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Journalism of Courage
Colours from Rajasthan, though less of it
The exhibition is titled Colours of Rajasthan8217; as it is a collection of paintings by Rajasthan-based artists. But browsing through, it becomes clear that the display consists of colours from Rajasthan, not of it. For barring a few, the frames are either superficial or remotely connected with the ethos of the desert. Nevertheless let us ignore the unworthy and concentrate on the deserving. It is indeed a feast for the eyes then.
Imagine yourself in the August company of the Trinity, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiv. Nathulal Verma8217;s miniaturish work in tempera is one of perfection and clarity, with eye to detail. Architecturally well-patterned, the painting pulsates with life, both divine and earthly. Interested in pastel? Well, you have a charming one in Harshiv Sharma8217;s composition that looked as if many women in bright odhnis8217; were swirling in front of us. It is here and in Suresh Sharma8217;s acrylic which is sheer poetry in the shades of the desert that we get the literal translation of the title.
The exhibition, organised jointly by the Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur, Rajasthan Lalit Kala Academy and the North Zone Cultural Centre, is on the last leg of their circuit after covering Delhi and Patiala. Hope the next venture will be throbbing with the real colours of8217; Rajasthan.
Ode to the Sukhna Lovers
You don8217;t need to necessarily eavesdrop on conversations at Sukhna lake to realize that the challenge of love is in the air. Take a walk on the lake shore any weekday morning. That8217;s the time that Dads and Moms are either in their offices or busy with household chores. It8217;s a safe time to play hookey, grab the paramour8217;s hand and head Sukhnawards8230;8230;
Walk along the lake side and you8217;ll find them sitting, evenly spaced, on the lake ledge, the steps, and in the gazebos. Lovers8217; etiquette seems to require that no other couple shall come within a 200 meter distance of another. Each flight of steps shall belong, as long as they continue to sit there, exclusively to that couple. Firmly turned backs signal displeasure at intrusion, those holding hands withdraw gently as a walker passes, and heads lower to muffle conversations from being overheard.
There is a stillness but no quiet at Sukhna at this time. The birds and the bees are energetic on the neat borders of the pansy and the marigold beds. And a lone figure walks the water8217;s edge picking up discarded plastic bags.
The lovers are lost to all this 8211; their words and silences and gestures circumscribed. A charmed circle envelops them and you feel free to weave stories only from the outside. There is in the distance bobs a green turban listening intently to a tale told by wringing hands. Will her parents force her to leave him and marry the thrice removed cousin who runs a kapde ki dukan in Thailand ? A more confident looking couple, both wearing jeans and red sweaters, walk past holding hands. Will they still be seeing each other next February or will he be back in the geri route in a couple of months ?
Good luck to all you, lovers by the lake ! May the magic of these February mornings stay forever in your heart 8212; this is my 8220;Valentine8217;s Day8221; wish to you.
The Modern Dance Chandigarh last Saturday witnessed 22 delightful children aged from 6 to 12 years doing dancercise with great fervour. 8220;The tiny tots were performing for the first time before such a great gathering and I was very happy with their zingy confidence,8221; said Anup Debnath, their instructor.
The children, studying in the various city schools had come together as students of the Contemporary Dance People. Dancercise is extremely popular in the USA and essentially consists of dance and exercise steps choreographed to music.
Mr India Comes Calling
Ruby Bhatia better watch out. As if Miss India 1999 Gul Panag8217;s by now famous dimples were not enough, now Mr India is here with a set of teeth that are sure to send the toothpaste industry into a tizzy. Grasim Mr India Abhijit Sanyal, who flew in from Mumbai to accept the Maruti 800 that comes with his title, flashed his smile 8212; untiringly but mechanically. The small group of Maruti staffers and Grasim representatives burst into applause when Sanyal made his entry. This was followed by yet more applause when he smiled and was that often, applause again when he opened the car door, applause even when he honked. Second runner-up Vishal Singh Yadav from Gurgaon, on the other hand, came in unnoticed and stood by in a show of support as the winner took all. 8220;Well, I got the Mr Photogenic title besides finishing up third, and in this profession, that is the important title to win,8221; said the green-eyed Jat boy, who had the Lee Cooper and Reebok campaigns under his belt even before the contest.
Show of Substance
There was a time in Delhi, recalls Uma Ravi Jain, when even masters like Jamini Roy or Sailoz Mukerjea would find it near-impossible to get a buyer. Jain may be a veteran of the Supreme Court Bar, but few people in Delhi know the business of art better, for it was her father-in-law, the legendary Ram Babu, who set up the city8217;s first art gallery, the Dhoomi Mal, in 1936. The market hadn8217;t changed even by 1961 when Dhiraj Choudhury held his first show at AIFACS. Then, if an established artist made Rs 200 on a painting, then it was reason enough for a lavish dinner at Standard or Gaylord.
Today, Choudhury commands up to a lakh, and if the market buzz is to be believed, serious collectors are prepared to shell out up to Rs 5 lakh for a Satish Gujral. Clearly, the art mart has changed beyond recognition and it appears to be recession-proof, at least for the contemporary masters. Nowhere was this more evident than in the surfeit of red bindis at the opening of Gujral8217;s Celebration of Life8217; show at Triveni on February 1. A red bindi signifies a sold painting, so the more these are, that too on the opening day, the better it is for the artist.
Not surprisingly, the city8217;s chatterati was in attendance 8212; to see and to be seen. Spotted in the kaleidoscope of carefully draped jamawars and shoulder-clung shahtooshes: Varsha and Bobby Bandit Queen8217; Bedi, whose work in progress is a film based on Gujral8217;s days in Mexico; Chetan Seth and Manya Patil she being Smita Patil8217;s sister; Manjit Bawa, Manu Parekh, and the new stars on Delhi8217;s crowded canvas 8212; The Gujral khandaan, naturally, was there, too, much to the delight of the shutterbugs, who clicked away as Kiran Gujral, Mohit and Feroze Gujral, Raseel Gujral and Naveen Ansal played the perfect hosts.
