Quantcast
Channel: Art That Creates Positive Impact
Viewing all 1057 articles
Browse latest View live

TBI Blogs: Your Next Vacation Can Help Promote India’s Arts & Crafts and Empower Rural Artisans

$
0
0

India has a rich history and heritage of arts & crafts from different regions, and a growing tourism industry. Combining the two can help empower livelihoods in rural India while giving India’s crafts heritage the visibility it deserves. In these days of rampant standardisation, globalisation, and mass production, cultural references have rapidly blurred. However, there is now a growing desire in people to return to their origins. They want to explore traditional know-how, and values concentrated in traditional industries and the arts & crafts. This has created many opportunities to expose city dwellers – and indeed all Indians – to our traditional arts & crafts, lives of rural artisans, and the ethos of traditional, eco-friendly materials and processes of traditional industries. Art & Craft tourism will help citizens rediscover the pride of Made in India, embodied in our traditional Arts & Crafts, many of which are as old as the Ramayana, and our aesthetic and intellectual property. Arts & crafts clusters, co-operatives, Self Help Groups (SHGs), and artisans exist all over India, and importantly, in regions where tourism is not a traditional activity. These constitute a valuable network which could be voluntarily redeployed in a balanced strategy of demographic and tourism management.

Raghurajpur in Odisha, Swamimalai in Tamil Nadu, and Nayagram in West Bengal are some of the art & craft heritage villages that have attracted many visitors from around the country, and plenty more “arty” villages around the country have scope for many, many more.

[caption id="attachment_90977" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Art Craft Tourism Nayagram Pingala Decorated village home in Patua Village of Nayagram, Pingala.[/caption]

Incomes & Recognition in their own environments

These arts & crafts are the inheritors of centuries of traditional skills and complex knowledge acquired after long periods of apprenticeship. The arts & crafts represent, economically, strong value-added activities. Developing and integrating them within a network of tourism offerings can benefit the whole collective economically. It can create a new dynamism and providing sustainability for both sectors. Says Pramodkumar Maharana, a Palm Pattachitra artist from Raghurajpur, “Groups of conscious, art & craft-loving tourists can generate good spurts in income and recognition for artisans and allied personnel in our village. We get these in our own secure environments, without the time-consuming, tiring, and often insecure travel that we otherwise need to do to peddle our art & craft.” India has more than 3,000 crafts, many of which are struggling for survival. Our country’s culture is embodied in its arts & crafts—our mythology, nature, customs, and very often our science can be found in them. Art & Craft come from everyday utility items—baskets & boxes, pottery, kitchen utilities, jewellery, and our rich textile traditions.

Travellers will get to enjoy the depth of India’s arts & crafts along with the sights and sounds of nearby historical and scenic places.

[caption id="attachment_90979" align="aligncenter" width="900"]Art Craft Tourism Kutch Lac-turned woodcraft of Nirona Village, Kutch.[/caption]

Make and take home your own art & craft!

Tourists get to witness demos of the crafts, and participate in hands-on workshops in making their own art & craft items. They get to meet the artisans and know their lives. Tourists can also witness first-hand the ethos, designs, tools, techniques, and materials that define the crafts. Each workshop participant takes home rich and unique memories, and their own souvenirs. Pune-based Heart for Art Trust and Black Swan Journeys have come together to create unique Art & Craft Tours for art & craft lovers, and for discerning travellers who are looking for rich experiences different from run-of-the-mill destinations. They announced three Art & Craft tours covering Tamil Nadu–Puducherry, Gujarat–Kutch, and West Bengal–Odisha, covering 15+ unique arts & crafts on each tour. Shishir Nikam, CEO, Black Swan Journeys, says, “We help travellers embark on a journey with experts. During your journey, various specialists may join you and share their insights. From art & craft and archaeology to food and adventure, our knowledgeable guides and subject matter experts will help you dig deeper.” Black Swan Journeys is a customised experiential travel company that caters to every need of the discerning traveller. They believe that every holiday and trip is unique, much like the traveller, and can expose one to new experiences. Click here to know more about Heart for Art Trust, and join a Art & Craft Tour with Black Swan Journeys.

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. NEW: Click here to get positive news on WhatsApp!


EXCLUSIVE: Varun Grover on His Journey, the Film Industry, & Sexism in Standup Comedy

$
0
0

A songwriter, scriptwriter, or a comedian - even Varun Grover has 'no idea' which of the job descriptions define him the best. But ask his fans and they'll tell you that each one of them is his forte. His honest, witty, current, and thought-provoking jokes always leave the audience with something to take back home. Born in Sundernagar, Himachal Pradesh, Varun spent his adolescent years in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. After graduating in Civil Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, BHU, he worked in a software company for some time before moving to Mumbai to become a writer. Today, he is a Nation Film Awardee for Best Lyrics for the song Moh moh ke dhaagey from Dum Laga Ke Haisha, and is widely acclaimed as the writer of the 2015 movie Masaan. As a part of Aisi Taisi Democracy, a satirical music plus comedy trio featuring Rahul Ram and Sanjay Rajoura, he entices his audience with an ease with which he turns everyday social and political issues into rib-tickling jokes and introspective commentary. Varun spoke with The Better India about his journey, the Indian film industry, sexism in the standup comedy community and more:

Q: Any childhood memories from Himachal that you always carry with yourself?

A: We lived in Sundar Nagar in Himachal. Our house was on the side of the hill where no TV signals could come. So every Republic Day, which happens to be my birthday, my father would take me to a friend's house on the other side of the hill to watch the R-Day Parade. It was so grand and I felt really special.

Q: ‘An engineer but not engineering anymore’ is an extremely common story of many people these days. I am one of those people too. But do you think engineering helped you in any way even in your present career?

A: I think engineering helped me greatly for two big reasons. One, I didn't have confidence that I could be a writer someday. I always wanted to be but didn't know how to go about it. So the theatre experience at my college (IIT-BHU) gave me that confidence. Also gave me four years to find myself, to read and make friends and discover a writing style. Secondly, engineering added discipline and a structured thinking to my life. I feel being a writer is a lot about being disciplined. Writing is mostly rewriting, as many greats have said before.

Q: In an interview you said that since childhood you had a problem doing things that everyone around you was doing. Do you remember that moment when you decided that you will quit your software job? And how difficult was that decision because you didn’t have any security before moving to Mumbai.

A: I was in this huge office in Pune - a company called Kanbay - and it was a good company; lots of perks and nice colleagues. I remember seeing my seniors in the company - people who had joined it say 10 years ago - and I saw their lives. I figured this is who I will be 10 years on. Because a life in codes can be predicted easily. All of the seniors had a similar car, they dressed the same, their kids went to the same school - it all was somehow depressing for me. So I decided to find a way to get out of this. The decision was not difficult because I knew that if I fail, I have a BTech degree to fall back on. Or I could write some exam and go do my higher studies. There was never any pressure of time.

Q: Was your family supportive of this decision?

A: Absolutely. That was the greatest blessing. Both my parents were fully supportive, and in fact my father was happy that I left the boring desk job from the software company. He is an engineer too but he has always been on the field so he found the software jobs boring and restrictive.

Q: A songwriter, script writer, or a comedian - what do you recognize yourself as first. And which is your favourite thing to do among these?

A: I have no idea who I am out of these three. I guess am just a writer who chooses different mediums to explore writing. My favourite is still standup comedy because it gives me an instant, direct connection with the audience. There's no friction loss, reinterpretation of what I've written (through music or film lens/editing) - so the satisfaction is of a purer grade.

Q: You were one of the few comedians who spoke about the TVF allegations instantly after they came in. But what do think about the overall silence in the standup comedians' community which is usually the first to speak about any other controversy?

A: I think given the seriousness of charges, initially everyone was waiting for some kind of confirmation. But once many women started coming out in open with their horror experiences with Arunabh Kumar, it became imperative to take a stand. Why some are still silent is a question they will answer the best (if they do.) I feel silence in such cases is always a mix of bro-code (a horrible fancy term for 'supporting-the-criminal'), patriarchy, fear/insecurity (of losing out on professional work in future), and ignorance.

Q: Do you think there is gender discrimination in the stand-up comedy world? Is there anything women comediennes can do to counter this?

A: There's gender discrimination in EVERYTHING. Every field of Indian industries (if not every field in the entire world) is infested with patriarchy. The world's first and strongest religion is patriarchy and its followers sometimes don't even know that they are devouts. So yes, there's gender discrimination in comedy because comedians come from the same society that is rich with such biases. Women comedians have a long and big struggle ahead - again, just like in every other field - but I'm very hopeful because they all are so aware of the situation and can group together to change mindsets and behaviours. Comics like Aditi Mittal & Radhika Vaz have always been very vocal, even before the Arunabh case came.

Q: Both films and standup comedy have the capability of allowing their makers to raise their voices about the social and political environment in the country. Would it be right to say that you make a conscious effort to do so? If yes, will you continue doing so now that your work is highly recognized by more than just a niche section of society?

A: I think my writing is socially, politically charged not because of a conscious effort to bring that in but because it's part of my worldview, my politics. It's highly opinionated, influenced by the world we live in, and that's why sometimes I can be completely wrong too. But I feel any artist who has a mic or pen or brush or an instrument in today's times is required to document the turbulence through his/her art. And sure, the idea is to reach more people and stay the same.

Q: You have been known for giving shape to your work based on your roots and surroundings. How was the Masaan seed sown in the first place?

A: Masaan started as a short film script written by Neeraj Ghaywan. He showed it to me and we decided to expand it into a full-length film.

Q: Share what the Indian film industry looks like from the inside, from the view of a software engineer and an outsider?

A: The industry, because it's an unorganised space, full of people who have struggled to reach here - sometimes have fought with their families to convince them to let them do it - is an eclectic place driven by egos. The sense of self is very prominent in everybody you meet because it's a place run by faces on posters. Sometimes it gets difficult to deal with people because in spite of all the talent, the insecurity is the first emotion they emanate and permanently carry on their shoulders. But as an observer, as long as you are aware that all of it is just to make a film (and not a life-saving drug) - it becomes fun to watch. As Ghalib said - Baazeecha-e-atfal hai, duniya mere aage.

Q: Do you think there has been a change in the way comedy is perceived these days? Have you come across instances when people were accepting towards jokes even if they did not agree with your viewpoint?

A: Yes, many times. And the onus is on the comedians/comedy to break through. To write jokes that are so good that even the person the joke is directed at doesn't feel offended, and probably praises it.

Q: What was the inspiration behind Moh moh ke dhage? And which is your favourite song written by you till date, other than Moh Moh.

A: The inspiration for a film song is always the script. Sharat Katariya's script had that lovely moment and then Anu Malik gave a fantastic tune so my job became easier. My other favourite songs are - 'Kaala re' from Gangs of Wasseypur, 'Kaanpoora' from Katiyabaaz, and 'Aaj laagi' from Ankhon Dekhi.

Q: How did Aisi Taisi Democracy happen, given that all three of you lead hectic lives and coming together would be difficult?

A: It just happened. Me and Sanjay Rajoura wanted to do a show together and Sanjay asked Rahul if he'd like to join us on stage and play some songs. We didn't have any long-term plans but all of us enjoyed it and the audience loved it so we continued. Finding time is always a struggle but somehow we do.

Q: A lot of your work as a stand-up comedian focusses on socio-political issues in the country – things that are going wrong. Which is awesome. But what would a comedian say if he had to speak about all the positives in the country?

A: I don't think comedy is about the positives. It's a sad truth and it makes comedians the villains for a majority of people ('Tum log kabhi taareef nahin kar sakte kya?'). Of course there are many positives in the country on a daily basis (The Better India reports them regularly and it's such a relief) but comedy is about pointing out the flaws. As a comedian, my only allegiance is to the joke. And all jokes, no matter how innocuous, have the potential to offend somebody. I will speak about the positives but not as a comedian.

Q: Your work has taken you to different parts of the country and abroad. Any stories or experiences that stood out for you?

A: I loved my time in Spain last year because it's such a chilled out country - music and great food. And people there are (probably) the least racist in Europe so I didn't feel intimidated like I did in France.

Q: Which was your last favourite book? And what are you reading right now?

A: My last favourite book was Kharaaman Kharaaman by Pankaj Bisht. It's a travelogue with some great insights into the history and culture of the places Pankaj Bisht visited in the last 30-40 years. All the places are within India and it was an eye-opener to find such gems about our country. Right now I am reading Vikram Chandra's Mirrored Mind - it's a non-fiction about his journey through writing and computer codes. A perspective-altering work on how the language of computers evolved and its parallels with various writing traditions as well as old languages, especially Sanskrit poetry.

Q: From a small town to national awards and more – what would your message be for those who want to break set career paths the way you did?

A: Be honest, be self-aware, and originality will never be a problem.

Q: Do you read The Better India? What do you think about it?

A: I read it regularly and have been reading it for at least 4 years now. It's a breath of fresh air and I feel the only kind of news that matters. Best wishes to the entire team.

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. NEW: Click here to get positive news on WhatsApp!

Meet the Gujarat Artisans Behind Emma Watson’s Costumes in the New Beauty and the Beast Movie

$
0
0

In its newest adaptation of the famous fairy tale, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is gliding up the box office charts. Fans of the movie will surely be delighted to know that one of Emma Watson’s most beautiful outfits has been made right here in India.

Kasam and Juma Sangar, two artisans from Bhuj, have embroidered one of the costumes worn by Belle, the movie’s protagonist played by Emma.

Image source: Youtube The made-in-India collaboration was made possible by the effort of Sinéad O’Sullivan, the movie’s assistant costume designer. Sinead is committed to the #whomademyclothes campaign, which strives to promote supply chain transparency and ethical sourcing in the global clothing industry.
Seeking fair-trade, responsibly sourced textiles, she reached out to the artisans in Gujarat. Brothers Kasam and Juma who are originally from the Bhuj region practise their craft in Mandvi. Both are experts in hand embroidery and employed aari, an intricate needlework technique, to design the French floral design on the bodice of Belle’s dress during a scene at the library. The two brothers have practiced mocha aari embroidery since they were teenagers, having learnt the craft from their late father Adam Sangar, a master craftsman who specialised in this needlework technique. The Sangar family is among the last of the community practicing the craft in its authentic avatar. However, the brothers also make room for innovation, like employing frames to create the embroidery more easily and replacing the traditional wood-handled aari needle with a hooked needle. In an interview with University of Warwick, Kasam Sagar has emphasized their preference for buyers who appreciate the history and intricacy of the craft, while also ruing the lack of local demand for their products. Aari is a painstaking process, and the Sangar family’s embroidery is often exported to other countries and also displayed in many prestigious museums and exhibits.
You might also like: 5 Desi Designers Who Helped India Win the Prestigious International Fashion Showcase Award in London
Not only that, a substantial amount of sourcing was also done in India, according to Sinead who was part of the team put together by Jacqueline Durran, the movie’s chief costume designer. The young designer shared her insights and experiences on social media, highlighting the emphasis on using “ethical, fair-trade and sustainable fabrics wherever possible.” Jacqueline has also mentioned in an interview to People that Emma’s emphasis on ethical clothing moved her to stick closely to sustainable practices.
“Because Emma is so interested in sustainability and fair trade, eco fabrics and eco fashion, we applied those criteria to making a costume from head to toe,” she said.
In addition to the embroidery done on Emma’s outfit, fair-trade co-operatives in India have contributed many of the fabrics sourced for the movie, including Belle’s iconic “red cape look.”

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. NEW: Click here to get positive news on WhatsApp!

Why an IIT Bombay Grad Is Working with Independent Musicians in Rural India and Taking Them Global

$
0
0

What is the future of an independent musician in India, especially if he/she belongs to a small village? Why is the image of indie music restricted to a festival or a pub in a city with a certain age group of people, listening to a band over a glass of beer? Or, why are the masses only listening to film music, when our country has such diversity of sounds and musical expressions? These were the questions playing on Kavish Seth’s mind when he was a student of Chemistry at IIT Bombay. At the time, he was about to start his own musical journey, writing songs and planning to cut an album.

Kavish always wondered how far his music would go if he restricted himself to the indie music scene in the cities, as it exists currently.

[caption id="attachment_92353" align="aligncenter" width="277"] Kavish Seth[/caption]
“I knew that at the most my album will be heard by my friends and relatives, and their friends and relatives. I was a local artist and my art was going to get restricted to my locality and it’s true for every indie artist in India. I was also clear that to grow as an artist, I need to reach out to my audiences and also collaborate with other musicians,” says Kavish
Kavish got his answers during the Jagriti Yatra, a train journey that brings hundreds of youths together to solve problems through entrepreneurship, when a co-traveler, Neha Arora, offered to work with him on finding a way to address this problem. Thus, the idea of Zubaan was formed – a musical project where indie artists collaborate and perform their own songs across the mainland, from streets to stages, villages to cities. The objective is to make indie music mainstream, which will happen through collaborations and concerts of indie artists across the local music scenes in our country.

They created a repeatable model – to bring musicians together in a place, let them collaborate with each other, and then create a public performance for the people to come and listen.

“Carrying the motto of “Apne geet, apni zubaan” (Our songs, our language), the only condition was that the songs and compositions should be original. Going amongst the people and performing on the street, or creating new performing places, was one of our ways to reach more audiences,” says Neha.

You may also like - Of Music, Mica and Mithai: The Fascinating Story of How Jhumri Telaiya Became a Legend
The model was simple, but the results turned out to be magical. The journey of Zubaan that started from Gorakhpur, soon went on to many other parts of India – to villages and towns to cities and even to Russia, when the artists were invited to perform at a concert in Moscow.
"Zubaan for me was something that would fit in the intersection of Film Making and Music so I jumped into it. Collaboration with n number of artists and hearing original music has now spoiled me, because it has opened the doors of my soul so much that I can't play the kind of music I can't connect to. Zubaan feeds my soul," says Nilay Singh, the beatboxer, percussionist and drummer of the Zubaan team.

Zubaan has formed chapters in Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Orissa and in Uttar Pradesh, and more than 30 artists have become part of the collective.

Raghvendra Kumar, an artist who plays the Mohan Veena and also manages the Varanasi chapter of Zubaan, explains his role, “Collaborating with different artists excites me, it helps us grow, create new things. As artists from different music scenes come together, collaborate, perform, the indie music scene gets bigger.It’s a long way ahead, and we are enjoying this ride”
Wardha, Gadchiroli and Kolkata chapters began this year and regular gigs have been happening in areas like Varanasi, Mumbai, Nagpur, Delhi, and Ranchi. Team Zubaan has also done college concerts at TISS and fests at Kolkata International Performing Arts Festival and the India Surf Festival.
You may also like - This Group of Poets, Musicians & Storytellers Creates Mesmerising Art from Life Stories
During their journey, the artists of Zubaan met some amazing artists like Padma Shri Jitendra Haripal from Orissa,well known for his song Rangabati, sung in Sambalpuri language.To their delight, he has offered to collaborate with the young lot of artists.

Collaborations with Bhojpuri singers and composers like Chandan Tiwari, Rekha Tiwari, and Shailendra Mishra, and senior Thumri artists like Sucharita Gupta and Shehnai artist Manohar Lal began from their Varanasi chapter.

Humare Bhojpuri geet ko desh bhar hum le jaa paye, isme Zubaan ki team, hum log prayas kar rahe hai. Bhojpuri sirf ashleel nahi hai, kuch logo ne isse ashleel kar diya hai, hum kaafi log acha kaam bhi kar rahe hai jo ki desh bhar le jaane ki koshish kar rahe hai,Bhojpuri sanskriti bohot rich hai
(We and team Zubaan are trying to take Bhojpuri songs to every corner of India. Bhojpuri songs are not vulgar. Some people have made it vulgar. But we are trying to spread the rich Bhojpuri culture),” says Bhojpuri singer and composer Shailendra Mishra.

Listen to these amazing artists with Zubaan in this short film.

https://youtu.be/WQUmc00HdjM The team not only connects the famous artists of their respective areas but also looks out for talent. One such artist is a farmer, Kunal Humane from Paradsinga village in Madhya Pradesh, who happens to be a wonderful singer and songwriter.
Mujh jaise kalakaar ko manch milna, aur shehar mein logo ke beech apne gaane ka mauka milna mere liye bohot khushnaseebi ki baat hai(It is a privilege for an artist like me to get a stage and a chance to sing among the urban audience),” he says.

Another mesmerizing singer and composer who collaborated with Zubaan at their Mumbai chapter is Chintamani, a koli singer.

Listen to his composition here . [caption id="attachment_92366" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Chintamani[/caption] “We belong to the fisherman community. My grandfather then my father and then me, we all wrote and performed on our own songs. Collaborating with Zubaan has given me audience other than the usual ones I was satisfied with. Moreover, there is so much to learn when you meet other artists from various states,” says Chintamani.
You may also like - The Melange of Poetry, Music and Storytelling That Has Made Pune Embrace Urdu Literature
The need to find their own sound and connect with people has led to the invention of new musical instruments as well. Kavish has designed Noori, which is going to be patented soon. Poornaprajna Kulkarni from Karnataka has made Poorna Veena, while Parvindar from Nagpur is making an instrument that is a fusion of Cajon and Swaramandal. Zubaan is in the process of releasing their songs, made as a result of all these collaborations.

Watch what happens when the musicians from Banaras and Maharashtra collaborate with the hidden talents in Orissa -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYPVoJrvCgQ The Vidarbha Chapter is also about to start, where artists from Vidarbha will collaborate with artists from different parts of the country. If you wish to contribute/participate/sponsor you can contact Zubaan at zubaanmusic@gmail.com or on their Facebook page. If you wish to call artists to your place/locality for collaborations or concerts, you can contact Zubaan at zubaanmusic@gmail.com or on their Facebook page.

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. NEW: Click here to get positive news on WhatsApp!

This Unique Crafts Village in Kerala Sets an Example of How Tourism Can Help Rural Artisans

$
0
0

How does a young person, who is born deaf and dumb communicate his feelings? How does he express his artistic skills? More so for a young person whose parents are coolies and uneducated. How do they raise such a child? It is a very difficult question, particularly to most of us, who do not have this disability. There are so many questions to it. But when we see A K Arun at his art, all questions cease to exist. Shri A K Arun was born on April 10, 1987, (29 years) at Villiappally (Vadakara) in Kozikode District of Kerala to parents who were very poor. He was born deaf and dumb and perhaps the parents gave up even trying for his treatment. Despite such disability, he attended the Rotary Special School, Vadakara and completed his SSC. He was interested in fine arts like drawing, painting etc., and somehow managed to join the Kerala School of Arts, Thalassery, and completed the Kerala Government Certificate Examination in Fine Arts.

His heart and skill lay in painting and sculpting. As a freelance artist he earned around Rs. 2,500/- per month. But his fortune changed when he was identified by the CEO and other staff of Sargaalaya.

Sargaalaya is a unique tourist destination, a soothing experience for every visitor. Sargaalaya Kerala Arts and Crafts village is an initiative of Department of Tourism, Govt. of Kerala. It was established at Iringal, Kozikode district and inaugurated on February 19, 2011 as a part of responsible tourism project in 20 acres of land on the banks of Moorad River, close to National Highway in Iringal, Kozhikode. Started as a venture for the development of Traditional Arts and Crafts of India, with specific focus on Kerala, this has become one of the major tourist attractions of Kerala. Along with international travellers, 2.9 lakh people visited the spot last year. Sargaalaya has been awarded India’s Best Rural Tourism Project by the Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India. The project is managed by the Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society Ltd. The craft village is a cluster of skilled artisans - a group that makes majestic craft pieces and another group that performs the traditional art forms. Visitors to the Crafts village are encouraged to interact and learn from these talented artisans. There are 27 cottages in the craft villages where more than 60 varieties of crafts are made by hand. With the rare combination of art and tourism, the village paves a platform for the development of traditional artisans. The whole traditional industry of Arts and Handicrafts is getting boosted with ample opportunity for sale of their products and they are given brand protection as well. The large number of art lovers and tourists can witness live display of craftsmanship.

Sargaalaya conducts a two-week Annual Arts and Crafts Festival during last week of December every year.

Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India, Dept. of Tourism, Govt. of Kerala and NABARD, SZCC, Thanjavur are supporting Sargaalaya for the Sargaalaya International Arts and Crafts Festival. It is at Sargaalaya that Arun honed his skills. He participated in the Puthukotta-style terracotta workshop, which was organized at Sargaalaya during May 2015. Arun had the opportunity to experience the making and moulding of the unique terracotta sculptures. Through such workshops and other training programmes, Arun got the necessary exposure to different techniques of Fired Clay Sculptures, detailed training on techniques involved in making Terracotta Crafts and he got opportunities to interact with senior artists and sculptors. His sculptures of birds, animals etc., are drawn from nature and are extremely realistic. Thanks to the dedicated team of Sargaalaya, raw material for all the 60+ artisans, including Arun is arranged by Sargaalaya and marketing is also taken care of by the organization. Arun has been provided a separate stall with all facilities and given full freedom to pursue his craft. He is now earning around Rs.20,000 per month, and is also provided housing at Sargaalaya. The artisan is grateful to Sargaalaya for the opportunity. The ideal combination of Sargaalaya and the artisans is a win-win situation for both. Sargaalaya provides the infrastructure, raw material, stay arrangements, training inputs, marketing platform and the artisans blissfully create their craft in a serene atmosphere. For the visitor, it is an amazing experience to witness first-hand the skill of such renowned artisans. Let us hope such initiatives are replicated elsewhere. (Written by K.L Vinaya)

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. NEW: Click here to get positive news on WhatsApp!

Years Ago, a Calcutta-Born Photographer Captured Charles Darwin, Alfred Lord Tennyson & More

$
0
0

“Oh, Mystery of Beauty! Who can tell Thy mighty influence, who can best descry How secret, subtle and swift is the spell Wherein the music of thy voice doth lie?” The composer of the above verse, Julia Margaret Cameron, was a seeker of beauty. She was born in India more than 200 years ago in the City of Joy, Calcutta, in 1815, but her rebirth as a photographer happened at the age of 48, when her daughter and son-in- law gifted a sliding box camera to her, "It may amuse you, Mother, try to photograph during your solitude at Freshwater."

The Christmas present that was meant for amusement turned to be a serious adventurous exploration and in the decade that followed, she created a body of work that still mesmerizes.

[caption id="attachment_92949" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Julia Margaret Cameron. Photograph by Henry Herschel Hay Cameron.[/caption] Born in a well-to-do family to Scottish father James Pattel, a British East India Company official, and French aristocrat mother Adeline de l’Etang, she was fluent in French, English and Hindi and often spoke in Hindi with her sisters. On her tour to South Africa with her family, she met two of the most important people of her life, her future husband Mr. Charles Hay Cameron, a jurist who had collaborated with Lord Macaualy on drafting Indian Penal Code as well worked on other law and education reforms in India, and her mentor Sir John Herschal. "I began with no knowledge of the art," wrote Julia. Photography was then in its infancy, it was an arduous task for Cameron to deal with a bulky camera with a tripod, exposure that lasted for 3 to 8 minutes and handling hazardous chemicals like cyanide. But the Victorian photographer’s indomitable spirit made her surmount all odds of the beginner and transformed her into an artist with a unique style.

Her unconventional style of soft focus, streaks, smudges and scratches became the hallmark of her photography.

[caption id="attachment_92950" align="aligncenter" width="982"] Camera lens which reputedly belonged to Julia Margaret Cameron[/caption] She turned her coal house into a dark room and a glazed fowl house into a glass room. Within a few weeks, she rejoiced in the revelry of her first successful portrait, she was so happy that she searched the entire house for the choicest gift for the little model Annie Philpot. She practiced the wet collodion process and made egg-based contact prints from the glass negative. The erstwhile fowl house became her den where she arrested poet, prophets, painters and other luminaries, including her friends, family and neighbors, in front of her camera. The pioneering photographer was also a prolific letter writer. Apart from others, she regularly corresponded with Sir John Herschel, who coined the term photography. He kept her abreast with the latest development in photography. She wrote in reverence to him “you were my first teacher and to you I owe the first experience and insights.” She partly named her youngest son Herschel after him, who also became a photographer.

She was a great portraitist and photographing great souls was an embodiment of prayer and reflection of their inner self.

[caption id="attachment_92957" align="aligncenter" width="2000"] Photographs taken by Julia. (L to R) Annie, Charles Darwin, Alfred Tennyson, John Frederick William Herschel[/caption] Some of the distinguished people she photographed were the scientists Charles Darwin and Sir John Herschel; the poets Robert Browning, Henry Taylor, Alfred Lord Tennyson, and Henry Longfellow; the painter G. F. Watts, Marianne North and Marie Spartali; and the historian and philosopher Thomas Carlyle. Famous Shakespearian actress Ellen Terry, noted writer Annie Thackery and Alice Liddel, the muse of Lewis Carrol’s Alice in Wonderland were also photographed by her. The famous American photographer, Imogen Cunningham, had commented "I'd like to see portrait photography go right back to Julia Margaret Cameron. I don't think there's anyone better." A pre-Raphaelite aesthete with a quintessential Victorian soul, her images was seeped in biblical stories, literature, paintings and poetry. From St. Agnes to Sappho, Madonna to Merlin, Beatrice Cenci to Browning’s Sordello, Iago to Idylls of the King and others found a place in her oeuvre. She illustrated the Arthurian poem Idylls of the King when requested by her neighbor, Alfred Tennyson.

She also harboured literary pursuits - published poetry and translated German. Literature might have been her first love but it was with photography that she had a rebellion romance.

[caption id="attachment_92980" align="aligncenter" width="2000"] Photographs by Julia. (L to R) Henry Taylor, Robert Browning, Julia Jackson, Paul and Virginia[/caption] Her romance with photography also resulted in marriage between a gentleman and one of her maid-cum-muses. According to Cameron’s account Mr. Cotton fell in love with her maid Mary Ryan after looking at one of her photographs. The premier Cotton College of Guwhati is named after him. She raised Mary Ryan, whom she found in an impoverished condition, along with five children of her own and five children of her relatives. A benevolent woman and generous hostess, while in India she served as a society hostess to the governor general Lord Hardinge, and many eminent friends were guests at her home, especially at Freshwater. The famous author Virginia Woolf wrote her only play based on her great aunt Julia Margaret Cameron and her Freshwater circle titled ‘Freshwater.’ The house they lived in at Freshwater, named Dimbola Lodge after their coffee plantation estate in Ceylon, is now a museum permanently dedicated to life and works of Cameron. The Victoria and Albert Museum celebrated her bicentenary and the 150 years of the only exhibition in her lifetime, to whose founding owner, Mr. Cole, she had sold her photographs. Apart from the photographs, The Royal Photography Society of London, still treasures a Jamin lens she used. Dr. M.Pritchard, Director General, RPS, rightly remarked, “She created a new aesthetic and was a female photographer who was successful role model for other women photographers and she inspired and influenced other women”.

Critics of the day were not favourable to her unorthodox ways, but her attempt to ennoble photography as a high art found a voice among the photo secessionist.

[caption id="attachment_92981" align="aligncenter" width="2000"] Photographs by Julia. (L to R) Kate Keown and Elizabeth Keown, Mary Hillier, Whisper of the Muse, Ellen Terry[/caption] In the ebb of her life, she, along with her husband, moved to Ceylon owing to financial and health issues. She photographed the natives but her overall engagement with photography declined. Probably as an artist she knew had accomplished a body of work that would stand the test of time. A fragment of her unfinished autobiography “Annals of the Glass House" mentions, “I longed to arrest all the beauty that came before me and at length the longing has been satisfied." It was published posthumously. The seeker of beauty was snuffed to eternal silence on January 26, 1879, but the last word she whispered was “beautiful”. A word that often describes her work as a photographer. (Written by Rajiv Runthala)
About the author: Rajiv Runthala is a freelance writer, photographer and filmmaker, an alumni of FTII, Pune. He has worked in various national and international productions and have been recently associated with films like Vishal Bhardwaj's Rangoon and Ashim Ahuliawalia's Daddy.d

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. NEW: Click here to get positive news on WhatsApp!

TBI Blogs: Why the ‘Make in India’ Movement Might Just Be What the Indigenous Arts & Crafts of India Need

$
0
0

The ‘Make in India’ programme is an ambitious nation-building initiative to encourage more multinational and overseas companies to invest in manufacturing in India. However, there are several small and large arts & crafts setups in India that will also benefit from the support of this movement. India’s 3,000 crafts and millions of craftsmen in the Art & Craft space present the country with a large opportunity for Make in India. The Arts & Crafts born from hundreds of years of traditions, apprenticeship, and improvisations can easily be leveraged to create big Make in India opportunities for India’s rural and urban youth. The designs, the expertise, processes, and materials exist. All that’s required is repositioning and rethinking to make it attractive for the youth to join, the country to buy, and for the export market to be tapped. With the renewed interest throughout the world in things natural and organic, and in sustainable development, frugal engineering, and production, we need to revive what we have always had for centuries.

Positioning – Design(ed) in India

It is important to focus on Design(ed) in India products with India’s traditional and modern imagination. Skills that have created so many new geometrical, mathematical, scientific, and aesthetic models need to be (re)presented to Indians and the world. Similar to IITs ranking amongst the top talent pools in the world, our National Institutes of Design (NIDs), and scores of new Design Institutes, need to showcase to the world through their illustrious alumni. We can introduce our soft power to the world through a bunch of our talented artists from the various arts who have made a name for themselves worldwide. They can be our ambassadors, and introduce Indian design expertise and sensibilities through their work.

Developing our Human Resources

As in the IT sector—where Indians used modern management techniques and global work culture to leapfrog the way of working, yet maintaining roots in the Indian ethos—we need to work with rural community leaders to help create a new work ethos by:
  • Creating an environment of Swachh Bharat in the villages, small factories, and offices of these arts & crafts that help attract the youth to these trades, and make them stay in the villages rather than go compete for a watchman’s job in the cities. Sustained electric supply, a few ACs, clean surroundings, and nicely designed workplaces with all the required resources and tools will make a huge difference to the youth wanting to join.
  • Having HR experts from institutes like TISS, XLRI, and others work with the Gram Panchayat and village-level social organisations. They can develop new and modern community structures. These will help the youth get appreciation for hard work, new ideas, attention to detail, and pride in their work. These qualities are more important than age-old reverence merely to the elderly, and old (often caste-based) social structures.
  • Having a number of designers, NID-like institutions, and master craftsmen create training modules and apprentices. These can teach the youth the traditions, materials, motifs, and processes of the crafts, and modern developments in equal measure. Have the youth work on modern interpretations of the arts & crafts to make today’s utility items. Seeing the world using and appreciating their products will greatly motivate them.
[caption id="attachment_92998" align="aligncenter" width="640"]Artisans work environment Clean and comfortable work environments will attract the youth.[/caption]

Capacity Demonstrators: Manufacturing Setups and Product Showcases

Each state can create a showcase model of the best “clean and modern” manufacturing setups, HR models, and product showcases. Other crafts in the state, or other related crafts around the country, can then replicate these. These are great ways to showcase capacities to buyers and the world to seek outsourced manufacturing opportunities from related industries.

Villages that are experts: auto industry-like specialization

The Art & Craft manufacturing processes can get specialised by breaking them up into smaller focused activities. Neighbouring villages can then do these focused activities. They will help bring in quality, innovations, and pride into each step of the process. Along the way, they will also teach the trade communities to work together to make world-class products. [caption id="attachment_93000" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Workplaces that set a way of working! Artisans D’Angkor, Siem Reap, Cambodia.[/caption]

Green Manufacturing: traditional eco-friendly materials and processes

Most of the Arts & Crafts have the ethos of lean, frugal, and green manufacturing. We must give the “reduced carbon footprint” of these manufacturing setups a monetary value. In turn, we can use it for funding the infrastructure, training, and marketing activities for these crafts. We must promote green manufacturing through incentives. Fiscal benefits and thorough recognition to such honourable efforts can go a long way to attracting talent.

Support the entire value chain!

[caption id="attachment_93002" align="aligncenter" width="640"]Displaying Handicrafts Displaying and marketing crafts through modern retail formats.[/caption] All the effort will come to nought, however, if we don’t sell goods, and generate business for these capacities. We must participate in world-class retail formats and properties. Showcasing these products at malls, lifestyle stores, airports, and modern trade shows in India and abroad will make this sustainable. Many startups will seize these opportunities as they develop and create capacities in design, manufacturing, and marketing. The Government just needs to be a true facilitator with measurable objectives across the value chain. It can help entrepreneurs bridge all requirements of Human Resources, Finance, Infrastructure, Regulatory Support, and Marketing frameworks. It can work, and it’s slowly happening. Heart for Art Trust works with many arts & crafts across India, giving a marketing platform to the design and manufacturing capacities that have already been created across the country. If you know artisans Heart for Art can support, please share details of the same via email or Facebook.

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. NEW: Click here to get positive news on WhatsApp!

TBI Blogs: How a School in Rural Tamil Nadu Is Using Traditional Theatre to Empower Marginalised Youth

$
0
0

Cal Brackin talks about joining a school in rural Tamil Nadu that promotes holistic youth development through traditional Kattaikkuttu theatre as part of the William J. Clinton Fellowship for Service in India. I currently live in a rural area between three towns. In the mornings, I run to these towns to build a sense of place and to meet local community members. The nearest village of Ayyangarkulam is on a main road where traffic is constant. School and transit buses rumble through, blaring baritone horns. Ayyangarkulam is a weaver city. Off the main road are homes where open windows offer views of weavers sitting at their looms. The village of Kolivakkam is situated off the main road, and has been described to me as a village at the end of a road. I’ve run through the town and found that the road indeed stops at a dry riverbed. Small traffic moves in and out, but not through. I’ve met several people who, over time, have become my friends. They’ve served me coffee, popped open coconuts for drinking, and lit off holiday fireworks. It is a place where I have built relationships and become fully immersed in the community of a rural village.

Kattaikkuttu Sangam uses professional theatre training alongside academics to develop children in holistic ways.

Village of Aiyankarkulam This is where I begin learning how to support the Kattaikkuttu Sangam organization. It is a social mission-driven, grassroots performing arts organization that uses the integration of academic education and performing arts training to promote, contemporize, and make sustainable the unique theatre form of Northern Tamil Nadu, Kattaikkuttu. It’s a place where holistic development of children is valued and practiced through academic education, supportive social bonds, and professional theatre arts training. [caption id="attachment_93198" align="aligncenter" width="500"]P. Rajagopal teaching children a new song. P. Rajagopal teaching children a new song.[/caption] The organization’s philosophy is inspired by its founder P. Rajagopal. When P. Rajagopal was a child, he was taken out of academics to perform Kattaikkuttu. He traveled and performed with his family in all-night Kuttu theatre. Eventually, he became an outstanding performer well-known throughout the region.

His theatre practice took him abroad to Europe, where he performed, before returning to India to embark on a larger dream.

Kattaikkuttu Performance While he enjoyed being a Kattaikkuttu performer, he was saddened that young children had to quit schooling in order to perform. He dreamt of creating a school where students could pursue academic education while learning the art of Kattaikkuttu. In 1987, he met researcher Dr. Hanne de Bruin, with whom he shared his vision of building a school. As their relationship blossomed, so did their plans for creating a school. They first started a school out of their home, and in 2004 began building the current school. On seven acres of land, children receive daily instruction on skills that they build toward mastery, which they use to create group performances that are bigger than what they individually can do. The qualities of kindness, loving, and supporting others are outcomes of a holistic educational environment. Learning their crafts builds confidence in their abilities. The community aspect of theatre builds their sense of belonging.

The gritty competition common in western schools is not prevalent, but instead one finds teamwork and a sense of helping others.

Classes at Kattaikkuttu Sangam What is my role here? As a Fellow, I mainly work alongside the junior staff, update the curriculum with English teachers from the U.K., and execute grant and NGO activities. I’ve learned that whatever being involved in development is, it requires abilities to work across professions. It means learning about the skills of others and trying to use their talents to accomplish things bigger than themselves. [caption id="attachment_93216" align="aligncenter" width="500"]Cal Brackin Cal Brackin[/caption] The ambitious goals of the school require a high level of multi-tasking by everyone and working beyond one’s duties. At the end of each day, there is always more to be done. But I try to remind myself that it should not come at the cost of what matters most—being engaged in the lives of every child and staff member here. Find out more about the Kattaikkuttu Sangam and how you can help here.
Featured Image Source: Kattaikkuttu Sangam

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. NEW: Click here to get positive news on WhatsApp!


TBI Blogs: How Amitabh Kumar Is Raising Awareness About Animal Cruelty in India Through a Gigantic Mural

$
0
0

Art can be a great driver for social change. Encapsulating that sentiment, mural artist Amitabh Kumar talks about creating a mural that captures the suffering of battery hens in India. Last month, artist Amitabh Kumar returned from painting a mural on the boundary wall of a dump yard in Delhi. At 20 feet x 30 feet, the arresting image of a confined hen is part of a larger campaign to raise awareness about the way eggs are produced commercially, with hens confined to cages so small that they can’t even stretch their wings.

Q: Why is this an issue you feel strongly about?

Amitabh: I’ve been heavily influenced by reading the philosopher John Gray, who challenges the way that we as humans assume that we are the superior species. This prompted further thought about this issue, and seeing a video of the conditions for battery hens really shocked me. The conditions that these animals go through are just plain cruel. In that sense, I found agency in what I was doing, and in being part of this larger campaign. [caption id="attachment_93435" align="aligncenter" width="4928"] Battery-cage chickens in India.[/caption]

Q: Tell us about the process of painting this mural.

A: I draw freehand, and when you’re drawing at that scale, it takes time to get the anatomy right—a day and a half, in this case. For this, I used a brush on the end of an eight-foot bamboo stick, for which I had help from my friend, the artist Siddhartha Kararwal. After that, I used water-based enamel paint, as we were working on tiles. On the last day of execution, I also had help from Anpu Varkey, one of the more prominent Indian artists in the mural scene.

Q: How important was selecting the site?

A: The architecture in that place was perfect. I needed a certain scale, but I also wanted it to be very claustrophobic. The solid roof at the top gives the sense of something pressing down on you. You don’t quite see the full form of the chicken, so it’s almost like it’s being crushed. The overpowering, feral nature of a dump yard was also fitting in terms of what I was trying to say about the conditions hens are kept in. It wasn’t an easy process though, as there was some degree of wariness about working with the politics of what I wanted to create. In fact, the first site fell through, so when I landed in Delhi to begin the work, there was no wall lined up! A friend put me in touch with Friendicoes, a veterinary hospital with a boundary wall. But it was small, and not really what I was looking for. But there I met a lady named Mrs. Duggal, who was able to put me in touch with Mr. Abhishek Garg, the area’s local corporator. I met him that evening. The next morning, his representative took me around to see potential sites, and by the afternoon, I’d cleaned the wall up, bought paint, and began.

Q: What was it like to paint in a dump yard?

A: It was interesting. People come there with their faces covered to dump trash. Usually, they’d want to leave as soon as possible. Despite this, what was really noticeable was that they were willing to linger and ask me questions. Some even came back.

Q: What reactions have you had?

A: It took three and a half days total, and people engaged with it throughout the process. Because I draw layer by layer, at first, the questions and comments were more general, asking me why I was painting, or telling me that it was a great initiative. As I progressed, people started to engage more with the image, asking questions about what I was creating. At one stage, there was a lot of guesswork going on as to what the creature was. A lion? A dinosaur? Someone even asked if it was Indira Gandhi! Children from a nearby school would chat about whose guess was right. But by the last day everyone got it — it became clear that this was a bird. That was the point at which conversations started about why I had painted a bird like this.

Q: What do you hope people will take away from the mural?

A: What guided me was the idea of putting the viewer into the same position as the hen. The idea was to make a beast, so that you are overwhelmed with some of the same feelings that the chicken must feel. I had to tone the menacing, fearful aspect down a bit, considering the location, and make it into an image that people could actually look at and talk about. It’s estimated that approximately 18 crore egg-laying hens live in battery cages in India. Each bird has less space than a single A4 piece of paper. In 2012, the Animal Welfare Board of India passed a resolution, recommending that battery cages for egg-laying hens be phased out by January 2017. However, the policy is yet to be adopted. Join HSI/India’s ask to end battery cages, and sign the petition here.

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. NEW: Click here to get positive news on WhatsApp!

IN PHOTOS: Kochi-Muziris Biennale, One of India’s Biggest Art Shows, Is a Feast for All Senses

$
0
0

It’s only March, but the temperature in Kochi is already soaring. In spite of the heat, the streets of Fort Kochi are filled with visitors cycling or riding (the brave hearts walk, but it’s a tough call) all over the heritage district. It is after all, the final days of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2016, one of India’s biggest contemporary art events, which brings together an array of artists from all over the world.

In its third edition, the Biennale has been curated by artist Sudarshan Shetty, featuring the works of over 100 artists pertaining to the theme ‘forming in the pupil of an eye’.

Pyramid of Exiles, an installation at Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2016 Founded by the Kochi-Biennale Foundation in collaboration with the Kerala Government, the four-month-long exhibition is spread across venues in Fort Kochi, Ernakulam and other parts of Muziris. The primary venues of the exhibition are Fort Kochi landmarks like Aspinwall House, Cabral Yard, Pepper House and Ernakulam’s Durbar Hall. But the exhibition extends beyond regular gallery spaces, with artworks showcased in old, abandoned warehouses, heritage buildings, cafes and public spaces. In addition to the main venues, a number of collateral shows and events are organised in venues across Fort Kochi, turning the area into a massive one-of-its-kind exhibition space. The artworks on display encompass a variety of forms and genre, from paintings and sculptures to video installations and live performances.
You might also like: In Photos: Pune's Old Wadas Stand Tall Amid High-Rises as Reminders of a Bygone Era
The first Kochi-Muziris Biennale was held in December 2012, and witnessed over 400,000 visitors in the course of four months. Since then, both the number of artists and visitors has only increased. The range of work on display is wide, and truly inspiring — not only does it provide a platform for some incredible showcase of art, it has also served to turn a sleepy port town into a vibrant space for travellers. Sculptures by Himmat Shah on display at Durbar Hall, Ernakulam A collateral exhibition at Mandalay Hall Contemporary dancer Padmini Chettur and her dance company perform Varnam Refugee, a marble sculpture by Alex Seton Gary Hill's multimedia artwork on display at Durbar Hall A wooden sculpture by TV Santhosh Victor Hazra's installation at a KMB collateral Yuko Mohri's sonic-kinetic installation at Aspinwall House Praneet Soi's coir sculptures at Pepper House Elevating a derelict Anand Warehouse into a space for art A video installation by AES+F Sunil Padwal's exhibits on display at Aspinwall House Ghost Keeping by István Csákány An outdoor exhibit at Anand Warehouse, during KMB 2016 Martin Walde's Multiple Choice on display at Aspinwall House Tears of the Taj Mahal, a calligraphic poem by Ouyang Jianghe Yardena Kurulkar's Taphephobia on display at MAP Project Space A 19th-century marble bust with further carving by Jonathan Owen Images credit: Yudhajit Mitra For more information on the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2016, head to the official website.

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. NEW: Click here to get positive news on WhatsApp!

TBI Blogs: The Inspiring Journey of Polio Survivor and India’s “Pele of Percussion”, Ghatam Suresh Vaidyanathan

$
0
0

A polio survivor who lives life on his own terms, Ghatam Suresh Vaidyanathan has created a career and legacy for himself that far surpasses many others in his field. This Carnatic music virtuoso has been called the ‘Pele of Percussion’ in honour of his prodigal skills.

Born into a family of musicians, Ghatam Suresh Vaidyanathan is now a legend in his own right. Known for his flawless technique and unique style, today, his talents are in demand all over the world. Whether it’s playing for Carnatic music lovers in India, or collaborating with an orchestra in Australia, he has made a name for himself as a true musician.

Keeping It In The Family

Though all the children in the family were exposed to music, Suresh says that he and his elder brother, Rajasekar, were the only ones who wanted to take it up seriously. Rajasekar would escort him to the music school, and eventually he got trained himself. He reminisces, “I used to keep hitting whatever was nearby with my hands, like small boxes and small utensils.” His grandfather, a musician at heart though not by profession, saw the potential in his grandsons, and took them to a nearby music school to continue their education. His teacher, T.R. Harihara Sharma, the father of renowned musician Vikku Vinayakram, helped shape his path. Vikku Vinayakram, on noticing his deep love for ghatam, gave Suresh his first taste of being a performer by inviting him to play the ghatam during his performances.
He reminisces, “Vikku Vinayakram took me on as his special student and taught me all the intricate nuances of ghatam with passion. I have shared the stage with him only on a couple of occasions in the recent past, where he openly appreciated my achievements.”
Bolstered by his support, Suresh became more determined to take music seriously. The turning point was when an uncle who had watched him play told his father to take him to see TV Gopalakrishnan. It paid off, and at the age of 13, he began learning from the great innovator. The Government of India granted him a scholarship to pursue his musical education further. But it was under TV Gopalakrishnan’s tutelage that he would meet and rub shoulders with the top musicians of that time.

His teacher also taught him the ins and outs of the music world.

[caption id="attachment_93118" align="aligncenter" width="5472"]Ghatam Suresh Vaidyanathan Ghatam Suresh Vaidyanathan during a performance.[/caption]
Suresh says, “Mr. TV Gopalakrishnan used to take me with him all around India to play, and that gave me a platform and the boost I needed to become a more vibrant ghatam player. That was the beginning of my career.”

Overcoming Polio And Finding Happiness

Though his family was filled with musicians, no one had considered that Suresh could go professional. A Polio survivor, one of his legs was shorter than the other, which was a source of concern for his parents. He explains, “My father was more concerned about my studies and my health, and getting surgeries done for my Polio.” A pragmatic man, Suresh’s father was unsure about encouraging his son to take up music full-time.
Suresh says, “My parents were never for me being a professional musician for two reasons. First, because the music profession is not easy or permanent, and there is no regular income. The second is that they thought that I would always need someone to support me, take me around, and help me move my instruments, because of my disability.”
He admits that he can’t blame them, “When I used to play concerts when I was a teen, and even in my 20s, they would come with me wherever I went. My father would carry my instruments, and sometimes even me.” When he was diagnosed with Polio as a child, his mother was his biggest motivator. “Right from the day I was struck with Polio, she was the person who motivated me. She told me, ‘You can sit, you can stand up. You can walk. Don’t worry if you’re limping, there are so many people who don’t have legs of the same size.’ She didn’t have a medical or psychiatric background, but she was doing it as my mother, and helped me overcome whatever depression I felt,” Suresh confides.
[caption id="attachment_93119" align="aligncenter" width="500"]Ghatam Suresh Vaidyanathan Ghatam Suresh Vaidyanathan with his favoured instrument.[/caption]

The Path To Professional Music

Suresh’s father encouraged him to find a desk job, and he was soon on his way to Delhi to begin his career. However, the lure of concerts was stronger. Suresh quit his job in the capital and returned to Chennai because of the expansive music scene. After working for some time in LIC, and finding love along the way, Suresh found himself longing to pursue music as a profession. After talking to his wife, Suresh gave up his 9-to-5 job and dedicated himself to the ghatam. He says, “She told me to follow my passion, and that whatever comes, we’d face it.” His musical career was already in full swing, and he was in demand as a concert player, both in India and abroad. Suresh believes that musicians have a responsibility to themselves as well as to their audiences.
He says, “I had covered almost the whole country, but that was not enough. To be a percussionist, you have to be a learner and an optimum performer. It’s not enough if your calendar is filled and you become more and more busy and perform in different places. At one point, I thought, ‘I should be looked upon as a musician of accomplishment.’”
Suresh said he began considering factors he had not explored before like, “Which stage would give me the most exposure? Where could I play my best? Which artists would give me the motivation and room to play?”

Looking Back: Putting Things In Perspective

[caption id="attachment_93116" align="aligncenter" width="5472"]Ghatam Suresh Vaidyanathan A Ghatam Suresh Vaidyanathan performance.[/caption] Almost two decades later, Suresh believes he made the right choice. He says, “The younger generation look to me as someone who can guide them with just one performance.” At a recent performance, he was thrilled to see a band of young musicians who admired his work and waited to meet him after the show. He says, “All this is possible only because I was able to work more on the technical side, and now I’m being celebrated as someone who has revolutionized ghatam techniques.” He credits his success to Vinayakram and his other guru, Narayanaswamy Iyer. Both his teachers had distinct styles which influenced his playing, and have helped to mould his skills. Today, Suresh has his own students who are influenced by his unmistakable style. He says, proudly, “Now, when people hear them playing, they can say, ‘They’re following Ghatam Suresh.’ This is what I would call my humble achievement.”

Changing Attitudes Toward Disabilities

Though his career has been a successful one, Suresh did face challenges. He remembers, “If someone says, ‘This guy is not good, he doesn’t play well, his attitude is bad’, that’s acceptable. But if someone says, ‘This guy has a disability, don’t depend on him. He’ll be troublesome to take on a tour’, that’s totally unethical.” He found that many people used his disability as an excuse to ignore his talent, and it made him all the more determined to overcome the challenge.
“I decided that people should look at me and see only my performance, not my appearance. I’ve never asked a co-musician to help me carry my instrument, or even climb the stairs. I can do my job independently,” Suresh says with quiet confidence.
These days, Suresh plays with a lot of Western musicians, and he says that their attitudes are very different. He says, “The first time they meet me, it’s a little bit of a shock for them. But then there are no more thoughts or questions about it, which I think is a big success for a person who has an issue which was never his choice.”
Suresh feels, “The attitude change in India is more visible, because Westerners don’t care about how a person dresses or what he looks like. I’ve always told my co-musicians that I require no special treatment, but should receive respect for my achievements.”
Ghatam Suresh is one of India’s foremost musical talents today. He has come a long way from playing his first Carnatic-Jazz concert with his guru alongside then-new-arrival AR Rahman. With collaborations with musical giants under his belt, Ghatam Suresh Vaidyanathan is a force to reckon with, and he did it all his own way. Originally published on KnowYourStar. Visit our website for more such articles, or hop by our Facebook page for daily inspiration.

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. NEW: Click here to get positive news on WhatsApp!

One Man Wants to Change the Landscape of Indian Cinema by Training Kids to Become Filmmakers

$
0
0

Through Cinevidya, cinematographer-producer Amitabha Singh is trying to take filmmaking to children in all corners of India.
"Cinema is a very potent medium; a medium with mass reach as well as mass relevance. Aside from that, I feel that it is the medium of the young and the future. It allows the perfect blend of creativity and technology. That is the reason I want to bring this medium to children,” says Amitabha Singh, cinematographer, producer and the brain behind the initiative Cinevidya.

Amitabha started Cinevidya in 2016 with the aim of helping children express through this wonderful medium. With Cinevidya, he has been conducting filmmaking workshops as well as film festivals for children.

[caption id="attachment_93688" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Amitabha Singh[/caption] A Film and Television Institute of India(FTII) pass out, Amitabha has been working as a cinematographer and producer in the industry for over a decade. Known for his work in Khosla ka Ghosla and The Good Road, Amitabha has worked on different children’s films like Chillar Party and his directorial venture Shortcut Safari.
“I have worked with many child actors in my career. I could always see the kind of passion cinema ignited in them! Cinema does that to you- if you find your medium of expression in cinema, it captures your interest immediately. However, children aren’t exposed to this craft at all. You learn how to write, paint, and dance and to practice so many other art forms during school years, but the craft of filmmaking remains distant,” he says.
When asked if he wants to focus more on education through cinema, filmmaking or film appreciation, Amitabha laughs and makes it clear that he only wants to demystify cinema for children. He wishes to take the ‘awe’ factor out of it and make cinema, filmmaking in particular, easy for and accessible to children.
“We attach too much seriousness to cinema. I mean sure, the masters are masters and what they did and are doing is amazing. But that shouldn’t burden a child’s creativity. If you deal with cinema as a serious subject while teaching a 10-year-old, he or she might get petrified and feel that it’s too complicated for him or her. I don’t want that to happen,” he says.

Also read:Exotic Venues & Unique Themes: These 7 Film Festivals Celebrate Cinema with a Difference!
Owing to his thought, Cinevidya’s three-day-long workshops are a mix of fun and learning. Over the course of these three days, children in the age group of 10-16 years watch films to understand the medium, are introduced to different aspects of filmmaking like screenwriting and editing and they also conceptualise and make a short film. “All of that in just three days?” I ask, incredulously!
“Well, I am not saying it’s a master’s degree course in three days,” laughs Amitabha. “The idea is to introduce children to filmmaking. We explain the basics and then let their creativity wander. What is important is for them to feel the need of expressing themselves through this medium. We are even open to conducting a 10-day workshop if the school or the institution allows us,” he says.
With film festivals, Amitabha wishes to take a bunch of finely curated films to children and hopes that these films will be able to bring about a positive change in all spheres of their lives.

In a country where good children’s cinema has become rare, a festival like Cinevidya would certainly be welcomed, he feels.

[caption id="attachment_93691" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Children at Cinevidya's film festival in Gujarat[/caption]
“If children are made aware of the brilliant content that is out there, they will become aware and accustomed to such fine content. As audience, they will demand such content and then the makers will have to provide for that demand,” he explains.
Amitabha wishes to cover over 30 cities, taking the series of film festivals and workshops to as many children as possible. He is currently trying to raise funds for his initiative and has taken the route of crowdfunding to try to find patrons who believe in his cause.
“I always believe that now is the time to start. I have this module and I know it has the potential to change lives of many children. I am positive I will be able to make my dream come true,” he concludes.

Also read: Last Year, Tanmay Shah Took up a Challenge to Make 52 Films in a Year & He’s All Set to Do It Again!
You can contribute to Cinevidya’s fundraiser here. To know more about Cinevidya, visit its official Facebook page here.

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. NEW: Click here to get positive news on WhatsApp!

Transgender Women Around India Are Discovering the Joy of Art With Help From a Bengaluru Muralist

$
0
0

“I don’t have words to describe the experience,” says Poornima Sukumar. The Bengaluru-based artist is talking about her recent trip to Chennai, where she lived with 40 trans women in their house. From the vibrant paints on their walls to eating with them, Poornima is jubilant about her experience. However, Poornima wasn’t just visiting the Tamil Nadu capital — she was there for the latest project of Aravani Art Project that showcases the transgender community in a new shade.

A one-of-a-kind initiative, the Aravani Art Project encourages art among the transgender community and uses the medium to spread awareness about the community.

Poornima, whose specialisation lies in large murals and wall art, has been working with NGOs and projects for a long time. Her earliest interaction with the transgender community came when she began to help British documentary filmmaker Tabitha Breese on a movie about the community. Her friendship with many members of the community led her to conceptualise a project that would highlight their dilemmas and need for inclusion. “I am an artist and it wasn’t a tough decision for me to bring art into the project forefront,” she says. “Art makes people more relaxed. We wanted people to feel free.” Combining her artistic acumen with activism, Poornima conceptualised an art project that would offer the community a platform for expression and interaction with society.
You might also like: How a Former Lawyer Is Setting up India's First LGBTQ-Friendly Yoga Retreat in Goa
Starting from scratch, Poornima raised the funds for the project but realised that finding the right collaborators was her biggest challenge. She had two concerns — she did not want to be the solo artist on the project and, at the same time, she wanted the spotlight on the community not the artists.
“I was in a dilemma as I didn’t want to do this alone,” she admits. “Around that time, I joined The Roadtrip Experience, and met many other artists during the project. Most of the team that came for our first project were from there. For the transgender community, I felt I could explain practically and asked them to turn up at the venue. They were clueless during the first visit, and so were we.”
Despite the lack of management abilities, the Aravani Art Project’s first wall art venture at a community space in Bengaluru’s KR Market was a success. An abstract, colourful painting enlivened a plain wall, drawing the attention of onlookers and paving the way for future projects.

The Aravani Art Project is named after the followers of Lord Aravan, a revered deity among the transgender community.

The Project brings together experts and art enthusiasts from the community to create large-scale murals, usually in public places. Their work is characterised by vibrant colours and an abstract quality. Since their first undertaking in Bengaluru in early 2016, the Project has travelled to Mumbai, Jaipur, Chennai and Sri Lanka, and their collaborators include the likes of St+Art and Humsafar Trust. While Poornima manages community interactions, outreach and PR, design professional Sadhna Prasad heads the design division, conceptualising and executing the massive projects undertaken by the groups. “Our recent milestone was when two women from the community joined us — Priyanka who records the audio stories, and Shanthi a self-taught writer who manages our content.”
You might also like: How 5 Friends Turned an Abandoned House in Kolkata Into a Unique Café for the LGBTQ Community
Naturally, every work of art requires thought and attention. The team undertakes every project with the community’s involvement and consent, and 75 per cent of the painting is undertaken by the community’s volunteers themselves. Poornima and other artists contribute to the painting, and also help to mentor the community artists.
“Many people stop to see their work, and most of the reaction is surprise,” says Poornima. “There are people who point to “those women” and we start a conversation with them. The trans women are happy to talk about themselves. We don’t want to confront them, but rather help them understand. I want to particularly bring about a change in the mentality of the younger generations about the transgender community.”
Taking an upbeat public approach to art also helps the Project reach out to a wide and diverse audience. The audience has grown with each project, and so has the number of local artists and participants. Poornima and her team often find themselves overwhelmed with volunteers, and have come in contact with other individuals and groups that also work to empower the community.

The Aravani Art Project envisions art as not just a means of empowerment, but also the path to a sustainable future for the community.

“They have never been given a chance before,” says Poornima, “but we have recognised some women who are exceptionally good at art.” As an artist, Poornima often employs trans women to work with her on professional projects and thinks that many of the women have the potential to become great artists. Any funds raised by the Project are divided equally among the members and a small portion is poured back into the activities. Poornima’s hope now is to develop Aravani Art Project as a self-sustaining venture. As an art project, she is keen on grants and fellowships, but also hopes to attract the attention of corporate CSR and organise exhbitions. “We also want to do workshops in colleges. We would like to talk to college students about out work, and undertake wall painting projects together in one part of the campus,” she says. Art is a therapeutic experience, and many trans women have discovered themselves anew via the project. The Aravani Art Project isn’t simply about empowering a community — it is about bringing them into the fold of mainstream society. Check out the Aravani Art Page on Facebook. To get in touch with Poornima, click here.

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. NEW: Click here to get positive news on WhatsApp!

How You Can Turn the Flowers You Use for Worship Everyday Into Soaps, Cleaning Agents, & More!

$
0
0

Travelling via the Western Line on Mumbai’s local train gradually introduces travellers to a regular phenomenon. As the train crosses over Mahim Creek, passengers — particularly in the ladies compartments — head towards the entrance with bags in hand. These bags are filled with puja flowers and are tossed down the bridge into the water. Though discarded flowers are known to be a major cause for water pollution, they continue to be tossed into water bodies. Used in puja and other religious/customary ceremonies, most users are hesitant to toss them into the trash. Flower bouquets only serve to add to the waste, and we often end up with either wasting the flowers or discarding them in the least eco-friendly ways possible. While a number of organisations now work to recycle and reuse cut flowers used in temples and ceremonies like weddings, householders remain at a loss for the flowers used for daily puja or received as gifts. Here are a few ways in which you can make the most of these beautiful blooms.

1. Potpourri

Image source: By Sanjay Acharya (self-made at California, USA) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons Don’t be deceived by the packaged versions—potpourri is easy to make at home. A mixture of petals and spices, potpourri is a natural perfume and needs only dried flowers of your choice, combined with spices and essential oils. For a harmonious fragrance, pick your natural ingredients from the same season and bruise the flowers lightly to circulate the fragrance better. Scour the internet for recipes, mix the ingredients according to instruction and store them in a jar or drawstring bag.

2. Journaling

As the hobby has regained in popularity around the world, a lot of journaling enthusiasts are now on the lookout for ways to make their journals prettier (and more Instagram-worthy). Along with pretty washi tapes and calligraphy, you can also elevate the pages with a sprinkling of dried petals in all shapes and colours. Paste them at random or arrange them in beautiful designs.

3. Floral art

Image source: Pixabay Pressed flowers can be rearranged to create beautiful, three-dimensional works of art. Use a tweezer to place the delicate flowers on the page, along with some foliage, and use an adhesive to stick it firmly on the base. Pick cardboard or sturdy paper over plain sheets, which may not be able to take the weight of the flowers. Let it dry and frame it for your walls.

4. Greeting cards and stationery

Image source: Facebook Come New Year and birthdays, many still prefer old-fashioned paper greeting cards to e-cards or social media messages. You can stick dried or pressed flowers on the card or create a pop-up effect. You can also use flowers or petals on envelopes, post cards, wrapping paper, bookmarks, notebooks and any paper stationery you use.
You might also like: Time to Reimagine Stationery! How About Buying Paper & Pencils That Can Turn Into Veggies?

5. Dried flower backdrop

Have a birthday party or even a small pre-wedding event at home? Eschew conventional decoration for a dried floral backdrop. Use a cloth backdrop and sew the flowers into the canvas or pin them on to a coir mat backdrop.

6. Bath products

At its simplest, flower petals can be scattered in the bath for a feel-good shower. Apart from that, you can put your DIY skills to work and combine flowers and other ingredients to make natural soaps and bath bombs at home.

7. Household cleaner

Flowers can make for great household cleaners. Take 1/4th cup of flowers and mix it with a cup of baking soda and tablespoon of salt to make some easy surface cleaner. You can also mix a few petals into your floor cleaner just before mopping for a fragrant twist!

8. Bottled flowers

Image source: Pixabay If you have accumulated a variety of dried flowers and have more than you can use, turn them into little decorative items for your home. Most of us have old glass bottles lying around—simply give them a good rinse-and-dry and fill it with neatly arranged layers of dried or pressed flowers. You can also add little pebbles and trinkets to spruce them up further.

9. Centrepieces

Whether it is a wreath for your door during Christmas or simply a beautiful centrepiece for your coffee table, dried flowers do a fantastic job. Dried flower arrangements are also far more durable, and eco-friendly, than fresh flowers. While centrepieces are easy to create as long as you have a vase or container, you can also weave them into a wreath with some help from the World Wide Web.
You might also like: Waste to Valuable: Used Flowers in Religious Shrines Are Given a New Life by These 2 Friends

10. Composting

Image source: Flickr Coming back to the simplest method of using flowers without going through the process of drying or pressing, simply turn them into compost. Most household flowers are used during daily puja. While most people aren’t willing to mix them with regular trash, all you have to do is store these flowers separately in a compost bin.

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. NEW: Click here to get positive news on WhatsApp!

TBI Blogs: An 800-Year-Old Art Form Is Helping over 300 Women in Bihar Earn Livelihoods

$
0
0

India’s multiple indigenous art forms are more than just windows into the country’s rich culture and history. Often, they are also important sources of livelihood and empowerment for their artisans. One such art form from Bihar is Tikuli art, empowering the state’s women artisans. Tikuli art is an unique art form from Bihar, which has a very rich and deep traditional history. The word ‘tikuli’ is the local term for ‘bindi’, which is usually a bright, colourful dot that women wear between their brows. In the past, the bindi was created as a symbolic means of worshipping intellect and conserving the modesty of women. However, in today’s time, Tikuli art serves as a source of empowerment for the women of Bihar. [caption id="attachment_1626" align="aligncenter" width="640"]A red bindi worn by married women signifies good marriage and virtue. It is an important symbol of Indian culture. A red bindi worn by married women signifies good marriage and virtue. It is an important symbol of Indian culture.[/caption] Tikuli art originated in Patna over 800 years ago. It deals with beautifully designed paintings which are manufactured in the local streets of the city. With flourishing sales, the tikuli art-form managed to influence traders from across the country to flock to Patna to buy Tikuli art in bulk. The Mughals were active patrons of the art form, and appreciated its many salient features. This is a rare specialty of Bihar, and no such work is found elsewhere. Since it is very intricate and detailed, it requires a special set of skills. Tikuli art is expensive too, as the value of the art is directly proportional to the refinement of the work.

In the picture below, it can be easily seen that even though the figures are small in scale, the artist has not compromised on the details.

[caption id="attachment_1628" align="aligncenter" width="640"]intricate tikuli art The intricate craftsmanship made Tikuli art the sole privilege of the royalty.[/caption] With the decline of the Mughal Empire, and the coming of the British Raj, Tikuli art faced a severe blow. The British introduced industrialization, and indigenous goods came to be replaced by cheap machine-made goods. Thousands of Tikuli artists were left jobless as machine-made bindis came into the market, and Tikuli art was lost in the chaos. The revival of this art form can solely be attributed to two artists. In 1954, Chitracharya Padmashree Upendra Maharathi single-handedly took on the initiative of reviving this dying art form.

He got the idea of portraying Tikuli art on glazed hardboard during his stay in Japan, where artists were commercially selling traditional motifs on colorful hardboard.

[caption id="attachment_1632" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Mr. Ashok Kumar Biswas, the Tikuli craftsman who almost single-handedly revived the dying art form.[/caption] Artist, craftsman, and painter Shree Ashok Kumar Biswas took Tikuli art to a whole new level. He, along with his wife Shibani Biswas, revived the art and developed it into a source of livelihood. Tikuli art now serves as an economic beneficiary for over 300 women in Bihar. The noble efforts of the Biswases and the workmanship of these women are nationally and internationally acclaimed. In 2012, Ashok was selected to participate in the Bihar Divas Celebrations organized in Delhi and Jaipur. He also explained the subtle art of Tikuli to the visitors of the International Fair held in Seoul. [caption id="attachment_1629" align="aligncenter" width="627"] Tikuli art sold as a wall hanging.[/caption] Making Tikuli art is a delicate and tedious process. Simply put, one can divide it into three steps:
  1. Tikuli artists use hardboard to create paintings. They cut the hardboard into various shapes like circular, rectangular, triangular, or square.
  2. The artists apply 4-5 coats of enamel thereafter on the cut wooden piece. After every coat, they rub the wood with sandpaper, thus giving it a polished surface.
  3. After the final coat of enamel, the artisans paint the design. It is also embellished with gold foil and jewels.
Tikuli art also uses Madhubani motifs in its paintings.

It exemplifies the art, and it is always a wonderful feeling to see two exceptionally brilliant art forms together in one frame.

[caption id="attachment_1631" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Beautiful juxtaposition of Tikuli and Madhubani art.[/caption] Spring and summer are the most suitable for making this art, as the craft requires dry air at room temperature due to usage of enamel paints. The artists use squirrel or sable hair to make the brushes, and the size range varies from 0.0-20. Tikuli art, as a product, is more popular as an export, rather than as something of cultural significance. The aim of the products is to showcase Indian culture to the rest of the world. The themes mostly revolve around festivals of Bihar, Indian wedding scenes, and Krishna Leela. [caption id="attachment_1640" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Coasters and wall hangings with beautiful Tikuli art on them are hugely popular exports.[/caption]

(Content Research and Conceptualisation by Kaavya Laxman. Content written by Kaavya Laxman and Saumya Sinha.)

Originally published on Nazariya. If you know any artists Nazariya can work with, please send in the details on email.

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. NEW: Click here to get positive news on WhatsApp!


TBI Blogs: Born into Poverty, How Veteran Kannada Theatre Actor Hanumakka Rose to Own the Stage

$
0
0

March 27 was World Theatre Day, and Kannada theatre thespian Hanumakka observed the day by reminiscing on her 22-years-and-counting journey dedicated to the stage. Shruti Sharada explores further. The curtains part. On stage is a young woman playing the part of an old grandmother. For 20 passionate minutes, she holds forth, and the audience is riveted. The play is called Media, and has been produced by the legendary Ninasam Cultural Centre and directed by the well-respected director, B.V. Karanth. The young actor on stage—playing her first, and one of her most celebrated roles—is Hanumakka. Her performance draws rapturous applause and many hugs backstage. A thick stream of roles from well-known directors follows, thus launching one of the most prolific acting careers in the history of Kannada theatre.

Humble Beginnings

Hanumakka was born in the small town of Mariyammanahalli in Bellary, into a family accustomed to daily struggles against intense poverty. Her father was the well-respected Kannada theatre actor Durga Das, so creative inspiration came to her easily and very early. Which is what also fed her surprise at her family’s staunch opposition to her choice of becoming a theatre actor. “I asked them, ‘What am I doing wrong here? I am in fact working to extend our family’s heritage!’” she recalls today. But it was a different time. Female theatre artistes were looked down upon. Their characters were maligned, and all of them were tagged as being “unmarriageable”. “But I was determined. I wanted to prove to my family and everyone else that I could do this and find acceptance,” she says. Hanumakka is 50 today, and a mainstay at Bengaluru’s Ravindra Kalakshetra. 2017 marks her 22nd year in theatre, a journey that has taken her from Bellary to all parts of Karnataka, and beyond.

It has been an experience informed by penury, dedicated hard work, uncompromising values, and the realities of womanhood.

[caption id="attachment_93789" align="aligncenter" width="1920"]Veteran Kannada Theatre Actor Hanumkka has remained simple, and wholly dedicated to the art form. Hanumakka with RJ Padma Priya from Radio Active[/caption]
“Things are much better now. There used to be a time when we would travel for weeks at a time and have absolutely no arrangements made for us. We would sleep on the streets, or in empty school classrooms. Food would be scarce. There would be no bathrooms to access. It wasn’t easy being a woman in a troupe,” she says.
Hanumakka began her journey after she completed her Class IX studies. Financial disadvantages meant that education was no longer an option for her, so she decided to follow her passion for theatre instead. “Sometimes, I can’t help but think—had I been more educated and able to read in English, could I have climbed higher rungs in the theatre world?” she reminisces today. But she is not one to dwell on ‘what-ifs’ for too long. Her life has been so intensely dedicated to acting that she has never had time for the conventional signposts of success or stability. She continues to live in the same rented apartment that she shifted into almost a decade ago. Purchasing no clothes for herself, she is instead perfectly happy accepting gifts from friends on festivals like Gauri Ganesha, or even second-hand give-aways.

She never married, and has never owned seemingly normal appliances like a television or a “mixie”.

[caption id="attachment_94328" align="aligncenter" width="500"] The poster for Avva, Hanumakka's most well-known Kannada film role. (Source: Kannada Store)[/caption] Following the passing of her parents and her brother, she supported her widowed sister-in-law financially, always content with a frugal existence for herself. “I can take care of my food needs. The rest doesn’t stress me,” she says. Hanumakka ’s life and theatre trajectory are, in fact, similar. For her, both spheres are enmeshed together, and they both have been defined by hardships that she believes helped her become a stronger actor and a happier person. “The directors used to be very strict earlier. They would even hit us, or throw stuff at us, if we happened to forget our lines,” she says. “But I have no bad feelings attached to those memories. I am deeply grateful to every single director I have worked with. They made me the actor I am today.”

Theatre of Dreams

Hanumakka made the shift from Bellary to Bengaluru in search of better opportunities. She came to the metropolis with not a rupee on her, and was forced to sit dejected under a tree, a memory that still moves her to tears. A theatre acquaintance named Krishna Raichoor found her and lent her ₹500 to get started. “I was seeing a ₹500 note for the first time in my life!” she recalls. Fortunately, things got better after that. After spending seven years at Ninasam (in the village of Heggodu), and four years at the drama company in Shivasanchara Sanehalli Mata (in the town of Hosadurga, Chitradurga district), Bengaluru became her work-base. Here, she continues to keep very busy, taking on acting roles in plays while also managing some of the logistics, like the transport of play set-pieces to show locations. But no amount of goading can convince her to take up actor-training, playwriting, or direction. “I have heard such suggestions before, but I don’t want to take up training as a pastime. I refuse to impart wrong or half-baked ideas about acting to any aspirants,” she says. “Direction is a very tough job. I would rather do what I am good at.”

The current theatre landscape’s reliance on comedy productions to sell tickets doesn’t agree with her either.

[caption id="attachment_94321" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] For representational purpose. (Source: Pixabay)[/caption] “They are full of double entendres, so they remain popular. Plays that touch on social issues don’t run as much. It is how things are,” she says. “Actors too are more inclined towards television and film roles, treating theatre as a pathway to more lucrative work. They do a couple of plays and start touting their acting experience. That is not good, neither for the actor nor for theatre, as people keep moving in and out, and no one gains a good understanding of the art-form. Rangabhoomi demands commitment and patience.” Hanumakka ’s own dedication has fetched her four film roles, the most well-known of which was in the 2008 Kavitha Lankesh-directed movie Avva. She has, however, adamantly refused to take on television roles. Meanwhile, her almost-religious commitment to theatre—the idea of suffering to attain perfection included—continues unabated. “It will till the day I die. This is my life, and this is my legacy,” she says firmly. (The author is a freelance writer and photographer. She is passionate about gender issues, theatre, music, and absolutely anything to do with food! She is a Consultant with Radio Active, CR 90.4 MHz.) Listen to RJ Padma Priya’s interview with Hanumakka here. Discover more stories like this on Radio Active’s website.

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. NEW: Click here to get positive news on WhatsApp!

TBI Blogs: 85 Years After the First Gujarati Talkie, Gujarati Cinema and Theatre Are Seeing a Resurgence

$
0
0

Gujarati theatre and cinema have long languished under the label of comedy that offers little in terms of meaningful messages. However, a new wave of theatre artistes, playwrights, and filmmakers are bringing about a revival, using the mediums to communicate messages of social change. The world of Gujarati film and theatre is on the rise. Riding a new wave of enthusiasm, the people of Gujarat are watching more films, have more artistes, and are going to more plays than they have in over two decades. The elders talk about how they miss the old movies, but many are optimistic that a new era of Gujarati films is on the way. Theatre and cinema have always existed in Gujarat—both, mainstream, commercial theatre, and parallel, experimental productions. The first full-length sound film Narsinh Mehta was released in 1932. For many years after that, the Gujarati film industry was more or less static, rooted in storylines geared towards rural audiences. Between the 60s and 80s, producers and directors like Arun Bhatt and Ketan Mehta, among others, heralded what some people call “the golden age of Gujarati cinema”. Over the last two or three decades, there has been a visible decline in quality, even though the quantity of films being made and released has increased. The Gujarat government had ambitious and well-meaning, but misdirected, policies to promote the industry, that allowed the release of many low-quality films.

With themes that rode upon superficiality and cheap humour that was often sexist, it was hardly comparable to Marathi, Bengali, Malayalam, and other regional cinemas and theatres of the day.

[caption id="attachment_94457" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Narsinh Mehta, the first full-length Gujarati film with sound. (Source: By Sagar Movi-tone [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)[/caption]As veteran Gujarat theatre artiste Aditi Desai points out, “Gujarat has a culture of business. We get influenced easily by market forces. Doing theatre and cinema against the market force is incredibly tough.” Work culture is about tedious, tiring work,while films are a medium to release stress. “After the earthquake, there is an air of trying to forget about worries and just enjoy,” Aditi remarks. “Even the [colloquial] word jalso, which used to refer to a night of cultural entertainment, has, after 2001, come to mean a state of not being tense, of enjoyment.” Desai has performed, written, and directed numerous plays in various theatre techniques, all connected by a fierce commitment to social equality. “My father was a communist. For a long time, he used theatre as a medium to raise awareness, and translated a lot of notable works. Through that he spread ideas of equality and democracy…In that time, very few women worked in theatre. Because of that, he wished that if he had a daughter, he would train her in theatre.” Her values have been influenced by how she was brought up. “My parents were quite an unusual couple. My mom was a successful doctor who could have earned tons of money if she had a private clinic, and [unlike most] my father would be at home during the day. We all helped in the kitchen, cleaning the house, etc. All this was so natural that I didn’t know that there could be a different environment outside...Even with the theatre artistes who would hang out with us, there was no concept of someone excluded, someone higher and someone lower.”

To help spread these values in the theatre that her father helped her imbibe, Aditi founded the Jaswant Thaker Memorial Foundation (JTMF).

[caption id="attachment_94495" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Aditi Desai[/caption] Along her journey as a playwright, she was influenced by theatre for the masses—forms of street and participatory theatre. One strong influence was Badal Sircar. “On stage, actors are on a higher level, and audience are on a lower level. Badal Sircar felt that there should be no distinction between audience and actors. We should remove the barrier between them so that they are on the same level. He came to conduct a workshop on this type of theatre in Ahmedabad. I attended that, and understood how to use actors’ bodies and voices.” Desai dabbled a bit in television and radio as well, and through this became aware of how powerful theatre was as a tool for giving a voice and visibility to the unheard and invisible. “When I went to college, my professor, Dr. Ila Pathak, had an organisation called AWAG (Ahmedabad Women’s Action Group). When I was in the second year, there was a huge incident in Ahmedabad. A girl named Varsha Dixit was burned alive. Prof. Pathak told me to do a street play on that.” The next day, she started work on the play, later titled Stri-Savdhan. “Our first show was near Paldi bus stand. After the show, an old man came crying to me and told me that his daughter was abused a lot, and begged me to save her. I directed her to AWAG, where they have a support group, lawyers, a counselling centre, etc. That’s when I realised the power of theatre. For focused effort, we decided to rent a particular area behind Kochrab Ashram. We did plays, worked with the people, and tried to help them.” Aditi was well-connected to NGOs that worked for marginalised and oppressed sections of society. As she did more plays and experimented with different forms of theatre – such as Theatre of the Oppressed – Desai was able to deeply touch all communities, including tribals, adivasis, urban poor, and the middle class.

Many of these plays were in local dialects and languages, each different for different tribes and regions in Gujarat.

[caption id="attachment_94461" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Street play in Mumbai. Aditi Desai was deeply influenced by the power of theatre to connect with communities and convey messages. (Source: By GiveWell (GiveWell) [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons)[/caption]She has also seen that people, especially in the current individualistic, fast-paced generation, are sometimes averse to depth, emotions, and social issues. Because of this, and with her strong values from her childhood, her commitment to bring to life experimental theatre with a social impact became fierce, and with plays like Kasturba, Akoopar, and Samudra Manthan, Desai was able to bridge the gap between experimental and commercial theatre. She has faced struggles, with the popular market of cheap entertainment drawing crowds away from her productions. Artistes from her foundation, JTMF, and Saumya Joshi’s Welcome Zindagi are able to do this, while institutions such as Darpana Academy of Performing Arts, Scrapyard, Gujarat Vidyapith, and others have been instrumental in taking experimental theatre to large audiences. “Many mainstream theatre artistes would sell their shows to a private club, perform for a private audience, and earn money through that. The only money that we get, however, is from the ticket box office.” There is another box office story that needs to be spoken about. Abhishek Jain, one of the forerunners of the revival of the film industry, says that of the recent Gujarati film releases, those more connected to roots, to people’s childhoods, and to the feeling of familiarity, are what cinema-goers seem to flock to.

Films that try to mimic traditional Hollywood and Bollywood films are not popular.

[caption id="attachment_94082" align="aligncenter" width="959"] Abhishek Jain[/caption] Along with Mikhil Musale and Nayan Jain, he started Cineman Productions. Abhishek has directed modern-day Gujarati films such as Kevi Rite Jaish and Bey Yaar. His third film, Wrong Side Raju, released on September 9, 2016, in collaboration with Bollywood’s Phantom Films. Abhishek, an Amdavadi, worked in Mumbai with Bollywood production houses before deciding that he had to help fill the gaping void in Gujarati films. He says, “With Cineman Productions, the idea was to make a production house that encourages talent, makes directors, creates productions out of raw talent, and then produces movies.” Many, including Aditi, credit him with being a pioneer of change. Desai says, “Abhishek Jain has shifted the market. He is a visionary, has determination, and had the support of famous mentors.” Jain himself is more humble, saying that the revival had to happen. “Every regional film industry has its cycle. Marathi films are doing great now, but they weren’t a couple of decades ago. If social media had existed back in the 70s and 80s, Gujarati films would have made a lasting mark on the film industry.” He has worked hard and passionately to make his dream a reality. “I am an Amdavadi. Our elders taught us that stories come from our childhood, and our roots. So my stories came from my city, my Amdavad, my relatives, my friends, neighbours, everything. For me, it was very obvious that the set-up of my films had to be Gujarati.” However, it wasn’t an easy decision. “When you are working with some of the biggest directors in Bollywood, you don’t think like that! But now I have conviction in it.” Now, several Gujarati production houses have cropped up, and after Kevi Rite Jaish, have made a number of modern and urban films.

In fact, after about a dozen hits in 2014-2015, box office collections jumped from ₹7 crore to ₹55 crore.

[caption id="attachment_94462" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Abhishek Jain’s breakout hit Kevi Rite Jaish inspired a whole new wave of Gujarati filmmakers. (Source: YouTube)[/caption] These films have focused on many themes, including romance, coming of age, migration, LGBTQ rights, and more. Abhishek and many others have used the Gujarati’s hunger for comedy, the desire to connect to their childhood, and simple relatable themes to raise the quality of films and to cater to a larger audience. The industry still faces resistance. Exhibitors and other stakeholders are still skeptical about the film industry in Gujarat, which is admittedly on a smaller scale than Hindi and English films, especially in non-comedic genres. But Abhishek is optimistic. Amdavadis have always been an adaptable bunch, and love to experiment with food, dance, and films. Travelling and exposure is creating a shift from narrow business-mindedness to an open, experimental, and creative climate. There is a lack of institutions that help build creative talent. However, groups of artistes like Aditi and Abhishek are encouraging people to go out and explore. Abhishek Jain and Aditi Desai believe that a film or a performance is about about engaging with emotions beyond fun. It is time more people experience theatre and cinema, connect to their roots better, and be more of a community. Thereby, they can understand other people, nature, and themselves. “If you would like to support Gujarati theatre and cinema, please do see screenings and performances of plays. JTMF would appreciate it if you could help market, raise audiences, setup, and host stages,” signs off Aditi. Do you know stories of people that will help map your city better? Find out how you can contribute to The People Place Project here.

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. NEW: Click here to get positive news on WhatsApp!

“Everyone Can’t Become an Einstein, Everyone Can’t Earn in Lakhs”– Piyush Mishra to Indian Parents

$
0
0

“Aao yaar bas ek baar... zinda ho baat kar le Khaak ho gaye hai mazaak... fir bhi mazaak kar le..” A writer, poet, lyricist, singer, composer, music director, actor and script writer, Piyush Mishra does not need an introduction. His life is an open book and has been an inspiration to many. We got a chance to speak to Piyush in person. Here are some excerpts from the interview where he talks about his beliefs, his life and lots of learnings.

TBI – Tell us something about your childhood.

[caption id="attachment_94497" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Piyush Mishra[/caption] Piyush – What do I say about my childhood! I was an introvert, very quiet and shy. Everyone would suppress me at school, at home. I didn’t get a good childhood. Facts about Piyush –Piyush was born on January 13, 1963, in Gwalior. His father Pratap Kumar Sharma was a retired upper division clerk.  Due to financial problems, the family started living with Pratap Kumar Sharma’s eldest sister Taradevi Mishra, who adopted Piyush.

TBI – So is it the anger that comes out in your poetry?

Piyush – Yes my childhood is responsible. But there were two things that could have happened. Either I would have died or done whatever people told me to do or I would have just gathered the anger and decided to do something in life. I am glad I chose the latter and the result is that I am here today. There was tremendous suppression. Facts about Piyush – Piyush was named Priyakansha Sharma. He had a strained relationship with his legal mother, Taradevi Mishra. It was in rebellion to her that he changed his name to Piyush Mishra by filing an affidavit when he was in class 10.

TBI –What advice would you give to your younger self?

Piyush – I would advise that do what you want to. It is your right to choose your profession, your passion. No one else will understand what makes you happy -not even your parents, your friends or any philosopher or guide. Facts about Piyush Mishra - Piyush attended Carmel Convent School, Gwalior, which according to him, was a ‘wrong school’ for him.

TBI –You always say in your interviews that you didn’t want to learn physics and chemistry in school. Why?

Piyush – Because I didn’t have a reason to learn them in school. Kids don’t want to study something because you don’t give them reasons to study that particular subject. In 1999 I did a play on Albert Einstein. That gave me all the reasons to learn physics. While doing that play I understood physics very easily from Newton’s laws of motion to thermodynamics and electromagnetics. Why would someone study something if they don’t have the right reasons? I loved reading Hindi literature. I wrote lot of essays and comprehension. I was also a very good Kabaddi player back in school. Facts about Piyush Mishra - He wrote his first poem when he was in class 8.
“Zinda ho haan tum koi shak nahin, saans lete hue dekha maine bhi hain Haath aur pairon aur jism ko harqatey khoob dete huey dekha maine bhi hain Ab bhale hi yeh kartey huey honth tum dard sehtey huey sakht see lete ho Ab hain itna bhi kya kum tumhaarey liye, khoob apni samajh mein toh jee lete ho”

TBI –Even I wanted to study English and Hindi literature. I couldn’t understand history and geography. So what is the way out for children who want something different than what our current educational system offers?

Piyush – We can’t change the policies, but parents have to understand that every child is different. Everyone can’t become an Einstein, everyone can’t earn in lakhs. They never understand that their child is an individual and hence hesitate to give different types of education. They are under constant fear that what profession their child is going to choose. Facts about Piyush Mishra - According to Piyush, he started taking part in plays at the age of 19. The desire took him to Delhi where he took admission in the National School of Drama.

TBI –So do your children have the freedom to choose their careers?

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Piyush Mishra with his elder son, Josh[/caption] Photo source - Facebook Piyush – They have already… my older son, Josh, is in first year of the Hotel Management course in IHM. The younger one, Jai is very small now. He is in class 6 but he loves to cook too. I am sure he is going to become a chef. They don’t like art and why should they. My father never liked art, but I did. Facts about Piyush Mishra –He graduated from NSD in 1986 and then started his theatre group, ‘Act One’ along with his director friend N.K Sharma and actors like Manoj Bajpai and Ashish Vidyarthi.

TBI – Is there any incident that you feel is responsible for your success today?

Piyush - I went to Bombay in 1989 but came back within a year to Delhi. I think that was the best decision I ever took. I didn’t know how to struggle and those days were different. I understood that even if Bombay was made for me, this was not the right time. I came back to Delhi and then started theatre, which did really well. Facts about Piyush Mishra - After graduation from NSD, he was considered for the lead role in the famous blockbuster Maine Pyar Kiya. Piyush didn’t follow up and Sooraj Barjatya signed Salman Khan.

TBI– What is one important thing to follow in life?

Piyush – It is important to move on. I make friends easily. But it is important to leave them easily too. Basically you should have a traveller’s life. I fell in love and got married, which is the best thing that happened because the credit of my success goes to my wife Priya, but if I hadn’t gotten married, I would have led a traveller’s life. Facts about Piyush Mishra - He married Priya Narayanan in 1995, whom he met in 1992 while directing a play at the School of Planning and Architecture. Presently, he lives in Goregaon East, Mumbai with his wife, who is an architect, and two sons Josh and Jai.

TBI – Do you still have any unanswered question in life?

Piyush –Yes I am still in search of the answer to where does one go after death. If you get the answer, you will know everything. Facts about Piyush Mishra - He moved to Mumbai in 2003, prior to which he spent 20 years as a theater artist in Delhi. This was the most poetic and turbulent phase of his life, marked by 24 hours of work, alcohol and women.In 2010 he attended a course of Vipassana in Igatpuri, which, according to him, helped him immensely.

TBI –One of your fans has requested to know the story behind Husna and Ghar. Are they related to your real life?

[embedvideo id="4zTFzMPWGLs" website="youtube"] Piyush – Only my theatre is related to these songs. They are songs from plays that I wrote. Husna was a play based on a Pakistani short story Pattar Anara De. And Ghar was a song written for the play Jab Shehar Hamara Sota Hai  based on the famous Oscar-winning film West Side Story. I never thought that these two songs would become a classic someday. But the credit goes to Hitesh Sonik who has programmed and presented them so well that it created magic. Facts about Piyush Mishra - As a film lyricist and singer, he is noted for his songs Arre Ruk Ja Re Bandeh (Black Friday, 2004), Aarambh Hai Prachand (Gulaal, 2009), Ik Bagal (Gangs of Wasseypur - Part 2, 2012), and Husna and Ghar(MTV Coke Studio, 2012)

TBI –What is that one thing you learned from your experience that has always helped you?

Piyush –That one thing is to keep working constantly. You are not allowed to just sit and relax. You cannot stop working even for a moment. That’s the one thing that has always helped me… lagatar aage badhne ki cheshta. Facts about Piyush Mishra –Awards - Zee Cine Awards,  2003 for Best Dialogue for the film The Legend of Bhagat Singh. Stardust Awards,  2010 for Standout Performance by a Music Director for the film Gulaal. Julien Dubuque International Film Festival, 2014 for Best Actor and Playback Singer

TBI – You have struggled for more than 20 years in Bollywood. What would you suggest to others who are still struggling?

Photo Source - Instagram Piyush – See, you have to first judge yourself if you are capable of doing it or not. You have to be your own mirror and see a clear reflection. We all come to Bombay and think that if given a chance we are no less than Amitabh Bachchan or Shahrukh Khan. But you have to first understand the thing that Amitabh or Shahrukh has and you don’t. And you need to work on that. Facts about Piyush Mishra - His television debut was on teleseries Rajdhani in 1989. He also worked on Shyam Benegal’s Bharat Ek Khoj and appeared on horror TV serial Kile Ka Rahasya. His film debut was on Mani Ratnam’s Dil Se in 1998. He played the role of a CBI officer.

TBI – What is your favorite among all your roles – actor, singer, writer, poet, theatre artist, script writer or composer?

Photo Source Piyush –I do all of them with similar passion so it is difficult for me to choose. But I think acting is something that I need to do more. And there is independent poetry which I love doing these days. Facts about Piyush Mishra –He said that he was a Communist only because he didn’t want to hurt his Communist friends.

TBI –Is there any question that has yet to be asked to you. Is there an answer you still want to give?

Piyush – I have bared it all. I don’t have anything to hide. One hides their sexual life the most and I have talked about that too. I have said in an interview in Times of India about how ‘neech’ I was. About how I was a womanizer. But the day that interview was published, I really felt very light... that good that I told everything. I regret whatever I did in the past and that is very important. Repenting is very important. I describe it in my sher –
“Moti samajhke chunta mera khuda agarche Pachtave ke do aansu, jo chu pade nazar se”
Facts about Piyush Mishra – In an interview with the Times of India, Piyush disclosed all the bitter truths about his life. He framed himself to have been a morally corrupt person, and confessed to how much he regrets that phase of his life.

Rapid Fire –

Favourite Actor – Om Puri Favourite  Writer – Saadat Hasan Manto Favourite Singer –Kishore Kumar Favourite Place – NSD, New Delhi, Mandi House Favourite Poem – There are many but right now I can think of ‘Parchayiyan’ by Sahir Ludhianvi. Favourite Person –No one! I feel myself most strong and peaceful when I am alone. So I can say I am my favourite. You can visit Piyush Mishra’s original Facebook Page here.

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. NEW: Click here to get positive news on WhatsApp!

TBI Blogs: Why Arabic Calligraphy & Phad Painting Are the Perfect Representation of India’s Religious Harmony

$
0
0

Several Indian art forms have suffered a steady decline as the years have passed. Two such iconic art forms are Arabic Calligraphy and Phad Painting, both strong representations of India’s rich spiritual and cultural heritage. India has been a country with a very rich history, and a much richer heritage. India’s heritage has been a part of many art forms which have been brought to and developed in India, and some of which are born in India itself. Even today, the country is home to numerous cultures that have been an umbrella for various art forms. Prepare to follow the journey of two major art forms of India—Arabic Calligraphy, adapted in India, and Phad Paintings, born in Rajasthan, India. Originating in the deserts, both Arabic Calligraphy and Phad Paintings share the same core purpose for existence—spirituality. Arabic Calligraphy hails from Arabia and was introduced in India around the 7th century by early Arabic traders. The practice was initiated to preserve the scripts of the Holy Quran, and since then, the art form has emerged as a mainstream art.

Arabic Calligraphy developed analogously with the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate in India.

[caption id="attachment_93762" align="aligncenter" width="698"]The Traditional Arabic Calligraphy Traditional Arabic Calligraphy[/caption] The various dynasties of the Delhi Sultanate made several contributions to the development of Arabic Calligraphy in India. For example, the Qutub Minar built by Qutubuddin Aibak is decorated and covered with intricate carvings and verses from the Quran. Thus, the art form flourished under the reign of the Delhi Sultanate. It is prevalent in India’s monumental heritage, like Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi, and coins recognized by the Mughals. Therefore, the establishment of Muslim rule in India established a diversity of culture, and also laid the groundwork for the permanency of the then-fresh ink of Arabic Calligraphy. Arabic Calligraphy On the other hand, Phad Painting is an astonishing art form born and brought up in Rajasthan, India. It serves as a unique mobile temple depicting the glorious past of the state. Artists use Phad, meaning ‘fold’ in the local dialect, as a canvas, in the form of a large scroll.

It’s a style of religious folk painting, mainly focussing on episodes from the life of local deities Pabuji and Devnarayan.

[caption id="attachment_94760" align="aligncenter" width="900"] Phad Painting (Source: DirectCreate)[/caption] Phad Painting has prospered as an art form for more than 700 years in Rajasthan. The canvas, or the scroll, is mainly 12-15 ft. long, where the artist paints the entire life of the deity. Divided into many sections, the entire procedure is very long and elaborate. The artists take a month or more to complete one Phad Painting with proper precision, using the hand-spun cotton cloth as the canvas, and natural colours. The most interesting part of a Phad Painting is its existence as a Mobile Temple. After its completion, Bhopas (singer-priests) carry the scroll and unroll it after sunset, perform customary rituals, and start narrating the epic stories of the folk deities. [caption id="attachment_94762" align="aligncenter" width="800"] The Bhopas (singer-priests) narrating the epics. (Source: IndianRoots)[/caption] Both Arabic calligraphy and Phad painting represent the virtues of religious and spiritual aspects of life. One is a simple, yet highly artistic, illustration of text from the Holy Quran, and the other is the design of epic stories of Pabuji. Together, the art forms are proper expressions of diversity. However, despite the significance of these art forms in our heritage, they have been declining steadily in the modern era. Revival is important. We have to preserve the drying ink of Arabic Calligraphy and the fading touch of Phad Painting. Bringing back our dying heritage has to be a major call. The souls at Nazariya have pledged to do so. Nazariya, as an organisation, is on a drive to revive the substantial art forms of India. As a part of the drive, we have been conducting workshops on Arabic Calligraphy and Phad Paintings with our artisans, with the motive to connect the youth with Arabic calligraphy and Phad Painting.

Come join us, and be a part of our journey. Come relive and embrace our collective history!

Workshops on Arabic Calligraphy and Phad Paintings conducted by Nazariya in New Delhi [caption id="attachment_93764" align="aligncenter" width="4128"]Workshops on Arabic Calligraphy and Phad Paintings conducted by Nazariya in New Delhi Workshops on Arabic Calligraphy (top) and Phad Paintings (below) conducted by Nazariya in New Delhi.[/caption] To know the detailed schedule of Nazariya’s Arabic Calligraphy and Phad Painting workshops, and to register, visit the website.

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. NEW: Click here to get positive news on WhatsApp!

Jamini Roy: The Rebel Artist Who Rejected His Western Training to Return To His Roots

$
0
0

April 11, 2017, marks the 130th birth anniversary of Jamini Roy, and Google commemorated the occasion with a doodle that pays homage to the iconic Indian artist's signature style. One of the most significant modernists of the 20th century in the world of Indian fine arts, Jamini Roy is known for his dazzling portrayal of India’s folk culture and rural ethos. Such was the beauty of Roy’s work that it brought him both national and international recognition, with his paintings being compared with those of famed French artist, Henri Matisse.

What make Roy’s distinctive style all the more unique is that though he was trained in the western classical style of painting, he chose to develop his own voice as an artist by returning to his roots.

Photo Source Born into a family of middle-class landowners on on April 11, 1887, Roy grew up in Beliatore, an obscure village in Bankura district in West Bengal. Having demonstrated an affinity for art from a young age, he was sent to study at the Government College of Art in Kolkata at the age of 16. The vice-principal of this college was Abanindranath Tagore (noted artist, writer and the founder of Bengal school of art) and it was under him that Roy trained in the classical western genre of landscapes and studio portraits. This was the prevailing academic tradition of that time and the gifted young lad was quick to learn the style. This is why Roy’s initial work (in the early 1920s) reflect the influence of Western classical style of art as well as the avant garde Bengal school of art. However, while these works were technically perfect, they lacked a certain energy and enthusiasm. Realising that he needed to draw inspiration, not from Western traditions, but from his own culture, Roy began experimenting with folk art and indigenous materials.

By 1925, he had become fascinated by the Kalighat style of painting and the unique features of its figures - big almond-shaped eyes, round faces, curvaceous bodies and firm contours.

Photo Source Painted mostly on mill-made paper with fluid brushwork and vibrant natural dyes, Kalighat paintings are believed to have originated in the vicinity of Kolkata’s iconic Kalighat Temple. The paintings, which depicted mythological Hindu deities, mythological characters, tribal life, and themes from everyday life, were originally sold as souvenirs to temple visitors. Inspired by the simple beauty of Kalighat paintings, Roy shifted his focus to rural India, especially the Santhal tribal culture of Bengal. He also abandoned the use of European paints in favour of natural mineral and vegetable-based pigments made from alluvial mud, seeds, powdered rock, flowers and indigo.

He even gave up canvas and switched to indigenous painting surfaces such as cloth, woven mats, and wood coated with lime.

Photo Source As for his technique, Roy used bold, sweeping brushstrokes while painting and restricted his palette to seven vibrant and earthy colours - Indian red, yellow ochre, cadmium green, vermillion, grey, blue and white. His style also had many of the same features as Kalighat paintings but he added his signature characteristics to them. In addition to this, many of Roy’s paintings (including the famous ‘Cat’ series) drew inspiration from his childhood days in the forested village of Beliatore in Bankura. Interestingly, he also experimented with his sculpting skills, working with wood to create different shapes that depicted the fluid geometry of human anatomy. In the 1940s, the popularity of his paintings reached an all-time high, with his works becoming prized possessions in both Bengali and European households. They were and still are everywhere in Bengal, from calendars and school bags to Durga puja idols and saris.

However, Roy remained untouched by all the fame and recognition, with his only concern being his art. Out of the over 20,000 works of art Roy painted during his lifetime, he rarely sold any of his paintings for a price higher than ₹350.

If he felt that those who had bought his artwork wouldn’t take care of it the way it was meant to be, he would immediately buy back the works from them. He knew only his art and perhaps this is what gave it that unique earthy quality that made it immortal.

Photo Source In 1955, Roy was honoured with the Padma Bhushan and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi (one of the many famous admirers of his work, along with Mahatma Gandhi) declared him a national artist. His artwork continues to be exhibited extensively in national and international exhibitions and can be found in many famed private and public collections. Some of his notable creations include Gopini, Mother and Child, Three Pujarans, Krishna Balram, Standing woman, Cat and the Lobster, Santhal Dancers and Bengali Woman among many others. As for his magnum opus, art enthusiasts consider it to be his 1946 work, Ramayana (spread across 17 canvases, the painting traces the entire epic). After spending most of his life living and working in Calcutta, Roy passed away in 1972. He left many of his paintings unsigned. However, his unique imprint on the world of art remained indelible.
Also Read12 Famous Masterpieces of Art Every Indian Should Recognise

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. NEW: Click here to get positive news on WhatsApp!

Viewing all 1057 articles
Browse latest View live


<script src="https://jsc.adskeeper.com/r/s/rssing.com.1596347.js" async> </script>