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Journalism of Courage
Wither India Inc?
Returned to Mumbai last fortnight, to the sad news of the untimely death of two of the icons of my youth 8212; Protima Bedi and Persis Khambata. How many hours one had spent admiring their irreverent exploits, vicariously basking in their anti-establishment stances, lapping up their uproarious quotes, subconsciously taking from their public personas their glittery joie de vivre and making it a part of our own. They were the epitome of a culture in transition, children of a post-colonial India that lived in a subcontinent where it was hip to be western yet scorned for that very brashness. A cultural chaos that was masterfully exploited by the Nari Hiras of this world and gave rise to Shobha De-isms that in time has become the media-led society that we resentfully dwell in.
Flower Child
Not one to sit idle is Poonam Bhagat, friend, socialite, irreverent gossip, and now floral arrangement specialist. Eight times a year la Bhagat heads off to the West to seek masters in various skills to whet her latest passions. In the past, she has studied the art of paint finishes, art appreciation, furniture design, etc. This year,under the watchful eye of Ken Turner not to be mistaken for Ted Turner she has returned to create some of the most fabulous floral sculptures, seen this side of the Suez. These compliment her other skills and in her magnificent home at Pali Hill her craft vies for attention amongst the other works of collected art Husains, Anjolie Ela Menons, Gujrals, Vaikunthams and a must for every home 8212; Badri Narayan. Turner, whose work is the toast of New York, London, and Tokyo found Poonam to possess a keen eye and deft touch. Reluctant to commercialise her artistic ability Poonam is none the less open to sharing her knowledge with like-minded Mumbaikars.
Set it right
News on the block is that Lilette Dubey is preparing the groundwork for her new play scheduled to open end of the year. The play has been commissioned by her team and is penned by the noted writer Mahesh Dattani of Bangalore. Dattani8217;s work is always interesting and rivetting and he is one of the few Indian playwrights to tacklesubjects and characters that are three-dimensional. This new play deals with gender identity and sexual exploration, subjects that have finally gained mainstream societal acceptance. Also working on this production is Delhi-based production designer Sumant Jayakrishnan who is a fascinating talent. His sets and bold artistic design for Jaya the rock version of Mahabharata were the best input in an ambitious but shaky production. Winner of several awards and grants, Sumant8217;s work has travelled to South Africa recently, and Paris, New York and London before. Sumant is also an installation artist and actor. He plans to bring all his skills together in the coming months as he contemplates several offers, including one from film-maker Govind Nihalani, whose next feature film project he might design the sets for. Sumant is also one of an evolving breed of artists who have no real geographical base but can be easily contacted in their virtual home on the internet via email: sumantjkhotmail.com.
Musical mavericks
The MTV-organised War of the DJs8217; contest was a phenomenal success and proved that the music business in India has come of age. DJs are artists who mix recorded music with additional sampled music and sound tracks to create an enhanced spatial feel. These artists have so far been undervalued in India and with the non-existent radio scene and lack of clubs where DJs can create their own brand of sound, it is encouraging to see that these musically-inclined mavericks have persevered with their interests. MTV has continued to break new ground in India and also souped-up its public profile, a large part of that due the energetic efforts of Rupali Wadhi who drives their communications department.
Riyad Wadia is an avant garde film-maker
