Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Across the Ghata Masjid near Daryaganjs Fire Station,a narrow kuchcha road leads to the dilapidated premises of what was once Jain Studio,a famous art deco film studio. Broken walls,peeled off roof,tin sheds,discarded furniture,faded banners and posters are what remain of the historic studio that once catered to almost all the cinema halls of Delhi and neighbouring towns. Time was when all big banners and prominent movie halls made sure that they procured their publicity material from this place. That was,of course,years before multiplexes and digital publicity became an integral part of our movie-going experience.
Today,the studios open spaces have turned into a parking lot for rickshaw-pullers who rest here after a hard days work. But for Vijay,this is not a ruin but a revered place,where he learnt his craft and honed his skills. As a poster-painter,Vijay has fond memories of the studio. And as he lives in the vicinity,a daily afternoon trip to the studio is a must for him.
Vijay started early,he was not even 10. As a child,even if I was assigned with colouring a portion of the heros hair,I would be thrilled. I remember taking my friends to Novelty Cinema to show off,just because I had coloured Dharmendras hair on a 20×10 ft banner, he says.
Vijays first independent work was a banner for Shaan (1980). And since then he has lost count of the number of posters and banners he has painted.
He even opened a studio,along with three others,near the ISBT. It was called Chitrakala Studio. We had to close it down eight years back, says Vijay,perhaps the only one in the city to continue the trade of hand-painted posters.
As in the case of other such trades that are dying after being replaced by modern and technically sleeker alternatives,the hand-painted posters and banners have disappeared too. In the international auction market,though,old hand-painted posters carry a hefty price-tag, he says. The single screens have almost disappeared. Civic authorities have banned banners and hoarding because they crowd the citys skyline. Animal activists have ensured the ban on brushes. Real estate developers have bought studios. This trade had to die. I wish the government had given us some alternative employment. After all,most of the artists were uneducated. Jobless,they had no option but to take up menial work. Most are living in penury and many have died destitute, he says.
Thankfully for Vijay,theres a silver lining. A chance meeting with a French tourist a few years ago gave his art a new lease of life. A number of foreigners approach me to make hand-painted posters according to their specifications, he says,showing a hand painted A3-size poster which has Ek Duje Ke Liye on one side and Om Shanti Om on the other. Dave and Jenny,American expats living in Delhi,even got a Bollywood-style poster made with themselves as the protagonists. They might use the poster as the cover of the book they are writing on their stay in India.
All this has revived my art and given me employment. At least I am able to send my children to school and look after my 80-year-old father. But this does not translate into recognition for my artistic talent, Vijay says. I want to continue to paint till my last breath,but I am not sure if it is possible. This art is like the Titanicdramatic,beautiful,but it will eventually sink, he sums up.
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
