Different Strokes

Sculptor Arzan Khambatta spends a morning sketching tourists

Normally, you won8217;t find sculptor Arzan Khambatta sketching besides Mumbai8217;s Gateway. He8217;s a studio artist with big metal sculptures on their way to completion for his October solo show at Gallery Art and Soul. However, the artist is nothing if not a fun guy, which is why he takes time out to make a morning of it among the holidaymakers thronging Mumbai8217;s quintessential landmark.

No one notices Arzan at first, despite his curly long hair that stands out. However, when he takes up his sketchpad and black ballpoint pen 8216;8216;I don8217;t like sketching with pencil,8217;8217; says Khambatta, a small crowd gathers.

His first muse is Heminder, a young graduate from Himachal who8217;s showing his parents around the city. 8216;8216;I8217;m going to make this one a little caricaturesque,8217;8217; warns Khambatta. 8216;8216;I hope this won8217;t take too long,8217;8217; says the youth, eager to get on with sightseeing.

Khambatta finishes in less than five minutes. 8216;8216;I8217;m going to gift you this sketch,8217;8217; says a benevolent Khambatta and Heminder is quite relieved.

The next sitter is Gaj Singh, a farmer from Haryana, who catches Khambatta8217;s eye because of his turban and rural attire. 8216;8216;People like him have so much character that it8217;s a pleasure to sketch them. I love the lines on his face,8217;8217; says Khambatta. Meanwhile, Gaj Singh twirls his mustache and looks imperiously into the sea as if he8217;s been sitting for portraits all his life.

Two giggly schoolboys begin pushing each other forward, hoping to get the artist8217;s attention. But both back down finally. A group of college girls sneer at us when we approach them. 8216;8216;We8217;re too busy, we have a boat to catch,8217;8217; snaps their 8216;group8217; leader.

Looking for our next sitter takes quite a while since most tourists are in a hurry. Large groups of school children and women with their big families enjoy their day out. At last, we spot them8212;a family lounging on a stone bench overlooking the Taj Hotel.

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Mohommod Ansari and his young son Nizam are sharing a kulfi while his wife is busy feeding their infant. 8216;8216;How much is it going to cost us?8217;8217; asks Ansari. Khambatta assures him that this is for free. Our artist picks Nizam, the little boy, who can barely sit still and is busy making 8216;sour faces8217; at the artist.

This time the crowd is rather aggressive, literally looking over the artist8217;s shoulder. 8216;8216;I8217;m quite oblivious to them,8217;8217; says Khambatta. But the crowd isn8217;t oblivious to him and a swamiji from Mount Abu begins to enquire if Khambatta is interested in a spiritual retreat.

Now that the Ansaris are pleased to have a signed portrait of their little boy, Khambatta is quick to wrap up his operation Gateway. 8216;8216;It was fun. I think I will get back to sketching, though I prefer Alibaug to Mumbai for a day of relaxed sketching,8217;8217; confesses the artist. nbsp;

8212; Georgina Maddox