and influence the events.  Everyone is worried about the Ganesh festival celebration which is approaching. Every relative worried about the patient and the time of his passing away as it might affect the festival celebration. The film depicts the typical traditional  Marathi culture, but there are some scenes which touch and speak of the  contemporary time. Though the film is shot around the hospital, it is not boring because of the overlapping humorous scenes, which mirror the true colors of relatives.  Simple, straight,realisic and honest as the film moves, it makes a great impact on the audience. Everyone faces this kind of situation in one's life, but this touching experience of life is made in to a film and screened before us. This movie is a reflection of us, mirroring us in our true colors. Brilliantly handled movie which everyone needs to view and appreciate.

Film:Dangal      Directed by Nitesh Tiwari

Produced by : Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao, Siddharth Roy Kapoor

Cast: Amir Khan, Sakshi Tanwar, Fatima sana Shaik, Sanya  Malhotra

language : Hindi

Year: 2016

 Now, a new series of Indian films are making news in foreign countries too. It is a good sign.  Recently, I watched Dangal  movie a couple of times on the television.  The content of the film is very good as it speaks about gender equality and it is handled sensitively. The story of the film revolves around the bringing up of two daughters as national and international wrestlers by their father who is also a wrestler. The story is real one and  revolves around the sisters who have made name in the Commonwealth and Olympic  games. This is bio pic  which revolves around the family of Mahavir Singh Phogat.  Mahavir singh is from Haryana state and has six daughters and all are trained as wrestlers by him.  From the childhood , both the elder girls receive rigorous training from their father.  The father has a strong desire to train up his daughters  as wrestlers ,so that one day they would get a medal for their country which he could not do himself. So the father focuses on the careers  of his daughters single mindedly. During the training process, the daughters’ hair has been trimmed so as to feel equal  to boys. In one of the scenes, one of the girls, the elderly one wrestles with  the  boy in the open field, a challenging and revolutionary act.  In the second part of the film, one will see how politics plays in the sports field at different lavels.  The film teaches how to focuses on one's dream and how to pursue it single mindedly till it is achieved.  Finally, the father succeeds in getting the recognition for his country through the efforts of his daughters.  This film is a lesson for those who indulge in gender discrimination.  The theme is handled very carefully and with no nonsense scenes. As usual, Amir khan has acted superbly  as the father of two daughters.   The actor always aims for perfection, so the outcome is really outstanding and appealing. The film has impacted the Chinese audience greatly as china is known for martial arts.  The film also speaks about the feminist angle also. The girls too have acted brilliantly putting all the efforts to master the art of wrestling. One should see this film.

Moods of Nature

  

                                                            

The monsoon has arrived much earlier than expected this year. It was to come two days later , and we were awaiting its arrival with all the eagerness. The previous day was very sunny , bright and warm. The Newspaper said that the monsoon had reached Kerala state in time and proceeds towards karnataka state within couple days. Every species was eagerly waiting for the monsoon as the summer days and nights had become intolerable with increased suffocating heat. The very next morning, on getting up, I found the overcast sky indicating the nearing of the monsoon. The cloudy sky and the windy weather persisted all through day but without any drizzling. The following day, in the morning, it had started raining silently. Chill wind brushed our cheeks and arms fondly and teasingly reminding us of our warm clothes neatly packed in the cupboard. The atmosphere was very pleasant and inspiring. I enjoyed my first monsoon tea in the balcony watching the rain, in the background some old Hindi film song was coming from the radio. It made my day. Nature has its moods and swings. But contrary to this, there were splashes of summer rains in the month of May. This time, the May rains were very frightening and scary; lightening , thunders and gusty wind all combined made the raining very frightening. The rain seemed as if it was raging over the earth. The lightening one after another followed by the sky breaking thunders seemed never to cease. The rain continued nearly for three to four hours, the electricity went off, old trees and branches fell off on the road and vehicles parked road side. Traffic came to a halt. As the darkness started setting in , the scene began looking more scary though the rain had come to an end bringing respite . Since so many years, I have experienced the summer rains which have brought happiness to me. I always associate the first rain with the smell of the earth and freshness of greenery around. Summer rains are usually characterized with lightning and thunder. But the recent experience of the rain in the third week of May is memorable. I had never seen in all these years of my life the rain being so furious and raging. The thunders were so deafening that it seemed as if it was going to strike somewhere very near me and ripping me apart any moment. Though being in the safety of the house , I felt very nervous and weak against the fury of nature. Nature has different moods and each has different color and tone.

But the monsoon rains are soothing , musical and delightful to watch. It seems nature is at its best and peaceful ,and wants to shower, nourish and beautify all the living things on the earth. with the blessing of rain god, all creatures take a deep breath after the summer. Trees, plants, birds, insects and animals - all welcome rain after the insufferable summer. Every shade of green looks brilliant and fresh after the rain wash, birds flutter around joyously chirping songs of their soul. With a kettle of tea and pakodas , Monsoon rains are always welcome and enjoyable.

Cafes, tea,coffee.......and creativity

                                                   Recently I had been to a joint named seven Beans in the neighboring town. Since a long time the joint has been in news  and I wanted to see it myself personally. The interior looked different, rugged and artistic. The place has been designed in such a way that one can go there and immerse oneself  couple of hours very comfortably in interaction with friends, without any disturbances.  For me , the space seemed to have combined the characters of a club and  a restaurant. It was spacious, artistic, and  full of life with youngsters coming in and going out of the cafe constantly. I think the joint is mainly meant for the youngsters who can come and spend long hours without being disturbed. At the back space, there was a compartment  with glass front, the interiors walls showcased some indigenous folk art forms painted on. Within this, a small library equipped with a good collection of books  reflected  a sense  academic values infused with.  On one side of the entrance  was a billiard table -  a sign of British culture and affluence.   That atmosphere of the joint prompted  me to think about the joints which have become quite famous because those  have been the  spaces where famous poets , dramatists, film directors  and artist  frequented  often  to recharge their batteries so as to get inspiration, and to come out with exceptional innovative master pieces.

      When I was studying in art college, we friends used to spend more time in the restaurant which was exactly opposite our college . We used to spend long hours there  ordering endless cups of tea,( some of the waiters thought we were mad) and  in that particular space only ideas for  our exhibitions, workshops and other innovative events used to generate. I certainly do not know the reasons but most of our innovative ideas used to take birth in that place. Cafe, tea , interaction and innovative ideas - work as a combination. Space and time matter most.

Indian Coffee House on M.G. road was quite famous for its coffee and its history as well .  I had visited that joint many times with my family and friends. Whenever  I visited, I used to see some  intellectuals engrossed  in serious conversation with friends over a cup of delicious coffee. The  waiters dressed in white uniforms with Indian turbans  used to serve   fragrant  coffee in white cups with saucers to keeps one's spirit high. Without fail,  one must taste coffee here  in the Indian Coffee House for which it is famous .  When  the  Indian coffee House of M.G.Road  was shifted to different lane, the artists , directors and actors felt very sad as if they were losing out their own house because it used to be a very convenient and cozy  place where they used to meet every day since so many years unabated. More than that they had emotional attachment to that place. Indian Coffee House has a chain of restaurants across  India and this chain has stood the test of time and has remained one of the most attractive and alluring restaurant for intellectuals. Its strong presence with  historical ambience and strong coffee flavor, with waiters in white uniform and turban, induces intellectuals  to spend their  time here , more than they desire.

 I used to visit Samovar which was an attached restaurant of the famous Jehangir Gallery, in Mumbai, whenever   I  was in Mumbai. The restaurant had some attraction for me  since I had entered it in early 70's.  I enjoyed its cool ambience , the look of the furniture, more over the people who visited it. It was a very narrow and slightly dark space,  but it  was a favorite haunt of many intellectuals and high profiled people. This joint was known for its pakodas and pudina chai  which were relished by one and all who dropped in.  During my visits to this place , I had chance to see many film stars and famous artists.  This place had an attraction for the creative people and it was a convenient place for them to see the exhibitions at the gallery and spend some quality time with  friends here.   Some time back in 2015 , Jehangir Gallery management decided to have more exhibiting  space as there was more pressure for the space from the artists across the country, the management decided to wind up the cafe and use that place for exhibition purpose. When the news of closing of the Samovar spread, the famous personalities of Mumbai missed their heart beats a couple of seconds. Recently  I had a show in Jehangir art gallery, Samovar being shut down , the space was  getting renovated for the exhibition but it seemed to have lost the charisma that the small cafe had built over years with its sincere efforts. The famous  Samvour  had played  host to many creative people who used to spend their time in discussing and crystallizing their thoughts. On the last day of Samovar, many celebrities came to spend a few minutes  and taste their  favorite dishes and pudina tea,  and say good bye to that place which has nostalgic memories for them. Samovar has published a coffee table book of its early period. Samovar  grew as a part of Mumbai's culture and became  famous joint for its location in the Jehangir art gallery premise and became a place of  attraction for celebrities , intellectuals, artists and media persons over period of time.

 During my visit to Paris, I came across many  restaurants painted in dark red and black colors, and mainly cane furniture decorated  the space, most of the furniture was spread outside the restaurant on to the footpath.  Curiously and longingly, I surveyed  those joints because during  my student days I had read about those joints where artists  like Van Gough and Paul Gauguin used to meet for drinks and interactions, and used to quarrel and disperse . Many times, when their paintings were rejected by the academy for exhibition, they used to display in the restaurants with the support of critics.  In some of the Paris restaurants, authors' meets take place regularly   to select  the awardees of the year.  Cafes , tea, coffee , beer......... and creativity.

From Post Box to WhatsApp

Sculptor Vilas Kulkarni [ first one from the right]

      




          When our show was going in the Jehangir Gallery,Mumbai , at the same time, in the same place, Delhi artists were exhibiting their works in the spacious auditorium gallery. In the auditorium hall, postbox sculptures made in the fiber glass medium stood as testimony to the bygone period and caught the attention of each and every visitor's attention since the post boxes are connected to everyone's life. Delhi based artist Vilas Kulkarni had this concept of post boxes in his mind since a long time but the concept got materialized when he was planning for his Mumbai show. When asked about these sculptures, he was emotionally remembering the olden days. The technology has smoothened the ways and people are getting news very fast today but the new gadgets cannot bring the warmth and emotional touch that the letters used to bring, the artist expressed. Now the messages and emails are very brief and devoid of feelings as everyone sees and feels. Now the conversation is carried mainly in English. So the works displayed were satirical and reflecting the contemporary truth. From the red post boxes were spilling out only English letters as if all the regional languages have taken back seats. As English is flourishing across the world as global language, the regional languages are slowly vanishing one by one. If serious efforts are not put in , the regional languages will fade away within no time. Now the total scene has changed completely due to the invasion of computers and mobiles and new applications, so naturally the post box has taken a back seat. The post boxes used to play a very important role in everyone's life a few years back. The post cards , inland letters and covers which carried messages to friends ,parents and relatives used to be carried by this post box. Those were the days when connectivity was difficult and a distant dream. One had to wait for many days to get news. Post cards usually carried brief messages especially the death messages written in two three lines. Inland letters were lengthier than postcard and shorter than covers. The educated people opted for inland letters and inland letters were not as open as post cards. The postcard letters used to be read by one and all, whether one intended to read it or not, one could not abstain from eyeing its contents - open letters, open secrets. The covers always contained long sheets of paper either white or lined or tinted ones written with ink pens. While writing, sometimes the bluish or blackish ink used to smear on the pages here and there. In those days news and messages travelled slowly and reached the destination many times after its importance diluted. But everyone used to wait eagerly for the post man to come and deliver the letters at one's door step.

The invention of computers and mobiles has ultimately has put an end to the letter writing. During the high school days, language question papers used to have one question about letter writing. Now only for official purpose letters are written and dispatched as hard copies. Emails , messages and WhatsApp have become popular these days. Nobody bothers to sit and write letters elaborately now a days.


The small post boxes spread in the auditorium, catching everyone's eyes, stood as the testimony for the bygone period of emotions. The post boxes present in the auditorium belonged to different cities, and one them belonged to my place as the artist is originally from my place. The post box had our city name and pin code. I was really happy to see the particular post box. Some of the works were very interactive as some small children wrote small, small messages on paper and put into the boxes. After some years, the post box will become an antique piece and will be kept in the museums.

Jamini Roy, Bengali artist : The celebration of 130th birth anniversary, Google doodle honors the eminent painter

Jamini Roy : Born on 11th April, 1887, Beliatore, Bankura District, West bengal. Died at the age of 85 on April 24th 1972

Jamini Roy is an unforgettable Indian artist, who has contributed immensely to the Indian Renaissance of art . Though Jamini Roy had studied academic style of painting in the beginning, he turned to indigenous art study and developed his own style due to the impact of national movements and the awareness of Nationalism. The four painters namely Abanidranath Tagore, Gagnendranath Tagore, Rabindranath Tagore, and Jamini Roy are considered to be the pioneers of Indian Renaissance of Art. It was E.B. Havell, an English art administer, art historian, who had great respect and love for Indian art showed Indian artists to appreciate the beauty and merits of Indian Art. He was the principal of Government School of Art, Calcutta. As an art educationist, E.B. Havell, in the interest of Indian Art and Culture, created a model of education based on Indian Culture and the art practices hitherto practiced in India. This led to great turning and awakening in the Indian art field in those days. The beauty of Ajanta, Ellora fresco paintings' and miniature paintings' were started being appreciated once E.B. Havell showed the true worth of those school of paintings.

Jamini Roy was one of the prominent Indian renaissance painters, who strived to evolve his own style after getting inspiration from his culture and art. Khalighat paintings, Bengal folk art, practiced in west Bengal interested Jamini Roy very much. khalighat Painting as a school developed in the 19th century, in Calcutta, in the vicinity of Kaali temple and the neighboring areas. In the beginning, these paintings were based on mainly mythological themes and later the artists started to paint daily life scenes. These famous and colorful paintings are usually painted on clothes and handmade papers. After acquainting himself with the folk artists and spending some months in their company, Jamini Roy started simplifying his forms. With the simplification, the forms in Jamini Roy's paintings started becoming more powerful and bold. Bankura district in West Bengal is very famous for Bankura terracotta horses, and earlier these figurines were used for religious purposes, but now these horses have started decorating different spaces all over the country. From these folk art forms, Jamini Roy got lots of inputs and as a result his method of work took a different turn and gradually he evolved a beautiful authentic style of his own. Today we all artists remember him with affection and respect for his enormous contribution to the Indian art.

Gallery

Monsoon          Acrylic on canvas       by  Madhu Desai

Sensation    mixed media on handmade paper    by Gayatri Desai

Monsoon 2    Acrylic on canvas  by Madhu Desai

Sensation    Acrylic on Handmade paper  by  Gayatri Desai

Summers: Fans,AC, Refrigerator at service 24x7, sultry,suffocating and unbearable, mangoes,water melons and icecreams

…                                                            In recent years , summers have become unbearably sultry and suffocating. The whole night, the dry weather keeps one awake and tossing on the bed restlessly though the fans make herculean efforts to cool , comfort and take to a dream land. With difficulty, one closes the eyes to snatch some sleep but the mosquitoes' feather touches shoo the sleep away. The eyes keep moving to the clock every now and then but it seems the needles have become lethargic to move. Slowly, when the dark sky is turning in to light pale blue, the cool breeze starts enveloping and swinging one into sleep. Early morning birds start interacting with one another in melodious sounds. But there is no chance to enjoy that luxury for some more time. Daily chores waiting in line to be attended keep the sleep at bay. With half heart, one moves towards the bathroom, half asleep and half awake. On turning the water tap, the warm water comes out, mounting one's frustration. After this ritual, the kitchen invites as usual for a cup of tea or coffee. As one sips tea, the atmosphere filled with humidity makes it tasteless. How to hydrate during summer is elaborately stated in the magazine section of the today's news paper. In another article, the list of fruit juices goes

endless like a monkey tail. With all these woes, summers are always remembered for mangoes, water melons and ice creams. In India, everyone awaits, especially children, for mango season. All types of mangoes come to market in the summer season and the scene of women vendors in colorful saris with fruit baskets offers a visual treat. When one enters in to the market, every buyer is appeased with his or her choice of mangoes as all varieties are available. Summer is the ideal season for the preparation of mango pickles. In the afternoon after lunch, the pickle preparation starts. Women, girls and children - all take part in the preparation, every one doing one or the other small works. With the raw mangoes pickles are prepared for the whole year and distributed among the relatives. Mango sharbat, mango rice preparations are quite common during this season at every house hold. Raw mango pieces with chili powder and salt sprinkled on it, is the favorite of all children during summers. Vendors, during this season, throng outside the school premises, with raw mangoes and ice creams to make a good business. At every corners, on the road side, masala butter milk pots are seen along with tender coconuts. During the season, in every house, there is preparation Holige ( it is sweet dish prepared with gram dal and jaggery) and mango shikarni.
Fans, AC and refrigerators at service 24/7, windows covered with dark colour curtains, the afternoons still remain unbearable. A news in t bold letters catch my eyes and read that a photographer has captured the scene of glacier melting. who is to blame for this? If this is the conditions of human beings, what about insects, birds and animals ? What about next generations ? What measures can one take to reduce this global warming ? Birds , animals, trees, human beings - all are waiting for the first rain of the summer and for the smell of wet earth.
endless like a monkey tail. With all these woes, summers are always remembered for mangoes, water melons and ice creams. In India, everyone awaits, especially children, for mango season. All types of mangoes come to market in the summer season and the scene of women vendors in colorful saris with fruit baskets offers a visual treat. When one enters in to the market, every buyer is appeased with his or her choice of mangoes as all varieties are available. Summer is the ideal season for the preparation of mango pickles. In the afternoon after lunch, the pickle preparation starts. Women, girls and children - all take part in the preparation, every one doing one or the other small works. With the raw mangoes pickles are prepared for the whole year and distributed among the relatives. Mango sharbat, mango rice preparations are quite common during this season at every house hold. Raw mango pieces with chili powder and salt sprinkled on it, is the favorite of all children during summers. Vendors, during this season, throng outside the school premises, with raw mangoes and ice creams to make a good business. At every corners, on the road side, masala butter milk pots are seen along with tender coconuts. During the season, in every house, there is preparation Holige ( it is sweet dish prepared with gram dal and jaggery) and mango shikarni.
Fans, AC and refrigerators at service 24/7, windows covered with dark colour curtains, the afternoons still remain unbearable. A news in t bold letters catch my eyes and read that a photographer has captured the scene of glacier melting. who is to blame for this? If this is the conditions of human beings, what about insects, birds and animals ? What about next generations ? What measures can one take to reduce this global warming ? Birds , animals, trees, human beings - all are waiting for the first rain of the summer and for the smell of wet earth.
endless like a monkey tail. With all these woes, summers are always remembered for mangoes, water melons and ice creams. In India, everyone awaits, especially children, for mango season. All types of mangoes come to market in the summer season and the scene of women vendors in colorful saris with fruit baskets offers a visual treat. When one enters in to the market, every buyer is appeased with his or her choice of mangoes as all varieties are available. Summer is the ideal season for the preparation of mango pickles. In the afternoon after lunch, the pickle preparation starts. Women, girls and children - all take part in the preparation, every one doing one or the other small works. With the raw mangoes pickles are prepared for the whole year and distributed among the relatives. Mango sharbat, mango rice preparations are quite common during this season at every house hold. Raw mango pieces with chili powder and salt sprinkled on it, is the favorite of all children during summers. Vendors, during this season, throng outside the school premises, with raw mangoes and ice creams to make a good business. At every corners, on the road side, masala butter milk pots are seen along with tender coconuts. During the season, in every house, there is preparation Holige ( it is sweet dish prepared with gram dal and jaggery) and mango shikarni.
Fans, AC and refrigerators at service 24/7, windows covered with dark colour curtains, the afternoons still remain unbearable. A news in t bold letters catch my eyes and read that a photographer has captured the scene of glacier melting. who is to blame for this? If this is the conditions of human beings, what about insects, birds and animals ? What about next generations ? What measures can one take to reduce this global warming ? Birds , animals, trees, human beings - all are waiting for the first rain of the summer and for the smell of wet earth.

Connecting Ourselves to Nature

                                                            

               

               The Samkhya philosophy deals in detail with Prakrti and Purusas and presents an analytical enumeration of the principles of the cosmos. The detail study of Panchabhutas, the five elements, becomes central to this philosophy. Nature has innumerable surprises in store for us provided we give time to focus on. Observing and interacting with nature is very essential for the progress and promotion of human beings to another level. The samkhya philosophy attempts to give an explanation about the complexity of elements.

            We grow watching flies and birds, trees and rivers, the moon and stars in the sky. Can we imagine living alone? Is It Possible to lead life minus all these things? Nature brings joy and comfort to us, as we are part of it. Wake up signals from the early morning birds, filtering rays of the sun through the windows, the returning of animals from fields at dusk; the starry moonlit sky – all bring immense joy to us.

                   I too grew up looking at Tamarind, Neem, Mango, and other trees of various size and shape. I have seen majestically standing tamarind trees, which are age-old and cover a big area of land. When I was young, travelling was very difficult because everywhere there was thick vegetation. Then, roads were muddy, rough and narrow, and not as smooth as the cement roads that ferry us to our destinations today. While driving through those narrow roads, the branches of the trees used to brush both sides of the red government buses; sometimes the passengers sitting next to windows used to be scratched by the intervening branches. By the end of the bus journey, travelers’ clothes used to get dusty and brownish, and with a devilish look, they got down. The constant jerks of the bus made the sitting quite hell for the travelers. The sight of the overcrowded buses with the pan chewing men and women smeared with sweaty smell, and the spat pan juice flowing down from the windows, was very common then. Now, wherever one travels, one finds beautiful multiple roads stretching unendingly decked with flowerbeds in between. While constructing these concrete roads, huge, age-old Tamarind and Neem trees, which had graced and rendered shadow service to the travelers and the roads, were brought down to the ground. The uprooted and mutilated trunks of the trees were lying forlorn on both sides of the road as if a witness to the rape of nature by human beings. A lot of progress is going on, huge buildings, complexes; four to six lanes of concrete roads are making way everywhere in the name of culture, but at the cost nature.                On a Sunday, we went to a place called Savanur to see some unusual trees. We halted at Savanur Math to see those beautiful amazing trees. For us, it was like a bolt from the blue. We had never seen such trees ever before. At first sight, those two African trees engaged us not because of their beauty but by their size. The Nizam of Savanur planted those historical trees. Even a great lover of nature cannot afford to grow such a single tree in one’s premise today, even if is presented freely. Real estate business is thriving so much that, slowly one by one, green fields are being converted into plots. People, being blind to immortality, are hugely investing in land risking their and the coming generation’s life by creating problems like global warming. 

           This tree serves as food to human beings and animals and very useful in making juices for energy drinks, ice creams and fruit powder. Seed, bark, and leaves of these trees are used profusely in the cosmetic industry. Saucer sized white flowers die very shortly after they bloom. The seeds are parked in a hairy pod. The tree bears fruits only once in a year.

 Each tree has a unique beauty and grace of its own and differs from others in shape, size, color and texture. However, this is an extraordinary elephant sized tree with a majestic look. The bottle shaped tree has a huge trunk and the short branches spread out only at the top quarter portion. No doubt, it has its unique beauty.
       Artists across the world always respond, reflect and represent their surroundings in their works. We see this beautiful tree represented in Mogul Miniatures.

Art Diary In Your Travel Kit - 2

   In the present context of globalization and consumerism, it  becomes the duty of every citizen to conserve and preserve history and culture for the future generations. Here is an example of an extraordinary man with a beautiful vision. He was a banker by profession, but at heart he cherished immence love for  art  and architecture. The Hastha Shilpa Heritage Village is the outcome of Dr. Vijaynath shenoy's vision and passion. If you are in India, pl visit Heritage Village which is in Manipal. Manipal is situated in Udupi district, in south Karnataka.

 I had met Mr. Shenoy, a great personality with a deep voice and keen sharp eyes, some years back as he was  to our house on invitation  for breakfast. Before coming to our place, he had written a lengthy epistle to our association regarding the project that he had undertaken. The epistle with clean beautiful hand writing spoke of his passion for art and architecture and its preservation for future generations. No doubt, he was a man with great  vision endowed with tremendous work discipline. These two things kept him active, energetic and dedicated to his vision.. His dream was to establish Heritage Village, and for this cause he had sacrificed his own house and had moved to a small house. When he was at our place for breakfast, we could make out his dedication, clarity of thought, determination. He was very clear about his vision and the ways of establishment of his vision. This great personality passed away a few days back leaving us a great fortune

 A couple of years back, I met him again in Manipal at the Heritage Village, his long cherished dream project site. An artist camp was arranged in Manipal , and I was one of the Participants in the camp. In the evening, all of us artists had gone to see the much acclaimed heritage Village. Dr. Vijayanath Shenoy was sitting in a wooden chair and interacting with friends. He seemed frail and weak as age has taken its toll. On introducing myself to him, he himself mentioned about the breakfast at our place. Though he was pretty old, he had a wonderful memory. I was really taken aback by his vivid memory power. That was my last meeting with him.

One has to acknowledge his enthusiasm, hard work and tremendous contribution in establishing this famous Heritage Village. He travelled extensively to collect artistic materials from the depleted houses, palaces and shops. Centuries-old pillars, doors, windows, utensils and other artifacts were collected and  palaces, houses, and shops are reconstructed in the traditional manner. On entering these houses, you are taken into the bygone time periods and reminded you of the earlier living patterns. This, six acres of vast location, has housed many such century old architectures structures, which need long hours to go through these structures and enjoy the traditional architecture and artifacts. The heritage village has a  number museums and galleries.  Among all these galleries, I liked the gallery which showcases the litho prints of Indian artist Raja Ravi Varma. Huge litho machines and stones used by the artist are also in the gallery to one's great surprise. Another gallery has a huge collection of traditional paintings, belonging to especially to  Mysore and Tanjore school of painting. The list goes endless. Visit www.indiaheritagevillage.org for more information. This location is very useful for study for artists, architects and historians. let me know your ideas about preservation of culture for future generations.

Women should aspire for space and freedom to make their existence worthwhile on this earth

 For the last one week, the articles have been  circulating in News Papers and Magazines, in all languages, on International women’s day. Lot of articles based on feminism ideology  have been shared, read, discussed at different levels, but the  facts have  remained unchanged in many parts of the countries. Women have been subjected to oppression and harassment all over the world since many decades and it has continued.

The word ‘feminism’ I had  heard when I was studying in art school. Later, the ideology integrated into my life and become a second skin. As a woman, the philosophy insisted, I became more and more conscious of the ideology and  its implementation .  When I subject myself to  self analysis, I realise that I am a born feminist because since my childhood I have clearly stated my likes and dislikes frankly and honestly. I have never tried to please anyone, not even my parents. So I was labelled as eccentric and different. To my father’s chagrin, I always differed, when my  brother always agreed to my dad’s opinions. I wanted to lead my life the way I wanted, and I have lived as I have  wished.

Virginia Woolf's essay A room of  one's own  - speaks about the conditions of women writers in those days. Virginia states that woman with no space of her own cannot  express her views and opinions confidently and frankly. Along with that she insists that  financial independence is also necessary for women to come out with their true expressions and to lead meaningful life. Women are totally subjugated  and moulded so as to respect  and sacrifice for men. Sacrifice  is counted as a virtue of a good woman by men, and good women are forced to sacrifice, whether they are willing or not. Since decades men have been dictating as how women should behave , lead life  according to their whims and fancies. In the whole process, woman has been downtrodden, marginalised and has lost  entity.  American philosopher Ayn Rand speaks of selfishness  as a virtue, and  all women should  inculcate this virtue and change their age old attitude.  A bit of selfishness,  a bit of private space,  a bit of financial independence  will change a woman's outlook.  Every woman should aspire for her room, her personal space, where one can discover one's new identities , new avenues to lead  rich and beautiful life.  A room of one's own symbolises many things- a personal space, privacy to analyse one's dreams and passions, to live in harmony with oneself, independence and so on. In this room, in this space of privacy, one will be able to understand and discover oneself.                                                                                  We speak of feminist ideology , speak of equal rights, of voting power and property rights , in length and breadth, but here is an example which shows how things have remained untouched in some places.

A few years back, a house wife was narrating her experience to her family friends at a party. At first, it seemed meaningless as I do not indulge in  gossip. On close hearing, I realised the point of discrimination and how badly she has been treated by her husband. She was narrating that she was seriously sick and hospitalized for some months. Her dutiful husband made it a point to visit her every day at the hospital, stand at the door of her room for five minutes and go back. He never stepped into the room, never spent time with her in the hospital, during her months long stay in the hospital. This incident hardened her feelings, made her lose love and respect for her husband forever. This poor woman does not know anything about gender equality or feminism. I felt very sorry for both.  Men  spend their whole life with their wives, but still refuse to give the due respect they deserve because these women are not educated and financially independent. Comparing to these incidents, now the scenario has changed a bit and for the better. Women have been excelling in all the felids on par with the men. For me, it is really a matter  of pride.  Now women are well educated, doing jobs, and are  independent financially.  With good education and financial independence, women have started progressing and  achieving things and this certainly has given a different sort of confidence to women.  As more and more women realise their identities and  real value of existence, they will try to have careers and lead meaningful life.  Clarity of thinking will provide a fundamental base to all women to realise their dreams and live it to the full.  For this,  a woman needs  space and time to think of herself.  Space and time at women's disposal, women will come out  with wonderful things for herself and for the whole world.

Linguistic  studies reflect how women are kept out of the centre , out of focus,  purposely by men. The arrangement of words like father and mother, brother and sister – indicate the first preference given to male. This has been structured, manipulated and  built up systematically over period, so as  to keep women out of the centre. Throughout history, all achievements have been attributed to men signifying that women’s existence is marginal and her  contributions are negligible.  Through the study of art  and literature  one comes to know  how woman has been marginalized since decades. Even in art history, there is no proper documentation of women artists.  While reading, one come across such details as women were not permitted to study painting but were allowed  to study only craft and culinary art in those days. To break all these shackles and move forward , women need ample courage and incessant efforts.There is a sign of progress  as women have entered into all fields on equal foot with men. It is mainly  education which has empowered women and  enabled them to venture in to new felids which were earlier meant for  men only. With a strong demand for space and time for oneself,  women can progress fast and lead a contented life. 

Retirement Blues :with the discovery of new objectives and passions, think passionately about second innings of life which make life rich & beautiful

                 

Every day millions of people retire from jobs all over the world, and among these, some are very happy and some very unhappy. The word 'retirement' starts hammering continuously as one is approaching the destined date and creates lots of flutter in one's life when it is nearing day by day. This word "retirement' denotes physical aspects, financial aspects, time factor, and a sense of fulfillment or a sense of guilt and loss. The retirement psyche differs from individual to individual. Some look forward to the retirement eagerly as they have some plans and objectives to pursue after their retirement. People with positive attitude want to have their second innings of life with different set of objectives, passions and perspectives. On the contrary, some people feel very empty , sad and frustrated because these people have no forethought, no clear vision as how to spend their remaining part of life. This problem alludes to lack of clarity of thought and self introspection. Most of us, most of our life, we live without giving much thought to self introspection and speculations, and this leads to a bizarre living without credible values. By creating one's values of life and living by it, life gets enriched and it gives a sense of fulfillment. Space and Time are important elements in everyone's life , which bring many changes in one's life, whether one desires it or not. While growing up, studying, doing job, raising up children, time flies away very fast and at that time no one has time to think of oneself with all the attention. But after retirement, hustle and bustle given a full stop, there is lot of time on one's hand to think of oneself and look back at the way how one has led life. This self introspection might help one to spend the remaining years of life in a better, fulfilling and meaningful way.

People who have passions and hobbies will be able to lead their life very comfortably even after retirement. The passions which have remained buried and untouched throughout one's life get an opportunity now to be pursued and this pursuing gives them a sense of fulfillment. Reading, writing, painting, socializing, joining for sports - this kind of activities give inspirations to continue in life with all force and enthusiasm. A scholar who started writing seriously after his retirement, has written continuously for thirty years after his retirement. This passion for writing has kept his spirits high. Age is not a bar to start something anew, but one should have zeal and positive attitude. Positive people once out of their jobs, get themselves engaged seriously either with their passions or will have part time jobs to keep themselves engaged and their sprits ever green. Seniors who are positive and aspiring to lead good life and spend quality time, have an attitude to adapt to new things very quickly and effortlessly. These people quickly merge in to the fast changing world. In the 21st century, we have been seeing innumerable changes taking place. New technology has introduced a new way of living. If elders make effort to incorporate these new things into their life, life becomes pretty easy, comfortable and the notion of obsolete does not tag to one.



One can acquire a good job, get some promotions and have status. But leading a valuable, pleasurable life is equally important and it certainly matters most. After all life is much more important than job or status. After retirement, there is ample time to sit back, think, and enjoy life in our own way. Each second, each minute, each hour is important to make our journey worthwhile on this earth. One can make one's remaining journey of life with simple valuable pleasures.

Reflection of flora and fauna in Mogul miniature : these paintings speak volumes about nature

  

Jahangir with Falcon

When we look at paintings, we slowly realise how these paintings communicate to us. Each line, each form, each colour, the spatial arrangement speaks volumes. By studying these paintings, we can realise what kind of culture prevailed during that period. The very word ‘culture’ itself denotes lot of things like material culture, the way of living, the behavioural aspect, tastes,  ideas, concepts and values. Keeping all these things in mind, one can have a look at these rich paintings for deeper understanding. When I look at these mogul miniature paintings in the backdrop of  fast growing urbanisation in recent years, which is a matter of concern for all of us,   these  paintings beautifully unfold before us the richness of vegetation, which the artists have captured in fine lines and colours. Now cities are growing both horizontally and vertically because of the greediness of real estate people and that too at the cost of beautiful, rich vegetation.  If urban development continues in the same manner, the next generations will see vegetation only in paintings and books.       

Moghul  and Rajput miniatures, two independent schools of art,  are considered to be the cream of Indian art, which flourished from 15^th  to 17^th century. The Mogul Dynasty was established in India by the emperor Babar. Emperor Babar was much more in interested in expanding his empire, so he could not give much attention to the developments of art and architecture, though he had a strong liking for art, literature and music.  But the emperors who followed  Babar have given India a huge collection of unforgettable miniatures  and architecture of excellence to India.  The emperor Barbar’s son Humayun, when he ascended to the throne, was forced in to exile to Persia in the beginning as one of his generals rose against him. Emperor Humayun as a refugee was given shelter by Safavid Dynasy which was ruling Persia then. During his stay in Persia, Humayun got acquainted with the Persian art and artists. As a result, while coming back to India after defeating the general with the help of Safavid  emperor, he brought a couple of famous artists from Persia. Those Persian artists and Indian artists worked together and produced a body of interesting works , which is the fusion  of Indian and Persian  sensibilities.  Today also, we see these works with great pleasure as these have tremendous charm.

Coming to the point, in Mogul miniatures we see a lot of importance being given to vegetation. The rulers and the artists as well gave priority to detail about the vegetation. It shows their close connectivity with nature and love for it. While going through the pages of Mogul history, I read that emperor Jahangir, the grandson of Humayun, was very much interested in collecting the rare spies of birds, plants and flowers. He used to instruct his ministers to collect rare things and document them through painting. And these paintings were preserved in a systematic manner in a chronological way.  As a result, we see mogul miniatures, especially the borders embellished with beautiful flora and fauna. Most of the portraits of these emperors and their family members have beautiful borders interlaced with flowers, birds and plants.  Human being as a part of nature, his/her association with nature is essential for harmonious living and these borders inhabited with vegetation reflect the same concept.

Shah Abbas II with falcon

During his time, the emperor Jehangir used to get his portraits done by famous artists. As a result, we see a series of portraits of Jehangir in various moods. Not only his portraits, his family members too had got their portraits done by the court painters. The court painter culture had developed during the reign of Jehangir, who was very much interested in art, literature and music. Those highly respected court painters were very skilled   and  each one was expert in a certain field. Sometimes the artists expert in a certain field used paint that part and other artists used to contribute their expert skills to the remaining parts, so it used to be a collective work. So, most of the paintings are not signed by the artists.  Due  to the existence of these court painters, the practice of painting had continued for a long time. The emperor Jehangir had an eye for beautiful and rare species;  the rich portrait of Jehangir with Falcon on his right hand is the indication of his genuine interest in nature. The falcon seems to be in a sweet mood as wings have been raised to cheer up the majesty and the emperor is looking at the bird intently. The most interesting fact is the long gown of the emperor has been covered with animals like deers, tigers, birds and plants.  Roland Barthes has written extesively about the dress and decoding, and we can apply the same decoding theory here to get deeper meanings.

Here is one more painting belonging to a dynasty called Safavid Dynasty, which  ruled Persia then. The portrait belongs to Shah Abbas II who ruled Iran from 1642 to 1666. He was the seventh Shah of Safavid dynasty. The emperor Jehangir’s portrait and the portrait of Shah AbbasII have similarities. Shah Abbas has been shown with a falcon on his right hand and the borders have been covered with the thick vegetation with animals and birds. Life of animals and birds has been observed closely and depicted naturally by the artists in both the paintings. Love making, copulating, killing – all have been depicted through delicate sensuous lines and colours. Though these borders give pleasure at the first sight, on the second and third look, the paintings reveal the secrets of the vegetation. The birds, animals, tress, plants have been rendered very realistically.

The Moghul Miniatures are a source of eternal inspiration for artists and the onlookers. Though small in size, they speak volumes.      

Black and white Photographs : My experience with a famous photographer

When we see the black and white photographs, they certainly give us a kick, and take us to back to some particular period and unfold some beautiful memories, which have been treasured for the present. Through these photographs we come to know the material culture of the particular period and this material culture speaks about the economical and social conditions, fashions, gender equations and so on. These are documentation which communicate about family history. When I visited our village, in the big old mud house, I found a row of black and white photographs hung on the wall in each room. The photographs were in odd sizes, some big and some very small, framed in coffee colour frames. The photographs have turned yellow with the passage of time but they seemed very interesting. Some of the senior family members were photographed in their youth with their wives and husbands. Time waits for no one. When I shifted my focus from photograph to the elderly faces there was pain because of inexplicable loss. Some of the kids in the photographs have flowered into young beautiful girls, and some into handsome boys. The interesting and revealing thing is the small girls in the photographs are all boys dressed up as girls. The small boys in the photo are wearing long skirts and small tops revealing their bellies. Their hair has been woven into plaits and lots of flowers in it. One of the boys has long plait almost touching to the ankle which is woven with jasmine flower garland. The boy is made to stand in front of a big mirror and the mirror placed behind the boy reflects and shows how beautifully the plait is made with flower. In those days, especially in 50s and 60s, people were interested in dressing up boys in girls’ costumes and decorate their plaits with flowers and getting them photographed. That was a prevalent fashion in those days and every house used to flaunt some photographs in such fashion.

In 60s and 70s, when we were studying in the colleges, after graduation every graduate used to get himself or herself photographed in black convocation gown and with a rolled paper in hand which was supposed to be the graduation certificate. The graduation photographs in rows decorated the walls of the house till the late1980s and one could count how many graduates were in a house. During those times, studios used to swell with the graduates and studio owners used to keep a couple of convocation gowns and couple of rolled papers as handy. Colour photographs were very rare then.

A few years back, I met a famous black and white portrait photographer. He had photographed all most all the famous personalities in India through his magic camera. I wanted to get myself photographed by him. I want to share this beautiful experience of mine with you. One day my husband invited him to our house for this particular session and he agreed to come next morning. No doubt, he was man of great experience. On his arrival, we all sat together for breakfast. Sitting on a couch, he was observing the light effects on my face, of which I was totally unaware. Sometime later, he asked me to apply a little bit of coconut oil to my face. Applying the oil, I came back and sat in the same place,and continued sipping my tea. Half an hour passed in chatting, suddenly he asked me to be quiet and asked me to turn my face slightly and took couple of photographs. That was all. After that he photographed my husband and my son in the same manner effortlessly. A fortnight later, we received the photographs, I looked glamorous and stunning like an actress with beautiful light effects in the background, in the photograph, so my husband and son. What I liked most was his casual approach. He did not make us to strain ourselves as other photographs do by asking one to pose repeatedly; his method was very unusual and casual and we were never given chance to become conscious while being photographed. My salutes to him!! He is none other than K.G.Somshekar, known for black and white portraits.

K.G.Somashekar was a painter in the beginning and for a brief period he painted on sandalwood sheets but due some eye problem he had to give up painting and take up photography. He was very simple and talkative person. When it came to photography, he was a natural photographer with an eye for light and shade and emotions. As eyes always communicate volumes silently, he always gave prominence and focused on eyes in the portraits and captured them at their best. He always preferred to capture famous writers, artists, and musicians rather to politicians. His lenses captured more than thousand famous personalities in various moods. Some of the known personalities are MotherTheresa,Salman Rushdie, Satyjit ray,J.R.D.Tata ,Ali Akbar Khan, Vijay Tendulkar, Pandit Mallikarjun Mansur, Pandit Bimsen Joshi, Vidushi Gangubai Hangal, Kamaladevei Chattophadyaya, Amrita Pritam,B.V.Karant, Kuvempu, Da.Ra. Bendre, Girish Karnad and so on. In Banglaore, Pune, Mumbai, and Dehli, he used to have his shows.

I cannot forget this famous photographer, whom I used to meet very often.

Short Films

    Films made with new technology, with minimum budget, with contemporary themes.......

                                                             

A few days back, I viewed a short film on face book uploaded by high school students, who are hardly in the 7th grade. This short film of three minutes duration is done with their mobile phones. Though the film is crude and abruptly finished, I appreciate their sincere efforts in finding the subject appropriate for their age, writing the script for it, selecting the locations- the whole approach seems innocent and funny but at the same time honest and beautiful. Due to television, computer and mobiles, today children have been gaining a lot of knowledge of various subjects. Internet has become a boon to everyone as it covers and enlightens on all subjects. Compared to the feature films, these short films are crisp, beautiful and budget saving. Short filmmaking helps one who is passionately interested and desires to make a career in feature filmmaking as these are less time consuming, budget saving and give firsthand experience to the film makers. With small budget or no budget, these short films provide lots of scope to youngsters especially, to experiment and prove their talent, and these short films making works as a stepping stone for the feature film making. The short film duration ranges from 5 to 20 minutes, in some cases up to 40 minutes maximum. Film making is a tedious collective work as it has various departments to handle and collaborate.

Laurel and hardy, Charlie Chaplin short films have stood the test of time and are popular till today, and whenever time permits I still enjoy these films with children. Some of the laurel and Hardy films are silent and some with sound. The silent movies are equally powerful as sound films one. The animated films like Tom and Jerry and Uncle Scrooge have been accepted and appreciated all over the world by one and all, irrespective of age. With newly introduced technology, film making has become a lot easier today. Now we are getting more and more animated films because of the easily available technology. The world famous Oscar Awards are also given to short films and animated films every year. The Oscar Award short films like The Crush,It is a wonderful life, The phone call, Wasp, are some of the beautiful movies to watch again and again. There are some interesting and novel Indian short films; one will enjoy these films because of the time and space that have been handled excellently. Ahalya, The bypass Road, The spoon, Kriti, Roadside Ambanis, Black mirror, Tubelight ke Chand – the list goes on.

I have been seeing the short films regularly on T.V since a long time. For this I have to appreciate film maker Nagesh Kuknoor, who has a made a name for himself with his unusual content and different way of treating in the films. A lot of short movies with outstanding content and novel treatment are selected by Nagesh Kuknoor and screened on T.V. consistently. Regular screening of these shorts on T.V. and You Tube has inspired youngsters to make short films with minimum budget.

I have viewed a number of short films these days and enjoyed them because there is novelty in the selection of the content, treatment and photography is excellent. Now in visual art, painting, sculpture, theatre, music, photography all has been combined. Now, short film makers are focusing on current issues like arranged Marriage, gay Marriage, dementia, old age and gender discrimination. The films based on these topics are really crisp and narrate the content with no nonsense frills, so these films are touching and convey the messages very directly making the audience to reflect on these topics. Within a short period, these films try to narrate the stories of the multifaceted society and lay them bare before the audience. These films are informative and educative. With the advancement of technology, there is lot of scope for short films making these days and You Tube provide a platform to screen.