Hindu Dieties and Samba Land...

Sorry! There is going to be no appendage to the Sabrimala controversy through this column, even as much blood of thought and deed has flown between the English media, the state politicians, the dramatis personae- the Lord, the actress, the astrologer and the damned letter of apology, in last two weeks. No doubt, Gods feature prominently through this article but not from the over-arching Himalayas or God's country Kerala, rather they are making their way through rags of fashion magazines, crafted, created and captured through the hands, scissors, spirit and eyes of a 39 year old Brazilian, Roberto Custodio living in Sao Paulo, whose collage of displays, Divinities: Gods and Goddesses of the Hindu Pantheon, was premiered at the India centric Peter Louis Arts Gallery in New York, USA. The exhibition which was a complete sell out but for two displays, has introduced not only an innovative artiste but the idea that regardless of the work zone we find ourselves in, its the will and the passion of mind that leads us to explore our spiritual connections in most uncanny fashion.

While interacting with Roberto in Brazil and Peter, the Director of Peter Louis Arts, in NY, over email, one was struck by the degree of detail that has gone into making these fascinating displays. The Gods and Goddesses- not necessarily endowed with South Asian features and body language, come across flaunting rare raw sensuality and opulence with an ethereal sense of command, love, lust and romance that they invoke in the onlooker. The Gods, appearing magnificent in their physicality do embody inexplicable spiritual energy which is evident in the calm expression on their faces, bejewelled, underscoring their Indian identity by blurring the lines of divinity and humanity on one side and challenging their own chain of order on the other with some displays like Brahma with Om ( The sound and spirit associated with Shiva) but doing away with the four faces of the Lord.

Says Roberto, " The sensuality in Brazil is something natural and it is just impossible for me not to put it in my work". Having been possessed by the image of Krishna ( and taken in by the mystique of Hinduism) on a greeting card he was presented as a child, Roberto believes that the God's light touched him and that image captured his sensibility, which was to later push him into becoming the creator of the creators. He explains, " When I create an Indian deity, it is almost like I am possessed by a very powerful energy. No matter how they are represented in paintings and sculptures, I have to follow what the guiding energy forces me to do."
As someone who never studied art, Roberto started out as an art director for a Modelling Agency, L'Equipe in Sao Paulo nearly two decades back. Collage became his medium from the word go. While dealing with photographs of fashion models, Roberto's own artistic sensibility began to 'interfere' with the pictures. At 29, he left the agency and started working as a freelance illustrator for magazines and books. Roberto reveals, "Collage is my way to express myself. My intention is to give the image a feeling that it is something real but at the same time unreal." He adds poignantly, "It is a photograph made through the eyes of a soul. My Indian deities are not paintings but pictures with flesh, bones and a superior soul."
For Roberto, expressing through collage has been a big challenge since it involves, "creating new images by joining other images." He says, "I have to search magazines and make files of everything that I find suitable." Once he puts different pieces together, he uses water color pencil and India ink to give uniformity to his work besides using different kinds of glues and cards. The actual work though takes around a week.
And if the images are starkly beautiful, its because his interest in fashion continues unabated. And that's what makes this man truly unique- A blender of sacred and profane. As for the investment, he laughs saying, "I can't specify the investment but a hand made work is full of pain. I can specify the hurt and damage that the scissor causes to my hands"
Roberto was raised in a "very spiritual family in Brazil which did not follow any particular religion." He says, "Since my childhood I was aware of the immortality of the soul, re-incarnation and the close contact with the loved ones no longer alive. Jesus, Buddha, Krishna have always been in my mind like a representation of what we have to be someday…a spirit full of love." Perhaps, this is also because of the multiplicity and encompassing nature of Brazilian culture. A predominantly Roman Catholic country, the Brazilian belief system has a special place for Hindusim, Buddhism, Judaism, and religious syncretisms, such as candomblé, umbanda, and macumba, that mix Catholicism with African tribal religions.
With a glint of sadness and pride, as foils to each other, Roberto adds that though he has been influenced by his strong Brazilian roots, he never got an opportunity to display his works. The displays at Peter Louis Arts have been his first. In fact, Peter, the man who has introduced Roberto to NY and to the world says, "Roberto and I were introduced via email through a mutual friend who thought we might make a good fit, since I had just opened an art gallery and I deal mainly in Indian art. At the time, my website had quite a few paintings of the Hindu deities, so it seemed a natural fit. Since then the gallery has continued to focus on Indian art, but not so much religious paintings from contemporary artists. But Roberto's work is so fabulous that I thought an Indian deity show, which is so close to his heart, would be a great way to showcase his work at the gallery to my clientele, which is Indian."
What impressed Peter mainly was Roberto's ability to "come up with a group of works that looked so good together; the technical facility and confidence with which he conceives and executes; the incredible world that these deities inhabit, a magical, sensual, glittering, tactile, world of Indian gods and goddesses filtered through a Latin American sense of beauty and extravagance; yes, the extravagance of the conception has never failed to impress me..the more one looks at the works, the more one sees..."
Indeed, and though technology helps you connect with the artistes, it still does not leave you with the actual sensation of watching something in flesh and blood. For that to happen, Roberto's works need an Indian soil! Ending one of his e-mails philosophically, he adds, "I never been to India, a dream that I hope comes true very soon. I really believe that I lived there in past life because my connection with Indian people and culture is too strong." Gods and Goddesses, above and in displays, would surely second that!
For placing orders, contact Peter at www.peterlouisarts.com

Music beyond borders...

"Char Chirag tere balan hamesha, Panjwan mein balan aayi piya julhelalan…" As Fareed Ayaz al Hussaini and Brothers invoked the radiance of the winter moon, with their voices leaving thumbprints in the hearts of their listeners, it seemed the Sufis of the bygone era- those incessantly obsessed lovers of the divine- had possessed them and charged the atmosphere- with audience members experiencing wajad. Belonging to the pir-Muridi tradition, the brothers claim lineage to the first disciple of Hazrat Amir Khusro. And just as well, Qawwali has been in the family for nearly eight centuries.

Passionately sung lines such as , "Bulleh Shah ne Kuj nai kita, yaar nu kita raji" , regaled audience as many cheered and clapped spontaneously, including this writer. The magic of a true Qawwal lies in mesmerizing the listener so much that he/she cannot stop himself/herself from expressing his/her joy through dance. Perhaps that happens when there is a mystical ( roohani) experience. Personally speaking, qawaali, which belongs to the Chisti order of Sufis, is equal to Gurbani Kirtan or Bhajans in its quest for divine. More so, with their use of local dialects and socio-cultural motifs, Qawwals always had a way of perforating the most hardened souls with their singing. Hussaini brothers knew it too well!



Probably the best bet of Delhi Tourism in recent times at Dilli Haat, this group, presented by Seher, charmed their way through the hearts of the listeners rendering some of the best known Qawwalis-ranging from the works of Amir Khusro, Shah Latif, Bulleh Shah and from the Sufi folk tradition. The most interesting of these, were Hussaini Brothers' rendering of Khusro's Kalam, especially certain verses never heard by the audience before. Taking creative liberty, the brothers fused the Kalam of different poets, basing such numbers on the inherent common theme.

Their fervent rendering, incisive grip over the subject and crisp introductions before every piece ( the duo stressed that Qawwali is the point of origin for thumri, dadra etc, not known to this writer before) made for an enriching mix of music and information! The icing on cake was towards the end, when the audience's claps matched with Qawaals' drums and string instruments. A few members of the audience got up and started dancing making it one of the most lively evenings witnessed at a Qawwali concert in last few months.

As one watched the Pakistani group regale the Indian audience, there was little doubt that music can easily erase the shadow lines that distinguish the two countries. Interestingly so, the Qawwals belonged to the Dilli Gharana and took pride in saying that in Pakistan, they are known as Dilli Wale. Apart from singing in Urdu and Hindi, the group also renders Qawwali in Arabic and Persian.

The group was in India to hold preliminary meetings regarding the upcoming International Qawaali Festival in Delhi being spearheaded by Seher in February, 2007.

RTI and Art-frat!

"Hamara Paisa, Hamara Hisaab." This phrase, infused with the collective energy of the masses on the fringes, was one of the many cornerstones that came to encapsulate the Right to Information Act. Empowering the common man/woman with an over riding fundamental right to seek the information that affects him/her, RTI has in last one year of its existence, proven to be a path breaking instrument in democratizing the process of dissemination of information- the mantra being, " What cannot be denied to the Parliament cannot be denied to its people".
Understandably so, contextualising RTI in the realm of ever so disorganized performing arts sector is bound to produce an interesting debate. Seher's monthly interface, Rasik: Meet the Artiste, devoted its latest edition to this very issue. With a panel comprising, Aruna Roy (the Ramon Magsaysay awardee and one of the brains behind the event), Girish Karnad ( film maker, actor and playwright) , and Leela Samson ( Noted Bharatanatyam dancer and Director of Kalakshetra dance foundation, Chennai), and moderated by Ashok Vajpeyi ( Poet and former secretary, Culture ) the debate on RTI in the rose garden of IIC packed much punch about what RTI was all about.
Though, one may add in same breath that only a simplistic view of the connection between RTI and the artiste community could be unraveled with an ostensibly apolitical creative audience (but for few dissenting voices) calling out desperately for unity among itself, without really addressing the issues that divide it.
Aruna Roy, time and again, addressed a need for collectivism, and while an intelligent interjection pointed to the need to examine if masses are always right, the message was loud and clear, that artistes have to trudge the common ground, that there has to be an inherent empathy for the wronged artiste and that such a scenario can only bring a change. ( The massive public reaction to the death of Safdar Hashmi being a case in point)
Girish Karnad, whose incisive comments on the symbiotic relationship between Knowledge and Power echoed Foucault's take on the economy of discourse and the utter notion that knowledge ( keeping of information- in this case- a civil servant from a common man) turns into power, in the context of "other" ( a person at a weaker position) during its transfer, referred to the struggle of film maker Anand Patwardhan whose award winning film "Father , Son and Holy Ghost" was not shown by DD for 11 years. If such a thing was to happen today, invoking RTI will circumvent any such move by the concerned babus.
Leela Samson's take on the issue, was perhaps most eagerly sought, given her personal standing as a dancer and now her experience as part of the establishment. What struck this writer most was Leela's optimism which understandably stemmed from the fact that she had been treated with "kid gloves" by the government.
However, perhaps the danger zones of RTI vis-à-vis the arts were never touched. Its ramifications on the lives of certain prima donnas, who are not only misusing but abusing the subsidies and facilities provided to them by the Government, be it in form of accommodations or sponsored tours abroad, underpinning the ineffectiveness of various government clauses, were not addressed. Perhaps, it would be amateurish to blame the panel. The real camouflaging of the situation occurred during the Q and A, where someone was heard saying, " RTI seeks people to be aggressive and if artistes become aggressive, their art dies." Unbelievably so, when one hears endless stories of artistes indulging in corporate politics and worse.

The trouble with artiste community perhaps lies in its inability to accept that a lot of misdoings have taken place because of wrongful patronage of various kinds that have been afforded to most, from time to time- be it grants or awards. RTI may stem that to some extent. But then, truth can live for another day.

Poignant tale of the devadasis...

Long Shot/Night Time: Madhura standing behind the window bars and looking at the sky, visible to her eyes. Talking to her friend, Kama she refers to the sky being so wide that every star has enough space to shine.

As the final credits of Sharada Ramanathan's maiden directorial venture on Tamil silver screen, "Sringaram: The dance of love" roll, you realise Madhura's ( a devadasi living in South India of 1920s) vision rubbing your conscience, that often sits muted in a highly competitive world where Power – exerts itself through its tangible worth. Madhura's flight for freedom-is as much a yearning of an artiste to blur the societal (in this case fiercely patriarchal) boundaries as it is an extension of female bonding of four women ( of Madhura, her friend Kama, her mother Ponammal and her Patron Mirasu's wife) who find their fates entwined with each other like an umbilical cord where cutting one would bleed the other.
The film which is primarily centered around the relationship between a devadasi and her patron, and the problematics attached to it, is India's official competition entry for the upcoming International Film Festival in Goa this month. Sringaram grows on you for two main reasons- One, the sheer maturity of the director to handle and present the world of devadasis—where the actual insecurities of being in that "profession" are camouflaged by aggressive investment of sentiment in the rituals and rights of the temples that not only insulate the devadasi from the world outside- giving her the status of the temple lord's wife but ironically de-mystify the virginal beauty and talent of the woman, who becomes a mistress of her patron- in this case, the Mirasu. The second reason is the movie's cinematography and art direction. The movie takes you into an era which is disconnected from the world we inhabit. The period-drama is alive and real, with no stress to romanticize the actual conditions.
Sringaram, works on multiple narratives.The most obvious is class/caste struggle where the Mirasu as wily landlord pronounces severe judgments on the "criminals" from weaker sections. While the immediate lower rung blindly supports, perhaps also contrives Mirasu's vision of truth and justice, the widespread resentment for the Mirasu and his coterie is all too apparent but because of the class conscious, no one can cross it, not even Kasi, the temple watchman, who offers an anti-thesis of the Mirasu to Madhura, through his contrasting vision of Madhura's art and her body's sanctity.
Sringaram, while interrogating the mother-daughter relationship between Madhura and Ponammal, clearly situates it in the confines of market- where their art / body while being respected is also rated. 1920s was socially an era that represented a great decline of patronage ( because of migration of the patrons to the bigger cities for economic/political reasons) which also led to the fall in the socio-economic conditions of the devadasis – represented here by Madhura. In the following decades, devadasis came to be addressed as prostitutes. Ponammal's desperation to seek a safe haven for her daughter stems from these insecurities. The fact that devadasis' status as repositories of art had become merely symbolic, sharply comes out in certain instances which however problematise Madhura and Mirasu's relationship.

However, the very structure that Mirasu tries to use to corner Madhura and which also suffocates Mirasu's wife and Ponammal at very different levels, ends up forcing Mirasu to fly the scene. So, Ironically, the one who calls the shots all through out the film has to run away. Mirasu's wife decides to stay back just as Madhura holds on to her quest for independence which makes a parallel discourse with India's yearning for freedom. And just as the freedom fighters- young men in their early 20s- have tremendous passion and respect for their cause, similarly they show the respect and love for Madhura, on very platonic terms, led by Kasi.

The intermingling of Madhura,India, Goddess principle happens at various instances- where each becomes the foil of the other- with Kasi remaining the eternal devotee for all the three.

Towards the end of the film, the viewer is left bewildered having witnessed the life of a devadasi lived with such passion and honesty that the historical narratives of the community, as written and camouflagued by the "social cleansers" lose their shine before this fictional account.

The film has brilliant acting from the lead, Aditi Rao, who is an accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer. Jayan as the Mirasu and Manju as Ponammal make for convincing portrayals. Sringaram has some of the best lines up be it Lalgudi Jayaraman's music score, Madhu Ambat's cinematography, Thota Tharani's art direction and Saroj Khan's dance direction. The film, is an important point of departure in period- films because of the authenticity it comes attached with. No loud and garish costumes and sets here, No heavy duty music scores, No over the top histrionics. While the movie could have done with better editing in parts and more accurate sub-titling at places, its nonetheless a welcome respite from the world of Dons, especially since the movie celebrates dance , womanhood and freedom all in one! Last but not the least, Sharada Ramanathan is a great discovery for the film industry.