Everlasting Flame and Ecology

diary exhibitions volume XXX. No. 2 March—April 2016 preceded by a talk by Dr. Homi Dhalla on Zoroastrianism Everlasting Flame and Ecology. He spoke at more than considerable length on FESTIVAL: Threads of Continuity: Zoroastrian Life and the state of ecology, stressed the fact that over fifty per cent Culture of the world's wildlife has disappeared in the last fifty years. He emphasised the references to ecology in the Zoroastrian Collaboration: Parzor; IGNCA; IIC; IHC Vayu Yashth 1 April to 27 May scriptures, for instance the , a hymn to the winds, and the Avan Yashth, a hymn to the waters. The Everlasting Flameexhibition from London, showcased Professor Rustom Bharucha of JNU moderated a panel in the National Museum—a panorama on the history of discussion on the curating of these exhibitions on 23rd April. the Zoroastrian faith—has acted like a magnet for other The other panelists were Dr. Shernaz Cama whose efforts on exhibitions at Jaipur House and IGNCA, primarily through behalf of Parzor were pivotal in bringing the exhibitions to the efforts of Parzor and Dr. Shernaz Cama. Exhibitions on Delhi, and poet Ranjit Hoskote and wife Nancy Adjania, both Parsi painters entitled ‘No Parsi is an Island’ curated by Ranjit famed art curators from Bombay. Bharucha gave an erudite Hoskote and Nancy Adjania, another on Parsi trade with talk on curating exhibitions—an assemblage of performances China in the nineteenth century, at Jaipur House, and ‘Threads and exhibits, and its multiple narratives. He talked of the Parsi of Continuity’ at IGNCA completed this constellation. communitarian identity with Zoroastrianism. Dr. Shernaz Cama talked of a movement to bring back Zoroastrian The IIC came to the party on 1st April, with the film discourse into world discourse, and resurrecting eminent Ferrari ki Sawari through Bollywood celebrity Boman Irani photographers and artists in the last twenty years. speaking on the film. The film stretched both imagination and verisimilitude a bit, but so what, so does the Parsi On the 26th of April, Professor Sabeena Gadihoke (Jamia community in any case! Milia) gave a crisp and excellent account of the career of the photographer Homai Vyarawalla who had snapped the On 2nd April, we again had Boman Irani singing away historic 1947 changeover and much else—the lives of the splendidly, and later the Iranian choir on the Fountain colonialists. This was followed by a long loose unstructured Lawns. It was a great evening and both the choir and Irani talk on Delhi Parsis by Rusi Sohrabji. But it brought out were given vociferous ovations. how people lived in the first half of the 20th century. On 8th April, an excellent documentary Outlines of Persian KEKI N. DARUWALLA History—the Achaemenian and Sassanian Empires, was screened at the Multipurpose Hall, followed by a talk by Justice Rohinton Nariman. A photographic exhibition by Shantanu Das on Udvada, which houses ‘Iranshah’ the sacred fire of the Parsis, was on show at the Annexe Art Gallery. On 15th April, a film from the Parzor Archives entitled Pir-e-Chak Chak was screened at the Multipurpose Hall, highlighting the legendary lost princess of the last Zoroastrian Emperor Yezdezard, who vanishes into some caves. A festival is held there with Iranian Zoroastrians congregating and having fun at the caves. The screening was Udvada 1 exhibition diary A Flashing Weave EXHIBITION: Painted Weaves—Tapestries by S.G. Vasudev 1-9 March Woven tapestry’s graphic pictorial role has been long- established in that five hundred years ago, the art was already extremely sophisticated in its development— esthetically, technically and in its diversity of purpose. S.G. Vasudev is a multifaceted artist who has explored Painted Weaves various mediums and art forms. Exposed to tapestry art the series. Collectivism, equality, acceptance and harmony during his travels in Europe, he wanted to do it in India. marked the entire gamut of works. After meeting master weaver Subbarayalu in 1995, there Each work exudes a collectivism replete with an imagery that was no looking back. Yarn dyes are watched scrupulously is commensurate with the artist’s open-armed acceptance of to maintain colour integrity with the original paintings. all beings, different cultures, and varying strata of life. Works for Painted Weaves at the Kamaladevi Complex were picked from—Tree of Life, Maithuna, Humanscape, Camaraderie of man and beast in Elephant & Man, the Earthscapes and Theatre of Life. saffron and green hues perhaps underlining the Indianness of Vasudev’s faith, the Blue Tree as a symbol of the universe, The first impression of the tapestries was of life bustling, the feminine Prakriti, sustainer of life, pervasive and and yet a sense of languid co-existence, with equal rights embracing, a vestibule of propagation, are the simple but for all! This inclusive stance of the artist, his all embracing profound truths that power S.G. Vasudev’s creations. propensity for treating flora, fauna, human life, and the universe with equal empathy remained the hallmark of ARUNA BHOWMICK the seas surrounding Hong Kong have a considerably more Paintings about Ranikhet soothing effect. EXHIBITION: Ranikhet State of Mind Towards the end, a set of paintings of colourful Paintings by Manju Kak chrysanthemums, poppies, dahlias and lotuses portray 23 to 29 April flowers from her garden in Ranikhet. The exhibition evokes the spirit of Ranikhet with a video of the Manju Kak's exhibition Ranikhet State of Mind comprised sounds and silences from Kak’s garden in Ranikhet, and flower a series of oil and watercolour paintings inspired by the pots placed underneath it. Yet, the inclusion of a few paintings north Indian hill station where she has lived over the years. of the actual Kumaon hills surrounding Ranikhet would have As the title suggests, the show isn't literally about paintings been a fitting conclusion to the artist’s visions of the town. of Ranikhet, but rather a serene worldview that shapes Kak's vision of other cities. SONAM JOSHI In an opening note, Kak describes her family home Knock Fierna, that shares its name with a holy hill in Ireland, suggesting Ranikhet’s similarities with a quaint English village. This translates into a series of abstract landscapes of two very different places, Delhi and Hong Kong. There are paintings of the vast open barren spaces near the Yamuna riverbed and the Jahanapanah forest in Delhi, while an oil painting captures the movement of a peacock’s fluttering feathers. In contrast to these arid scenes, her waterscapes of Ranikhet State of Mind 2 diary exhibition There is an interesting Vignettes of Goa medley of wall adver- EXHIBITION: Residues tisements, showing a Photographs by Monica Bhasin variety of fonts and other 6 to 12 April graphic elements that make for interesting viewing. There were photographs Monica Bhasin is a filmmaker, amongst other things. In this of stairs which had such exhibition, appropriately titled Residues, some photographs strong graphic elements… certainly are reminiscent of stills from a film of yesteryears. converting the mundane I am referring in particular to an old abandoned truck to a different point of view. and an old seat in a park with an overgrowth of vines and creepers…. giving it a melancholy, yet romantic old There was one particularly Residues world feel. I felt I had been transported to the sets of a beautiful photograph that Guru Dutt film! looked as if it had been taken when it was raining. Monica explained that early mornings in a Goan winter This exhibition showed us a Goa that we perhaps have never are often foggy and the photograph was a result of noticed! The doors that have been photographed are not that fog! extraordinary, and yet just in that, lies the extraordinariness. What a lot of character here. It is here that you see residues There was technique, there was experimentation, drama and of Goa…. of Goa hitherto unnoticed. There are no beaches, the mundane. I wonder where Monica will take us next. no shacks, no Portuguese architecture, in fact nothing that POONAM SAHI characterises the ‘regular’ Goa. and controlled technique. Dilip Kumar (Devdas), Suchitra A Festival of Bimal Roy Sen (Paro), Vyjanthimala (Chandramukhi), Motilal Films (Chunni Babu) all excel in their roles. FILM FESTIVAL: Re-visiting Masters of Cinema: Sujata (1959), taken from a Subodh Ghosh story, addresses Bimal Roy the theme of untouchability most poignantly. Nutan as Sujata shines and Roy holds his audience through superior Collaboration: IIC Film Club, Shemaroo Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. And Anupam Productions, Delhi technique despite the film’s inordinate length. 11-22 April Madhumati (1957), written by Ritwik Ghatak, is a delightful piece of hokum featuring a rapacious landlord, a lovelorn Five films by Bimal Roy were screened, thanks to the hill maiden and an honest, romantic estate manager. It is a collaboration between Shemaroo Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., tale of rebirth and reincarnation and grips the viewer with Anupam Productions, Delhi and IIC Film Club. its expressive photography and lilting music. Do Bigha Zamin (1953) influenced by Italian neo-realism Bandini (1964), based on a Jarasandha novel, Tapasi, is is about the pauperisation of a poor farmer Shambhu and about the tragedy of an innocent postmaster’s daughter his family by a powerful village landlord. The film rings let down by a revolutionary during the Independence true even now because the lot of the Indian farmer remains struggle in the 1930s. Its reading of a stunted, hide-bound, tragic and Bimal Roy’s probing, humane camera brings male-dominated society is spot on and relevant today— alive the film despite a somewhat sketchy script. more so! Nutan as Kalyani, the wronged woman, is unforgettable.

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