According to Director Chuck Russell, “Junglee will not only make people recall their childhood fantasies centered around jungles but also renew their relationship with nature.” Every country is associated with a specific animal just like a trademark. For instance, kangaroos and Australia, bears and Russia, eagles and Germany, bulls and Spain, tigers and India, and the list goes on. Well, for director Chuck Russell, elephants have always been associated with India. His childhood has been full of elephant stories and fantasies. His house was full of artefacts and photographs from India, most of which had elements of elephants as his mother was a travel agent who adored the country.
The American director, who is known for his several genre films like The Mask, The Scorpion King, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Arabian Nights, and many more, has grown up reading Tarzan stories and fantasising about jungles. He watched films like Flaherty’s Elephant Boy, and read Rudyar Kipling’s Toomai of the Elephants. He recalled that such films and books made him fantasize about “a child having an elephant as his best friend.”
Russell’s Junglee is the director’s first stint at creating a Hindi, Bollywood film, which not only attempts to highlight an important issue, but also completes the director’s childhood fantasies. He was surprised when he first received the call to create an Indian film. However, he said, “I am always looking forward to making something for the global audience which is not just restricted to the national viewers. And with India, came only one aspect to my mind — elephants and immense cultural beauty,” he said (laughs).
For him, it was also about defending the nature, rather than “saving it.” It was opportunity for him to “represent both man and nature together. Hence, it is a 100 per cent true Indian story, with very inspiring and irresistible characters.”
After working with legends like Dwayne Johnson and Arnold Schwarzenegger, he realised that the audience loves watching valiance, vulnerability and humour in the hero. “And Vidyut (Jammwal) was a perfect actor to show that. I just had to keep his character’s fun part intact. He, I felt, is a kind of performer whom I can bring to the global level. He is very charismatic and a brilliant marshal artist. He really inspired the characters we specifically we developed the screenplay for,” he said.
While this was his first stint at making a Bollywood film, were there certain things that challenged him during the process? He said, “Not much.” Well, not even the language barriers? He replied, “I had to understand the language but I love exploring accents and different languages. With my travel, the one thing I explore the most are the linguistic differences and how they shape the ethnicity of people. It’s fun for me. I just hear them and they somehow make sense to me, no matter how different they are. This was opportunity to learn Hindi as well. We wrote the script in English, and got them translated to take the script to the next level. Well, this was the most exciting part about the whole experience of making the film.”
However, he explained that in a way, he never really had to learn the language completely to make the film. He said, “Since I knew all the dialogues in English, so whenever a particular scene was being shot, I knew what was going on (laughs). And the crew was bilingual, so I never felt one-sided in terms of the language.”
Talking about the differences between Hollywood and Bollywood films that he spot during the shoot, he laughingly said, “If this were a Hollywood film, there would be CGI (Clinton Global Initiative) elephants, or some Western actor saving them in India. If it would have been in English, it wouldn’t have been as entertaining.”
He explained that a film, shot with animals, seems to convey to people that they have been brought from a certain circus or conservation organisation. However, here, they used real elephants from a natural habitat of elephants in Thailand, “and not those trained elephants from some circus. We didn’t get any Hollywood elephant trainers, but just the care takers animal behaviourists. We actually learned the animal behaviour. We slept and woke according to their timings and observed them.And shot according to their moods, didn’t make them change their schedules at all.”
Well, this was also one of Russell’s personal accomplishments — capturing elephants in their natural habitats, and giving the people a story that they could take home. “It conveys a message. People hardly pay attention to what the nature has to offer. When you go on a holiday, listen to the whistling trees, adore the fallen, colourful leaves, look at how different kinds of species communicate with each other. Sit and observe. This film will make them want to relook nature, and as well highlight an important issue of conservation of such a beautiful creature in India. Why poach elephants for ivory? I am proud that I’m best friends with an elephant rather than being proud of killing it and getting its tusk hung on my wall,” he said.
This film, he said, is much beyond the ones in which elephants are used as mere props or for some funny element. “I wanted to capture personal moments with them rather than just using them as objects to pose with,” he said.
Photo: Pankaj Kumar
Writer: Chahak Mittal
Courtesy: Pioneer
Born and bred in Amritsar, Punjab, Sunanda Sharma’s charm has won over her hearts all around the world. She sat down with The Pioneer for a chat on her Bollywood debut and new track ‘Sandal’ Sunanda Sharma kick started her career with a Punjabi song, ‘Billi Akh’ in March 2016, which gathered the much deserved appreciation from the audience. This singer and model, went on to create a buzz with her songs ‘Patake’and ‘Jaani Tera Naa’ which resonated amongst the youth and got everybody tapping their feet not only in Mumbai, Ranchi and Delhi in India, but her voice has been creating magic across the globe through her successful shows in Canada, Australia, Europe, New Zealand, England, Dubai and so on. Sharma also has the accolades of being invited to the Dolce and Gabbana show in Milano, and at the store launch of Louis Vuitton, Delhi.
Such talent is not hidden from Bollywood, and Sharma spread her wings into the glamour industry with the track ‘Tere Naal Nachna’ in July, 2018 along with Badshah, acclaiming more than 160 million hits on Youtube. Talent and determination bring out the pearls from the deepest of the seas, and Sharma has proved this with her latest chartbuster song ‘Poster Lagwado’ for the movie, Luka Chuppi. The singing industry is in awe of this fresh voice and she is going to keep the audience on their toes with her soon to be launched new track ‘Sandal’ which like all her other tracks is going to resonate the youth specially the girls with exhilaration and delight. Edited excerpts from the interview:
How has the journey been so far?
It has been a wonderful chapter! Everyday I have learnt new stuff, lived new moments and I cherish every single minute of it.
What type of music do you identify with?
There is no single genre which defines me. Up until now, I have given beat songs and romantic tracks, and ,ore of the sad and romantic songs will be released this year.
What have been your challenges in making a name in the industry?
Honestly speaking, I have not faced any challenges as such, for which I am thankful to my mentor, Pinky Dhaliwal paaji. I feel blessed and lucky that I was able to establish myself in this industry with him, as his experience and vision for me made my journey in this field very stress free.
Have you found the Punjabi music industry different from that of Bollywood?
The Punjabi music industry is equivalently good as Bollywood. As of today, every Bollywood movie is incomplete without a Punjabi number. Either there are remakes or new Punjabi songs which give a sense of liveliness that lightens up the mood and pumps in blood when you step out of the theater. These songs have been responsible to boost up the energy and emotions in audiences. But, yes the Bollywood music industry is very professional and the people understand the value of time, which is comparatively less in the Punjabi music industry.
Nepotism in Bollywood has caught quite a bit of attention. What are your thoughts on this?
I do not believe that as such’ it’s natural that you will give preference to your loved ones or people who are close to you. However, I believe that talent is the main key because of which the performers sustain their level in the industry. On the hand, people from Pollywood (as we call the Punjabi industry), also get an opportunity at big platforms. So, I guess the claim of nepotism is not a 100 percent true, though it may exist in some percentage.
Courtesy and Writer: Pioneer
Talking to Chahak Mittal, Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri stated that his research would have taken around a decade more if he had restricted himself to national archives or other documents and records for proper facts for the film
It took just a single tweet for director and filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri to get the idea of creating a film on India’s second Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri, and his fateful demise. “It was October 2, 2017, and I had tweeted, ‘It’s Shastri’s birthday too.’ That was the time when somebody commented that why don’t you make a film on him?” says he.
The film, The Tashkent Files, comes with a hashtag question — Who killed Shastri? More than half a century after that fateful morning in Tashkent and the question still remains unanswered — Did Shastri really die a natural death or was it an assassination birthed from political disagreements?
Well, Vivek could have chosen the easy way after the tweet and just made a biopic on his life and suspicious death. However, he felt that there have been numerous chapters in history textbooks talking about what life did the man live. However, “not a single one answering or making the youth realise the importance of questioning that how did he die so abruptly?”
The director feels that India’s youth and audience are maturing with a great pace as questioning almost everything. Hence, he says that the film is dedicated to all the “honest journalists and truth seekers” in the country. “Sometimes they even question certain things which are better to be left as they are. However, this is a sign that they are maturing and realising what their duties and rights are. They are able to question what they think is unjustified. The youth is taking interest in the country. Why do you think all these big star-based films are not working? People are preferring more realistic elements and content that can relate to the real life stories of the common man,” says Vivek.
As a filmmaker, he felt that he could bring it back to people’s conscience now that reaching them is easier, especially due to social media. He says, “Now is the right time when they could question the manner of his death again. It is something that had to be questioned irrespective of its timing. At that time, no one, including the journalists, officers or even other people in authority questioned the manner of his sudden death. Imagine, a PM goes on an international trip for a political treaty, and just dies… Even an autopsy on the body was not conducted. Isn’t it questionable? The silence around it made me curious.”
For Vivek, once he picked up the project, it transcended to more than just a film. “It became my right as a citizen of India to know what happened to the second PM of India. It was not just a murder mystery anymore. It became a web of questions about how India and its democracy became a victim to the Cold War between USA and USSR? What were the policies of our leaders and the government and how were they correct for the country? How would have India shaped up if Shastri was alive? A lot of things opened up and helped me understand India better,” he says.
With the film, the director says, he also aims to question the democracy and people’s right to information. While going through the research for the film, there was a stage of frustration when he wasn’t able to find any way out. It was indeed tough to get the right data. “I filed a number of RTIs and received no response. I checked the records, approached national archives and read books from public libraries, and didn’t find any answer. It was the most shattering and frustrating moment in the whole journey,” he tells us, adding, “All the evidence was destroyed. Hence, we didn’t have much information that we could have referred to. Things were beyond forensic control now. Documents and many files from the Parliament itself were missing. It would have taken more than a decade had I depended on them.”
It was then the idea of crowd-sourcing came to his mind and called out the public to reach to him in case they have any related information. Well, surprisingly, “within hours so many people wrote to us that the server got jammed. That’s where I found a new direction.”
However, in this social-media, fake news-led world, how to differentiate between facts and fiction? “I am intelligent,” laughs Vivek and goes on to add that they tried to “cross-reference” the overlapping facts and figures. He explains, “If a hundred people are on side A, and the other hundred people on side B, then we struck out the commonalities between both the sides and dug out the real matter. We kept finding the common lines and counter questioning each thing.”
The film, he says, proceeds exactly in the way that the research happened — one thing gets added to the other the moment it’s discovered.
Well, the film’s release date (April 12) too raises certain questions given that General Elections are round the corner. However, the director counter questions that why are dates assigned to directors and actors? “Nobody questions why Salman Khan only releases his film on Eid or Akshay Kumar on August 15 or January 26. If they have a reason, here, it’s a political season, so why not? Such a film would anyway have grabbed equal eyeballs irrespective of when it releases,” he laughs as he signs off.
Photo: Pankaj Kumar
Writer: Chahak Mittal
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Turner Prize winner, Anish Kapoor creates impactful masterpieces in the form of minimalist sculptures that feature simple materials, geometric shape and organic forms.
After first establishing his reputation in the 1980s with biomorphic sculptures in limestone and other natural materials, Kapoor began to explore the theme of “the void” in large-scale stone works, some with defined insides and outsides and others that clearly delineate empty spaces. In 2006, he installed Sky Mirror at Rockefeller Center, a 23-ton, three-story stainless steel sculpture that reflected the New York skyline. He described the massive work as a “non-object” because its reflective surface allowed it to disappear.
Drawing the human image in
An understanding of the shiny steel as well as the physicality of the concave sculptural circular, oval or elliptical creations becomes an expressionist and experiential vertiginous depth which draws viewers who walks toward his works to understand the sensorial impact of nothingness. Kapoor has said that he “wishes to make sculpture about experience that is outside material concern,” and he always manages to succeed in stirring multiple human responses to his work as he cuts through class, barriers and time.
Modernist
Split as a sculpture is striking, it carries within a Zen auratic mood within its stainless steel sculptural ferment, and it must be seen apart from the “transcendentalisation” of the viewer. What entices and enchants is the vivid materiality, the modernist celebration of geometry, even as it subtly transcends changing appearances as humans who walk in front of the steel coalesce into slim gradients of animated legions. Kapoor revels in his craftsmanship, and you know that he has a deep understanding of physicality to give the sculpture’s concave centre the lustre required to turn it into a mirror. Kapoor invites the silent spectator to morph into a mirrored spectator who remains strongly three-dimensional, belonging at once to a hologram-like ecstatic effect.
The effect is a new remoteness that is born of the shiny luminosity and the humans that become part of the reflection become the insignia of the sculpture and therein lies the delight. It was at the Hong Kong Art Fair 2010 that I experienced the purity as well as the juvenile delight Kapoor could give his spectators with his lush highly polished steel sculptures.
Steel and colour
He also engages and revels in his sculpture — the steel and the colour give us an amalgam of the raw and refined, and like one critic in London said “he has fine-tuned the tension between the opposites, creating an opportunity for reparative unity that the ready-made unity of his globes — the foreordained unity of the circle.”
Split’s success is its highly polished mirrored surface that replicates the human figure in all its intricate lesser or greater than magnitude.
Indeed we all know that mirrors are seductive and Kapoor revels in giving his viewer’s a narcissist’s treat. But the sculpture is also about light and space, time and tide that waits for none.
Kapoor’s exploration of infinite space, over the years creates islands of reflections within and without. He continues to explore the notion of endless space, the void, as he pointed to, in his Boston show years ago “The idea of place has always been very important to my work. A place has to be original. The word original means that it has to do with ‘first’ and I think that is to do with centering oneself, allowing a thing to occur specifically rather than in general. A lot of my works are about passage, about a passing through, and that necessitates a place. The place of action. It is the moment of contact between the thing and the world. The spatial questions it seems to ask were not about deep space but about present space… and they seem to be very active, to be in various states of becoming,” says Kapoor. Art Dubai will celebrate the deeper understanding of a universal language in simple elements of time and its creator.
Writer: U Nair
Courtesy: The Pioneer
According to U. Nair, The All India Studio Pottery Exhibition showcased stoneware and ceramic niceties ranging from humble pots to platters and a few items of sculpture.
Four galleries full of stoneware and ceramic niceties that stemmed from humble pots to platters and a few items of sculpture. The All India Studio Pottery Exhibition 2019, presented by the AIFACS and Delhi Blue Pottery Trust was a treat for tired eyes. There seemed to be more work in stoneware, you could not help but stand and gaze quietly at the buff shades that is soothing to the sight.
Stoneware Sheep
It is called stoneware due to its dense and stone-like character. After being fired, this type is impermeable (waterproof) and usually opaque. In its natural state, stoneware clay is grey but the process of firing turns it into light-brown or buff coloured, and different hues may then be applied in the form of glazes. Generally speaking, stonewares are fired at temperature between 1,100-1,300 degree celsius.
And so back to the most loved pieces for this critic. On top of my list is Chitra Sharma and her small quaint sheep, hand-moulded and curious in terms of the many details and the impeccable nature of her composition. Small and immaculately thrown, the viewer is mesmerised by the soft transparent glaze that has strips of various lengths ringing the sheep’s bodies. They have a Biblical perfection and are born of a different spirit, and one readily reckons that she must be discovered in depth of details and compositions; pieces like this are incredibly hard to fire, as all kinds of accidents can occur in the kiln like cracking, warping and running of glazes, but here were four sheep that alluded all kinds of parts and places including the snow-filled mountain tops.
Two platters
There were a number of platters on view too, but it was that of of Archana Singh and Bipasha Sengupta that stood out for their simplicity and patterns of both minimalist moorings as well as the eternal lotus leaves. Archana’s deft architectural drawing done by ceramic pencil on stoneware, high fired at 1,280 degree celsius, and was finished with a transparent glaze. It was softly stirring to the senses while Bipasha Sengupta’s stoneware platter with resplendent lotus leaves and flowers done as an outline in black slip with transparent glaze spoke at once of the spiritual fervour and the pensive beauty of the lotus leaves that have always been a subject of great interest and intrigue to artists of different mediums.
Man and nature
If there was a well-crafted, calculated work, it was that of Aarti Paliwal. Likewise, as a represented ceramicist she is highly skilled, and reflects a certain sophistication in her cup that speaks of man and nature. Each detail that she evokes in her pieces is sheer perfection. This being so, there are a few signs of the ecological aesthetic that regards such ‘flaws’ as stone bursts, cracked lips and unevenness as part of the beauty of imperfection in her magnificent cup and saucer.
“My ceramic work is inspired by humans, natural forms and textures — trees, rocks, mushrooms, the human figure, modern surfaces and the fusion of traces of human activity in relation to nature,” Paliwal explains. “I see my work as a personal journey exploring identity, connecting to roots and expressing the process of evolution and the layering of human destruction that makes up a whole. My forms are a reflection of man’s relationship with natural forms. What attracts me to the universal world is the changes that happen; it is as if we are looking at differing life forms and how we impact nature in a destructive way.”
Bird heads as a subject
Anjali Jaggi’s rooster heads, done in transparent glaze with red slip, were a candid stoneware set that also spoke of the spirit as well as the technique. It is an inspiration that hold’s one attention. Not all the works were worthy of scrutiny or intensity. Whatever the cause of the exclamations, whether a neatly turned bowl or a sculptural entity, what entices is the endearing quality of ceramics and stoneware.
Lively visuals
There were lively visuals of decorative ceramic artworks, and a myriad of colours and designs that would tingle your senses. Among the simpler creations, one work was Manoj Kumar’s small fish, made of stoneware and high fired in transparent glaze with red and black slip. The small plate held its own because it ascertained to the truth that this is a highly expressive way of working and at its most basic relies solely on the hands as tools. On display one saw a varied working range, from intricate and intimate processes to a whole body experience.
Stoneware varies greatly in scale and style: from figurines delicately modelled with thumb and forefinger in the palm of the artist’s hand, to vigorous works produced by hurling wet clay at a structure to build up form, and everything in between. Creating with clay can be fast and immediate, also small and expressive, conjuring up images of the first figures of ancient times, whose features were squeezed out of wet clay to resemble animals and human forms.
In subtle and varied hues this was an exhibition that showed deft handling and unending passion and one must remember yeoman’s service done by Ravi and Leena Batra for the inspiration and infrastructure that Delhi Blue pottery provides potters of all ages.
Writer: Uma Nair
Courtesy: The Pioneer
The modernist mood is celebrated in many ways through the Asta Guru Modern Indian Art auction. It presents stellar works from various iconic artists. Francis Newton Souza’s Last Howl from the Cross, two works by Akbar Padamsee, a landscape by Ram Kumar, a fervent figurative from Jogen Chowdhury, and Nandalal Bose’s Arjuna are a few works that hold their own. Among sculptures, it is the venerated Himmat Shah’s sculpture that extols the modernist mood in myriad ways. All these stellar works, which are iconic in symbolism and the transcending trajectory of artistic evolutions, are being auctioned at the Asta Guru’s Modern Indian Art auction.
Nandalal Bose’s Arjuna
Nandalal Bose’s Arjuna, a magnificent tempera on silk, painted in 1944, is a national treasure and it is the first time it is being showcased to the public. It belongs to a freedom fighter and one of the pioneers of modern art in India. The painting was inspired by Tagore’s dance drama Chitrangada based on the Mahabharata. The painting shows a reclining Arjuna in the forest with an intriguing expression on his face. Historian R Siva Kumar says, “We never thought that the later version would ever be seen. We thought that the 1938 one at NGMA was the only one that we would see. Every piece of Nandalal Bose is a rare gem and bears the tag of a ‘national treasure.’
F N Souza’s Last Howl from the Cross 1963
Souza used to attend Mass with his grandmother every day and as a little boy he would watch the priests closely and be fascinated by the rituals of Catholicism including the crucifixion and the stained glass windows. But over the years his admiration also turned into deep criticism of the orthodoxy and the practices of the church and its many clergy. This work, Last Howl from the Cross 1963 was exhibited at the Grosvenor Gallery, London, in 1964 in a show titled The Human and the Divine Predicament, this canvas resembles Souza’s contentious 1959 painting, Crucifixion, which is currently part of the Tate’s permanent collection.
In this revolutionary piece, the iconic image of Christ’s crucifixion is rendered with malevolence rather than empathy. The gaunt martyr appears grotesque with his bared, fang-like teeth, vacant eyes and tangled, spiked hair. Like the figure they supposedly mourn, Souza has disfigured and distorted the men and women at the base of the cross, who appear to be heckling rather than grieving for the crucified figure. Thus, the mood set by the artist is one of revulsion rather than piety, recalling medieval scenes of heretics burning at the stake.
Akbar Padamsee’s Cityscape and Metascape
Akbar Padamsee’s Cityscape 1957 and his Metascape are two riveting works. Cityscape is a meditation on the beauty of nocturnes in myriad colours on line, form and movement. Painted from top to bottom, it has cubist geometry, it is also a meditation on the very act of painting. This early cityscape has only a few buildings at close range but in the vertical clusters of geometric shapes under a night sky, it is the shades of different dark colours and the work an incandescent aura. Padamsee’s Metascape too is a rare delight that conveys a restfulness, a depth and richness that is immediately striking. As the word Metascape suggests, in these paintings Padamsee is concerned with the mythic or archetypal landscape, which is expressed visually by a stringent ordering of timeless elements, such as the earth, the sun and the moon, in temporal space.
Jogen Chowdhury’s Dancer 1999
One artist who has always stood apart in figurative splendour is Jogen Chowdhury. His Dancer 1999 is a splendid creation in contours curves and cohesive beauty. Jogen has often included references to popular visual culture in his work and this is one of them. Over the period of 1970s onwards, he developed his own unique approach for the treatment of his subject. He drew inspiration from folk art sources, including Kalighats and Battala woodcuts. Jogen references local traditions and popular visual culture to comment on the complexities and contradictions of Bengali middle-class society. He combines fantasy with reality to produce subjects that are often grotesque, distorted and caricatures but they revel in the fluidity of finesse.
Jogen Chowdhury’s subjects are usually rendered against a black background, their fluid contours tightened with cross-hatching and heightened with touches of colour. The absence of a background allows the viewer to focus purely on the central character, evoking a sense of human alienation. His figures are woven into a shape with a spidery web of dense cross hatched lines, fleshed out with a hint of colour added with a soft dry pastel. “We did not have electricity in our houses and I had to read by the hurricane lantern. I had to fall back on black and white because we did not have enough light. We had a miserable state of living when we came to Kolkata as refugees. The criss-crossing lines, too, may be carrying traces of the environmental and mental complications of that time.”
Himmat Shah
Himmat Shah’s sculpture is a joy to behold. Spartan primal and deeply philosophical Himmat’s sculpture is a blend of the smoothened aesthetics of Brancusi and the cubist flavour of the yesteryear. Himmat has always admired both Brancusi and Henry Moore and created works that are born of modernist idioms. This work too belongs to the solitude that is Himmat’s own leitmotif. It has about it an aristocracy and a signature that harks back to early ages even as it speaks to us as a canticle of contemporary wisdom.
(The auction will begin from March 27 to March 28 in Mumbai.)
Writer: Uma Nair
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Sita-Ram, a presentation by Arshia Mathur, a disciple of Smt. Sindhu Mishra — is a distinctive approach, Bharatanatyam performance in the presence of Padma Bhushan Shri Raja and Radha Reddy, Guru Smt Rani Khanam and Smt Usha R K. When: March 30 time: 6 pm onwards Where: LTG Auditorium, Mandi House.
Curated by Praveen Upadhye, Eclectic Strokes, an art exhibition displays a collection of works by Indian maestros like S H Raza, M F Husain, Ram Kumar, F N Souza, T Vaikuntam, among a few, showcasing vivid processes, techniques, thoughts and emotions. WHEN: March 27 to April 10 Time: 7 pm onwards Venue: Art Spice Gallery, Bangla Sahib Road.
Korean Cultural Center presents Annual Flower exhibition with the theme of urban garden, bringing works by 21 artists. The idea, conceptualisation and the execution of the exhibition took three months. The extravaganza has not only used dry leaves, fruits and flowers, but also other material, such as cotton, wool threads and PVC films. Time: 9 am to 5 pm When: Till April 18 where: Korean Cultural Center, Lajpat Nagar.
Anant Art presents And trace in leaves and flowers that round me lie…, an exhibition of artworks by Arjun Das, Binay Sinha, Dayananda N, Ekta Singha, Laxmipriya Panigrahi, Pappu Bardhan, to name a few. when: Till March 31 TIME: 11 am to 7 pm Where: Shridharani Gallery, 205, Triveni Kala Sangam.
Curated by Alka Pande, Visual Arts Gallery presents No Number, No Name an exhibition of paintings, photographs, video works by Singapore-based, Indo-British artist Kavita Issar Batra. The works present a lens on society through natural, organic materials that ‘litter’ our streets and pavements. when: March 27 to April 6 TIME: 10 am to 8 pm Where: Visual Arts Gallery.
Writer: Pioneer
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Australian photographer John Gollings’ portrayal of buildings as living, ageless habitats rather than lifeless monuments is something one must not miss. By Chahak Mittal
As one entered the pavilion that showcased an array of Australian architectural photographer John Gollings’ works, a variety of large canvas-like photographs spoke volumes about the maestro’s years of endless wandering through the tribal and rural streets of India. Capturing the greatest works by artisans and architects, the photographs make it seem that the audience is almost visiting the places all across the world. But it is Hampi in India which had Gollings’ attention as he had covered the town with its various abandoned structures, which are now being listed under the archaeological sites of India.
However, the photographer feels that such masterpieces shouldn’t be forgotten, rather should be revived and preserved for generations to come. They are an evidence of the various cultures and traditions that rulers and kings followed. They shouldn’t be taken for granted or abandoned and should be regarded as major monuments and symbols of the rich Indian heritage.
Gollings’ exploration and documentation of both modern and ancient sites in India has resulted in a body of work that records its changing social, economic and political landscape. “These projects are of great cultural and historical significance. Their value should be kept intact,” he said.
Be it the architecture across Asia, the abandoned Chinese city of Jiaohe; the Khmer temples of the Angkor Wat, stretched across mainland Southeast Asia; the architecture of the Hindu Vijayanagar Empire; the grain stores of the nomadic Berbers in Libya; or the abandoned structures in Hampi, Gollings has brought his characteristic style, giving the viewer an understanding of the embedded perspectives in each of the captured structures.
It was in 1980 when Gollings had first visited Hampi and fallen in love with and developed admiration for the place. Ever since, he has been returning to the site every year.
Explaining his innate fondness of Hampi, the photographer said that the town is “vast” and its monuments are “an architectural splendour.” He said that even though he has had been visiting the place regularly for so many years, it doesn’t leave a stone unturned in surprising him each time. “I discover a new aspect every time I come here, which is why I have become so fond of it. I am addicted to Hampi. I have gained a vast experience in architectural photography here as the sites give me a chance to experiment in many ways. I am able to give an aesthetic touch to it by taking photographs in different lights and times of the day. There cannot be any other archaeological site like this,” said he.
He complained that ironically, ever since the place has had been listed in the world heritage sites, “it has become difficult to work here. It was much simpler and beautiful before. Now there are fences all around the place and timing that limit my visits. It is closed for visitors after five in the evening.”
His photographs, that were recently displayed at the India Habitat Centre’s Photosphere and also as part of the six-month long Australia Fest, were a classic example of time travel, with capsules featuring architectural changes.
The exhibition also showcased his most recent project for which the photographer went around capturing stepwells in India. He said that these are all examples of modern architecture. “They say a lot about traditionality and history of Indian temples. When I am capturing a building, I want it to stand out. Earlier, when Indian temples were captured in black and white, their colours would lie on the same page. But here, I wanted to make each colour stand out. Hence, these step wells with muddy look describe perfectly what architecture offers to traditions,” he explained.
Fashion might go out of style or change with time, but buildings and structures remain timeless. As an epiphany, the photographer said that it occurred to him that he “wanted to capture everything that had ever been built in the world.”
For him, it’s all about taking and waiting for that “one perfect shot.”
Writer: Chahak Mittal
Courtesy: The Pioneer
The Sixth Sense interepted as memory and déjà vu by designer Rahul Mishra and jeweller Siddharth Kasliwal . Story by Chahak Mittal
Unresolved disputes, past memories, false hopes and fables, bad thoughts and habits, they say might come to an end if one listens to his/her sixth sense and try to quieten the mind through delving deep into what went wrong in pursuit of things.
Described as the sleight of hand, something in the air, the eureka moment, inspiration out of the blue —extrasensory, intuitive and intangible — Sixth Sense is known to be the moment of enlightenment. Interpreting the feeling in five different ways, Chivas 18 Alchemy had five maestros from the world of fashion, art and design who have paved a way to explain how the sixth sense could change one’s outlook on life.
Through a play of mirrors and reflection, designer Manish Malhotra introduced the sixth sense through the feeling of intuition, Sudarshan Shetty did it with love, designer Rahul Mishra and jeweller Siddharth Kasliwal did it through memory and deja vu.
Sidharth’s bejewelled masterpiece revived the lost art of craftsmanship handed down by generations, paving a way for deja vu to happen.
Explaining why the internationally-acclaimed designer used memory as his idea of the sixth sense, Rahul says, “Memories are the biggest things that shape the conscience of every human being. They are most intimate things which people own. No two people can have the same memories. Even two siblings would have different memories of growing up and their childhood. It’s something very personal, yet very open. If you live for a 100 years, yet you would only be able to remember and retain only about 20 to 25 or 30 to 35 big islands that created a major impact in your life. Hence, I wanted to bring out in people the emotion that is common to all yet deeply personal and exclusive.”
As the designer completed 10 years at the Fashion Week this year, he explains that his memories are extremely important for him because they are an “inspiration” for him to go on and the only things which keeps him going. “I have just completed 10 years with the Fashion Week. And the first four seasons, I used to be under great pressure and burden myself with apprehensions. The same happened even at the Paris Fashion Week. However, the formula to do things there was finding to do them in my own way. My designs and work have always been inspired from the memories of my childhood. And today, even in Paris, they have been so accepting and welcoming of them,” says he.
He feels that since the time his daughter, Aarna, has been born, he has been “re-living” his childhood memories through her. This, he believes, makes him realise that he is “getting more comfortable in sharing my reminiscences, even in the city of romance. Now, they love listening to all my memories.”
Growing up in a sleepy village 53 miles off Kanpur in Malhausi, Rahul’s childhood was full of stories. He recalls them and says that today he feels that the best part about his career is, that he is “comfortable about my memories that even the audience readily accepts and celebrates them with me.”
Now, working with Chivas, “I want to reflect back on them as well.” He says that memories are “kind of bottled inside you in which you keep pouring things and when they finally come out, they become a manifestation of objects, stories and moments.”
As a designer, he feels that foundation and concept is the most intimate thing. For instance, when a person enters inside a building, s/he observes the architecture, glossy tiles, mirrors and glasses, floor, and its structure. However, he feels there is one thing which goes unnoticed — foundation and the process that resulted in its creation. Rahul calls this foundation as the soul of a being. “It is like the soul which one can’t see, but feel. When my garments come on the runway, you can feel that soul coming with them,” he explains.
His presentation displayed 18 of his artworks — all white on white — which were a reflection of the old artworks that he has showcased throughout these 10 years, 20 seasons. Using tambour frame hoops and creating a chandelier of memories in a play of light and shadow, the designer blends layers of time with the ingredients found inside the scotch whisky.
He says, “I have used all things natural and the ones that the brand uses — flowers and fruits. I have engaged the audience to also remember from their recollection that which collection was a particular artwork from. It’s like a double engagement made in the memory in an interactive way. I have handcrafted different small pieces and shown them in a similar light. They are made purely from organza and are hand-woven. They are made in a way that they create a reflection of the artwork on the floor in black and white, acting as a metaphor to reflecting upon my journey until now.”
He says that it was a difficult thing to conceptualise and implement. However, his motive was to make people realise that if a person tries to wipe out even a single memory, it will have a butterfly effect and life’s meaning will change drastically. “Hence, this is how even the smallest of memories can change your life,” says Rahul.
As he signs off, he adds, “I strongly feel that all the academic subjects are important for our pursuits of living life, but drama, poetry, love, emotions and shayari, is what we live for!”
Writer: Chahak Mittal
Courtesy: The Pioneer
After winning the hearts of Delhiites with Wrong Number in 2018, director Raman Kumar is all set to mesmerise audiences with another play — Hello Zindagi. SHALINI SAKSENA speaks to the actors and the scriptwriter on what makes it a must watch
Five gorgeous actresses’ are all set to mesmerise Delhiites with the latest stage show — Hello Zindagi!. The play marks a debut for actor Smita Bansal as a scriptwriter (plays Rukhsar in Aladdin:Naam Toh Suna Hoga on SAB TV) and has been directed by Raman Kumar, who has been bestowed with the Dada Saheb Phalke Award (2015) for Contribution in Television.
The vivacious Minissha Lamba, plays Pammi. Lamba recently debuted on stage with her solo performance in Mirror Mirror where she plays multiple roles. Kishwer Merchant plays Sheena. Delnaaz Irani plays Bakula. Chitrashi Rawat plays Shivani. The man among the five women — Rahul Nayyar — plays Vicky. Guddi Maruti plays Bijoya di, a Bengali.
The theatrical revolves around women who come from different backgrounds and characteristics but are staying together in a posh flat in Mumbai. Be prepared for drama as these strong, sharp witty women lead you on an unforgettable journey filled with intrigue, comedy, confusion and passionate tides.
The harmony in the home gets tangled when Vicky falls in love with Pammi, wants to marry her and take her to the US and Bakula decides to move with them too. The plot thickens when she decides to give her business to a corporation on lease which is being organised by Vicky.
Talking about her character, Guddi tells you that she plays a Bengali maid. “Though my character is that of a maid, I am more of a friend. Since I am elder to the five women, I scold them and even bestow love. I participate in their fun as well,” Guddi shares, who makes a debut on theatre with this play.
She tells you that she was apprehensive in doing theatre. “I was scared because I had never done theatre. I was not sure whether I would be able to adjust to the concept that there are no retakes and do it at a stretch. My dear friend Rakesh Bedi ji and Ramanji convinced me to at least read the script. Once I read it, I was so taken in with the characterisation and how five women come together even though they have a backstory. Also, after 38 years in the industry, I can say that I have done theatre as well,” Guddi says.
Playing a Bengali came with its share of preparation. Besides getting the attire correct, she had to get the accent correct.
“I had to learn a few Bengali sentences. Accent had to be right as well. I did a bit of research myself. I also had to get used to whole sentences like ‘jal khabey’. I had to work on these nuances,” Guddi says and tells you that the reason why she is not doing films is because of the kind of movies that are being made today.
“When I started off in movies, it was a different era. Today, while one does have movies like Badhai Ho, it is no longer the kinds that were made with Govinda. I am busy doing TV. Even with this play, I agreed because I had just finished Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hai where she played Principal Ma’am VJN College. The timing was perfect. You have to give theatre full attention. More so, since the stage was new for me,” Guddi says.
She recounts how they had a blast not just of the stage but off the stage too. “There was so much fun with Kishwer, Delnaaz and Chitrashi,” she says whose favourite scene in the play is between Kishwer and Delnaaz.
“Kishwer has done such a brilliant job. It reduced me to tears,” Guddi says who tells you that doing theatre has changed her.
“I am glad that I said yes. I had a mental block before. I have grown as an actor. The stage has helped me to be sharper. In films and TV, you have to learn a few lines and then there is a cut. Stage is different. I have cues and then make an entry. I have to be alert all the time,” Guddi says and the whole experience has made her open to doing more theatre.
Rahul Bhuchar, producer and MD, Felicity Theatre says that we all need entertainment to unwind the monotonous daily grind and the play is definitely one answer to that conundrum. “The quality of the production, the powerful script and brilliant performances by these talented actresses’ promises to keep the audiences glued to their seats till the very last minute,” Bhuchar shares.
Kumar, tells you that through Hello Zindagi! they want to say that God has made life beautiful, but it’s the people, who create problems for themselves. “This results in misery and problems. There are no shortcuts in life. The simpler your life is, the happier you will be. Live the life fully and love the life you have been given. While people may not be able to live the life as they have wanted to that doesn’t mean we can’t make the best of what we have. This the theme of the play,” Kumar says who has been busy with the play after the success of Wrong Number that was staged in 2018.
“The original story by Bansal was in English. I got to read the story, I loved the characters and decided to adopt it into Hindi. This is because in Hindi the whole gamut changes — be it language, dialogues or the fun quotient which is so different from English,” Kumar shares and tells you that the inspiration came from the emotions and the treatment that Hello Zindagi! has — dealing with a serious issue lightly.
He tells you that the reason for the growing popularity of live performance is the result of increased demand in good content.
“With the spurt in the digital platform, people are now looking for entertainment that will take them out of their homes. Film is an alternative. Also most movies find their way into the digital space. Theatre gives them live entertainment. Then there is star power too. People come to watch their favourite stars like Anupam Kher and Naseeruddin Shah who are active,” Kumar says and tells you that in Mumbai alone, there are 20-25 theatre performances every weekend in different languages.
Bansal tells you that the inspiration for the story came after her 14-year-old daughter’s book got published. “That got me thinking and I started penning some characters which became related. Slowly, the story took shape. While it was not a TV or a film script, stage was a platform where I could see it coming alive. Once I approached Ramanji, we sat and translated it into Hindi. I have been involved from day one,” Bansal says and tells you that the essence and the spirit has remained the same.
Whether scriptwriting will turn into a full-fledged career is sometime that requires more thought. “The only reason why I was able to pen this down was because I was between shows. If I have to write, it won’t be while I am shooting for a show because TV is very consuming,” Bansal tells you.
The message Hello Zindagi wants to send is what women go through, but not in a morose manner. “Even though the woman is working, the home responsibilities still rest with us. I wanted to talk about this — how despite challenges, women are happy juggling work and home,” Bansal says.
The tickets:Rs 300-Rs 2,000 bought at www.bookmyshow.com
Date & Time: March 23, Saturday 3:30pm and 6:30pm; March 24, Sunday at 5pm
Venue: Kamani Auditorium, Delhi
Writer: Shalini Saksena
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Goopi Gawaiya Bagha Bajaiya, which premiered at Toronto Film Festival in 2013, is finally released in India. Director Shilpa Ranade tells SHALINI SAKSENA animation is her choice to tell stories
How has your journey been thus far?
I picked up an area — animation — to make films which is not really big in India. it has been tough since there are not many options to the kind of work that I want to do. There isn’t much funding, not many platforms where one can showcases one’s work and not many like-minded animators. There are very few animators who are experimenting with their work or their storytelling or are invested in doing things that are local. It is still a very niche area.
Why choose animation to tell your stories?
I was always interested in visual arts. I studied Applied Arts and went to Sir JJ College of Architecture. From my early days at JJ I was part of film clubs and societies and saw some interesting work from Europe. Animation, I thought was a powerful medium. It brought image making, moving images and storytelling together. For me, this was important because I wanted to make such moving stuff. So it started way back and then went on to study animation.
Where does India stand when it comes to animation?
Technically, we are decent since a lot of back-end work is outsourced to the country. People are trained on the job and the quality is good. Where we lack is storytelling and making original content.
Is that why some of animation that is made in India is not at par with what we see abroad?
I would not say that it is not lack of imagination as much but that not many people are investing in animation. Even if there are some, where do they get the funding, if they get that, who will show that work? It is a chain. You don’t create an audience, you don’t create a culture that views these films other than animation from Disney or any other production house.
Are you a designer, illustrator, a filmmaker or an academician?
I think that design encompasses all. For me, illustration and animation comes under design. Designer is not different from an illustrator. My focus is book illustration and animation. I teach because I enjoy it.
What is Goopi Gawaiya Bagha Bajaiya about?
I am an book illustrator and got this book from Scholastic which is a classic story by Upendra Kishore Roychowdhury back in 1915. It has been retold by many people. The version I got is from Gulzar. I drew for the book and while I was doing it,m I thought it was perfect material for animation — the original work. I had seen Satyajit Ray’s work on the book as well. He was Roy Chowdhury’s grandson, there was this amazing lineage. I wanted to make a film that would resonate with kids today. Animation is perfect.
Does the animation have a message to tell?
Yes. It is important that everything that I do is just for entertainment. It is important to have good content for children since we don’t do a lot of things for them. This film has a anti-war message, a peace loving film, which is relevant today.
So there lack of films for children?
Definitely. We have so many films coming out from the industry. Where do we have kids film? Except for CFSI, I don’t think anybody is making films for kids?
Where do you get your ideas for animation?
I see what is happening around me or what I read, or music I listen to. All this reflects in my subject.
Writer: Shalini Saksena
Courtesy: The Pioneer
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