Sunday 13 October 2024

"Writers sutta maarne gaye"- play performed in Versova (Mumbai) on 5.10.2024

 What happens when actors turn writers

( हिंदी में समीक्षा के लिए -   यहाँ क्लिक करके क्रम सं. 58 देखिए )


This was an improvised play that means there was no script (as they claim). Before the start of the  play, some questions about the happenings in self life were asked to the viewers and then adding some of those details a play was prepared instantly if we believe them.

Anyway, the presentation was truly like an impromptu drama. A girl goes to pursue her studies in Uzbekistan where while she was sitting in a cab she shares her problems about her boy friend who spurned her for other. The cab driver is a young boy and empathizes with the girl student. It is pure humanity on the part of the driver but is something more for the girl. Both of them reaches the Uzbek College where the girl finds her ex-boyfriend with some other girl. The first girl is now in a fit of revenge and declares the cab driver as her new lover. . The cab driver is puzzled but ultimately things to enjoy the fun of the situation. There is no trace of study in that college and then comes a competition of best couples. The humorous thing is that the best couple is to be decided not on the basis of study but on the basis of dance and fight. And so a dance completion happens in which the second lover girl is eliminated. The whole of this impromptu script was made of these incoherent looking bits. Still there was a full comedy till the end of the play. 

The director of the play of Aditya S Kashyap who has taken good works from his actors who were, Sahir Mehta, Shantanu Anam and Shrushti Tawade, 

This was full of guffaws and surprises and the audience tasted the fun of randomness.

---
Review by - Hemant Das 'Him'
Send feedback to - hemantdas2001@gmail.com / editorbejodindia@gmail.com
See the reviews of other plays- Click here










Saturday 28 September 2024

Faafda Jalebi - Gujarati play staged at Tejpal Auditorium (Mumbai) on 22.9.2024

Unique solutions to problematic family milieu 

( हिंदी में समीक्षा के लिए -   यहाँ क्लिक करके क्रम सं. 57 देखिए )



"Baap to baap hota hai" (Father is after all a superior person to his children, he knows how to tackle the situation.)  A very unique kind of solution has been presented in this play on the issue of sending old family member to a senior citizens home by their own children. And if that happens then most of children would change the idea of sending the parents to some another place like senior citizens home. Though it would not be ethical to reveal on this solution, it is worthy to talk about an interesting chunk of the play. The son and daughter-in-law are being posited with a demand of Rs. crore for some work which both think exorbitant for them. Then an option is given to them that they will pay Rs. 1 for the first day, Rs. 2 for the second day and subsequently the double amount of that paid earlier for only 25 days. This proposal looks economical to them. When they came to know the amount it would become on 25th day, the young couple is utterly dumbfounded on it.

In the second half of the play there is a separate story. Here again, a very common social issue is raised. This relates to division of the property between the two sons. Both sons are almost adamant on it but their spouses change the all ballgame through their insightful trick. Ultimately this obnoxious situation is also avoided. 

Actors in this show were renowned comedians Nimesh Shah and Mallika Shah, Other actors were TV star Samir Rajda, Nikhil Parmar and Vishwa Garach. The director and writer of the play is Nimesh Shah. 

Nimesh Shah is a gifted talent. If he copies the demanor of a woman he becomes exactly the same. His countenance and gaits can leave an audience spellbound. And so matching was his co-actor female actor who played opposite him. Both of them did a blast and continued so for the whole play. The other couple also impressed - the wife with her coquets and the husband with his docile demeanour. Moreover all the four were good in dancing steps. As her way of responding, the daughter-in-law used to shake her whole head with a pinch of arrogance on her face will be retained in the memory by all those who watched the show.

The concept of the script looked like a fresh breeze among a mass of popular stories. The dialogues are so quick-witted that can be possible only in a live scenario. Rhythm and steps joined together to produce a splendour. 

Though the solutions provided were somewhat utopian specifically when it comes to show the duo of daughters-in-law moving in tandem together selflessly for the welfare of their father-in-law, the problems put are burning issues of nowadays. 

The director-writer and the whole team are worth appreciation.
---
Reveiw by- Hemant Das 'Him'
Send your feedback to - hemantdas2001@gmail.com / editorbejodindia@gmail.com
See the reviews of other plays- Click here






Saturday 21 September 2024

"Naaribai' - a triilingual solo play staged in Andheri (Mumbai) on 15.9.2024

Can a woman make her mark without selling herself?

( हिंदी में समीक्षा के लिए -   यहाँ क्लिक करके क्रम सं. 56 देखिए )


This man-dominated world is always adverse to women. They may come from any strata of the society they have to face consistent challenges from men. 

The play 'Naaribai' shows some sort of similarity in the difficulties faced by three women from completely different backgrounds. Sushmita is an actress in Mumbai, Sunaina is a socialite in Delhi who is writing a biography of Naaribai who is a prostitute from Bundelkhand. Based upon the characters this play profusely uses English, Hindi and Bundelkhandi as the medium. 

All the three have faced gender based exploitation in different forms and the level of exploitations are so high that it is concluded that each of them is in a sense a prostitute selling different parts of herself. 

The unapologetic demenour of Naaribai was striking. She was sold off to a old person in her childhood and yet she is not with a pitiful face. She moved on and did whatever she thought well for her. The name Naaribai is actually mis-spelt by some responsible person while registering her true name that was Raanibai. 

Sushmita Mukherjee of Kitty fame in 40 years old detective Doordarshan serial 'Karamchand' played not only all the three main characters but also 23 other small characters in the play. no doubt, her solo performance was impressive and she never shivered to play the ultimate scenes of sexuality in this play qualified for adults only.

The audience was contemplative after watching the play thinking whether it is possible for a woman to make her mark without selling herself?

----
Review by- Hemant Das 'Him'
Send your feedback to- hemantdas2001@gmail.com / editorbejodindia@gmail.com
See the reviews of other plays- Click here

Friday 20 September 2024

"Mithila Art" - a book review by Hemant Das 'Him'

 A complete perspective on Mithila paintings 

( A book-review)


You need not leave space to revel. Madhubani paintings have been considered very dense art form that  leaves no empty space in it's pictures. 

Art is not a prerogative of trained or prodigious people. It is for hoi polloi! It is available to all who are willing to make it and enjoy! One of the noticeably democratic form of art is Madhubani painting. To let it be doable to all it has to forsake proportion calculation, shadow effect, third dimension consideration and colour nuances. Yet it is the sheer the piousness and sanctity of collective  co-habiting minds that express in the phenomenon of exuberant Madhubani paintings and are being transmitted by generations to  generations in  a specified locality.

For it's rich patterns, figurative motifs and play of plainly colours, Madhubani paintings have been darling not only to people of India but also to the connoisseurs from abroad. Ironically, the paintings made primarily by less literate artists living in mud houses have become the hot topic for art buffs sitting in seven-star hotels of global fame. 

What is the secret behind it? It there is matching substance or is it merely ideological puffs of art buffs ?

The recently released book "Mithila Art - a 360 degree review of Madhubani Painting" is a symposium of supreme quality research-based essays that analyses the art in all possible dimensions. The managing editor Prof. Prashant Das  and the trio of editors Binita Mallik, Dr. Minu Agarwal and Dr. Laura Zizka have left no stone unturned to give the total perspective of the Madhubani painting from all angles you can imagine. May it be historical, sociological, psychological, religious, artistry, or commercial, they have delved deep into the subject. So, you are able to appreciate this art from a much higher podium level than you used to before going through this book.  This may also help you open your eyes how to look at other folk arts around the world. 

Publisher's Note and Editor's Note are followed by the forewords provided by Amitabh Kant (CEO, Niti Ayog, GoI), Nina Singh (ADG, CISF) and Chanchal Kumar (Pr Secy to Govt of Bihar). The designations  of these three distinguished persons corresponds to early 2021 when they handed over  their views on the book. 

The book has been divided in nine chapters as the following (-Prashant Das and Laura Zizka)

1. Mithila Art: A survey of what we already know (-Prashant Das and Laura Zizka)

2. A visual survey of Mithila Paintings (-Binita Mallik)

3. The International reception of Mithila paintings in the 1970s A countercultural kairos? (-Helene Fleury)

4.Transforming the bride: Gauri Puja in early 20th century Madhubani Paintings (- Tammy M. Owens)

5.Madhubani Paintings reviewed with modern lenses (-Nathan Lopez)

6. Is the Mithila Painting losing its sanctity because of its excessive access? (- Col. Satish Mallik)

7. Godavari Dutta:"The art came as a ray of hope in the otherwise gloomy life" (-

8. Bimla Dutta: " We drew mythology, you must draw the present"

9. Krishna Kumar Kashyap: "There is no distinction between education and art"

---

In Chapter One, Dr. Prashant Das and Dr. Laura Zizka have provided a comprehensive account of Mithila Paintings   

Prof. Prashant Das and Laura Zizka say that the exact historical account of Mithila artists is not well documented. Thakur (1974) provides an authoritative historical documentation. Brahmin and Kayastha castes have dominated the Mithila art community. Kailash Mishra (2003) claims that Sri Tulsi Das (1511-1623AD) mentions vivid Mithila paintings in his epic "Ramacharit Manas".wherein the people of Mithila produced such paintings to celebrate the marriage of Goddess Sita with Lord Ram.

About why Mithila paintings are so special he says "The laypeople, the figurines in Mithila art may come across as too raw, irregular and primitive. The floral and human figures are flat; its elements are somewhat symbolic than realistic, with almost an absent sense of three-dimensionality and proportions. However, for connoisseurs, Mithila art is aesthetic, authentic and pleasant primarily due to its visual discipline and underlying stories. ...Works on celebrated artist Ganga Devi put Mithila art on a par with some Western art forms particularly in terms of graphics."

Stressing on the symbolism as the main characteristic of Mithila paintings he writes "...beyond the realist paintings, mythological and ritually-oriented symbolic art has always been a part of human civilizations cross the globe. As the main purpose of Mithila art is to support rituals, it is characterized by symbolism and is less concerned with the realistic depiction of objects or events."

Profs. Das and Zizka do not stop here. He is trying to find the historical roots and it's transformation in terms of media from a global point of view, "William Geaorge Archer (1907-1979), the British-Indian civil services officer  is credited with the much-discussed discovery of Mithila art. His serendipitous discovery owas during the infamous 1934 earthquake in the region. He later published an authoritative article in 1949. ... According to Chavda, it was on Kulkarni's encouragement that the Jitwarpur artis started translating their wall paintings into paper and cloth. This development must have been marked with the art media changing from natural colours i.e. cowdung, flowers, leaves and turmeric to industrial painting supplies.

Digging into the caste-ramifications of Mithila art he writes, "Literature is split about which caste gets the credit for being the original Mithila painters. According to Jyotindra Jain, the Khobar wall art was "primarily a Kayastha custom.. (and) Brahmans adopted it in recent time. ....Heinz 1996) suggests that the Kayastha version may "appear busy" to the Western eye, a pervasive "horror vacui" where empty spaces are filled with motifs drawn from ponds: birds, fish, leaves, blossoms, ants, worms, snakes, centipedes, turtles and toads." .... The "lower castes" Dusadhs and Chamars joined the bandwagon in the 1980s. ...  Heinz documents that in the early days, paper-based Mithila art was limited to Mahapatra Brahmins- low -ranked Brahmins due to their specialization in funeral - and Kayastha families in their neighborhood.

(It seems pertinent to mention the views of Bhairav ​​Lal Das, a scholar of Mithila culture, who says that Mithila paintings were used religiously in marriage rituals by the Kayastha community, but it was not mandatory for Brahmins, many of whom would bring the groom from Saurath Sabha which was an age-old practice of qualitative and transparent selection of one out of many prospective grooms, so there used to be uncertainty about the marriage till the last moment)

Das and Zizka quote and say, "Kailash Mishra (2003) is of the view that broadly three types (schools) of Mithila art have been identified which are corelated with caste identities. The Bharni style most popular among Brahmin artists combines the relatively sparse linework with solid-color fillings. Kayastha artists tend to paint using the Kachni style. This style is characterized by rectilinear and curvilinear lines of different widths and colors used to depict gods, rituals and patterns. The thematic is similar to Bharni style. Artists from relatively backward castes (dusadhs in particular) are known for their peculiar Godhni style of Mithila art which is charaterised predominantly by monochromatic skin tattoo patterns. According to Rekha and Devi (2010) the Godhni style which emerged after the 1970s. However the Mithila Museum in Japan does include several Godhni artworks by Dalit artists: Jamuna Devi, Shanti Devi and Uttam Paswan among others. The Godhni style does build caste-equity in Mithila art by depicting themes such as the Dusadh (a Dalit caste) king Raja Salhes which is conspicuously absent in other Mithila art styles."

Das and Zizka name the types of paintings based on medium used, "From the media standpoint, Mithila art can be described under three main types - Aripan (floor patterns), painted walls and painted objects." 

Though Mithila art is predominantly religious still it is secular in the sense that it does not pay special treatment to a particular sect. Prof Prashant Das quotes Heinz (2006) who says that Mithila art refuses to belong to a particular sect of Hinduism, Vaishnav, Shaiv or Tantric. The depiction of Gods and Goddesses are rather secular within the broad boundarises of Hinduism. Ram, Sita, Krishna, Vishnu and Kali, shiv and most recent adaptations have included Buddha and Jesus.

In an effort to test it on psychoanalytic crucible he quotes Prof. Carolyn Brown (1996) who questions the appropriateness of a Freudian explanation provided by Vequad wherein a vertical elecment in Kohbar art is interpreted as phallic. Perhaps Vequad's sexuality-related interpretation of Kohbar was influenced by Archer who in 1949 interpreted lotus as a symbol of female fertility and bamboo as a male genital.

Observing it with a tantric lens Das and Zizka quote Kailash Mishra (2003) and Madhok and Madhok (2005) who also support a Tantric interpretation of Naina-Jogin to protect the married couple from evil.

And then comes the moolah. Das and Zizka have a logic on commercial sluggishness and he mentions that Mithila art's central intent has been utilitarian. To support the rituals during various Hindu religious ceremonies. Despite some disconnected efforts in recent years, the Mithila art form remains economically vulnerable.

Then after Das and Zizka go on to compare Mithila art with some of the other folk arts in the world namely Uzbekistan, Iceland, Spain et. We only attempt to draw parallels in terms of rigor and style to argue that similar to many other parts of the world the rudimentary style of Mithila art is deliberate attempt to depict ritualistic symbolism of which aesthetics is a by-product.

---

Let us see what is here in her article more than what have already been mentioned by Prof. Prashant and Prof. Zizka.

Telling about the technique and grammar Binita Mallik enumerates some specific points worthy to note. 

*The empty spaces are filled with identity and significance.

*There are a variety of patterns such as floral patterns lines (in various directions) cross-lines triangles, fish-scales and dots among others.

*Vibrant yet flat colours are used in this art.

*No shading work is done here.

*The eyes are drawn very large with no expressions in the figures.

*Artists try to make them in one sitting stroke so there is little use of an eraser as it makes the art look artificial.

*Some figures do not have any prescribed direction for viewing, they are palindromic from all sides.

*If any kind of design symbolising the Devtas, a head/ crown (moori), a base (paeni) and a mat (aasan) must be drawn.

Which discussing all the three types of Mithila paintings - Kachni, Bharni (filling) and Godna, Binita Mallik says that Mithila paintings are said to be 'written' and this is expressed in their Kachni style. Mithila artists master the unique combination of writing skills and visual design sensibility to make these paintings. This makes the process of detailing much more intricate and time consuming compared to other art styles.

Unlike synthetic colourse used for Mithila paintings nowadays earlier only natural colours were used for it and look at the sources- juice of green leaves for green colour, juice of red flowers or vermillion for red colour, turmeric or yellow flowers for yellow colour, indigo for blue, limestone for white and soot of lamps for black colour.

Talking about Godna she says this style is never used for any festivals or for images of gods. 

Kohbar, Baans, Kamaldah, Kera-Beed, Dashavtaar and Naina Jogin are some of the popular designs in Madhubani paintings. Whenever these designs are made for holy occasion , there should not be any use of black colour . However when they are made as piece of art, black colour may be used.

Bamboo designs are made on sindoor or vermillion packets and on the doors of God's room/ piece of worship. A parrot or peacock is a must in these designs. .About Kamaldah she says, "the lotus represent a female and the bumblebee a a male which is shown to be hovering over the lotus. This resembles the romantic affair between couples.

She has also talked about the paintings of Dashavtaar, Lava Bhujaai, Naina Jogin, Kohbar. Kohbar is mostly made of red and other vivid colours and use of black is avoided. She says Astadal Kamal (eight -petal lotus) shows the importance of the number eight. represents goddess in her eight forms and eight aspects of human life. Also, we have eight energy centres in our body, the day is divided into eight time segments and there are eight parts of Yoga that lead to salvation. Vedas mention eight attribute of God and even human eras are said to be eight in number.

Binita Mallik also gives the detail of paintings related to Bhatridutiya Aripan, Devotthan Ekadashi, Saap and Gurud, Story of Bhurund, and Ardhnaarishwar,. She has also presented an album of some popular other Mithila art forms.

---

Helene Fleury has gone esoteric on Mithila paintings She has inspected the paintings from the angle of a hippie kairos and neo-tantric angle. She quotes Vequaud, a key mediator of the hippie kairos of the reception also developed a neo-tantric interpretation of Mithila paintings in line with the hippie craze for oriental esotericism. His Flower Power tantric version of the paintings extolled the body and hedonism presumed to allow approaching a gendered unity expressing Life.

"Mithila paintings can be understood as ritual and art forms derived from ceremonial paintings done by women on walls and floors since 14th century. Transferred on paper in India as early as 1940s to be commodified they underwent notable changes such as recognition of artistic individuality, the emergence of new styles and the thematic diversification beyond religious inspiration." 

Drawing the peaceful looking Mithila painting to the flashpoint of feminist cause Helene Fleury quotes Vequaud who notes "... one can count on fingers of one hand the women who shine through their art. Here Mithila paintings contribute to the "undoing gender" emphasising the impact of feminist  cause. This village utopia serves his quest for alternative prophecies.

Very interestingly, she raises this issue further to the level of utopian counter-society model and quotes Vequad who emphasises a revealing interpretation of the icons of his utopian counter-society. The Maithil women are presented as prophetic figures of legend between holiness and genius From his standpoint," to paint better than the neighbour is to be devout, as it were to become priestess". The artistic success of painters involves the personalisation of means and the depersonalisation of the ends of success namely the creation of objects crystallising values recognised beyond the author. It was traditionally reserved for heroes and saints.

Vequaud, like earlier Orientalists shows the vision of the "communitarian village" as a counter-model challenging the capitalist society but in fact stemming from Western primitive schema. From 1960s to 1980s, art and craft benefitted from the image of "authenticity". While West industrialised standarised productions- even cultural ones - cirticised by Adorno- rural India seemed to preserve 'spiritual' and 'timeless' creations. 

---

In his article by Tammi M Owens, she has analysed the contents and of Mithila paintings and their significance in the lives of people who made the paintings.

She says that although four key scholars, William Archer, Yves Vequaud, Carolyn Brown Heinz and Jyotindra jain advanced the arguments that the murals in the kohbarghar are a vital part of the ritual, they chose analyse the vegetal and animal forms rather than the narrative featuring the bridegroom and bride.

These two forms were, according to Archer not only the paintings of the bamboo and lotus but also diagram of sexual organs. 

Tammy alerts the readers where Vequad failed in his analysis. She says that Vequad concentrated on the formal analysis of the kohbar motif calling it "pictorial intercourse" and linking it to the five thousand years of (tantric) rituals. In doing so he failed to recognise that the vegetal forms are part of complex visual and performative program driven by women's popular rituals to imagine the ideal marriage only one part of which is the consummation of union and conception of child.

In Archer's estimation the output of other communities such as Rajput, Sonars, Ahirs and Dusadhs was "fragmentary" (and so not complete). In India served and observed he notes that the Kayastha and Brahmin interiors with their distinct combination of forms resonated with European Modernism with which he was familiar.

Tammy has also presented two case studies of Madhubani paintings.  

Case Study 1 is on Gauri Puja mural in the household of Mohan Lal Das. The author notes that the bride is a picture of demure grace, her veil pulled closes as she grasps the bridegroom's wrist. The vidkari (the primary bridal attendant) follows sheilding the brides's head with leaves from a betel creeper. Above the betel leaves, a prominent peacock hovers over the bride.... The female painters in this household may have designed the mural to present the bride in her transition to becoming a married woman and to highlight her dual nature as both a wife and daughter throughout the wedding ceremony.

Case Study 2 is on The processional mural in the household of Ram Adin Das

---

Then comes an article by 31-years old Swiss graphic designer Nathan Lopez who is admittedly treading upon an unchartered terrain for him. But his observations can not be shrugged off so easily. They carry some substance may be partially. 

In his own words Lopez says "... What could result from the confrontation of two very different worlds: the gaze of a young European graphic designer and a more than 2500 year old traditional form of art."

I think it convenient to me to present some excepts from the article of Nathan Lopez:

*The first word that comes to my mind is 'density'. A great density of elements and shapes are connected to one another and no space is left empty making it sometimes even difficult to identify what the scene is about at first glance.

*No proportions are respected. These are invariably two dimensional and human faces represented either frontally or in the profile.

*The lack of logic in the use of colours is easily understandable. Madhubani paintings were initially made of natural colours.

(Note- The author of this blog does not agree with this point. The colour logic is always observed by Mithila painters. Kohbars are in red, Baans are in green. Black is never used for holy rituals. What they actually miss is "nuances of mixed colours" which Lopez also admits is because they earlier used only natural colours having very less number of choices with them.)

*I noticed that they create a certain contradiction with the naive character of the figures but I consider this combination to be precisely what made Madhubani art so recognisable through time. Simple and complex at the same time, naive and elaborate, fine and rough, abstract and figurative as well as traditional and contemporary.

*While the flat plain colours reminded me of Fauvism, the simple geometric shape and two-dimensional figures evoked some examplesof Cubism. Indeed, the movement was strongly influenced by the Oriental and African arts

*I was quite surprised by the balanced composition of Madhubani paintings resulting from the absence of empty spaces and the use of such simple geometric shapes and regular patterns. 

*Hindu traditions are still a recurrent subject but the repertoire now also include contemporary social and political issues. Madhubani art is well known and appreciated by Japaneseart collectors as well. The art form does remind us of Yayoi Kusama;s use of t3extures combining traditional roots wwiith an astounding contemporary style.

*The palette of colour is more limited. 

*Critics have assailed contemporary Madhubani art for having lost its authenticity and transplanting original themes to foreign environments, cultures and beliefs.

A picture of Raja Dashrath with his three queens and four kids. This painting has been made by Shree Smreeti and the theme of it has been elaborated by me (Hemant Das).

---

Col. Satish Mallik in his article laments the rampant defacement of widely used Mithila wall paintings at public places mainly made out of government's efforts and have enumerated a number of concrete reasons behind it. The defacement is because of the lack of the awareness of the common public and natural decay which djemands regular upkeep.

In the end, there are three interviews of the renowned Mithila artists which throw light on the plight and struggles of the painters who try to make career in Mithila painting. The three interviews are as follows:

Godavari Dutta by Ravindra Kumar Das

Bimla Dutta by Kumud Kumar Das

Krishna Kumar Kashyap by Govind Chandra Das

This book published by Adarsh Enterprises, Daryaganj, Delhi costs is priced Rs. 1750/-. (also available for around Rs. 1400 or so on Amazon). The hardbound cover and thick smooth pages are really of supreme quality which seems to be resistant to water.  The whole book is full of a large number of Mithila paintings.The artists whose contents have been covered in this book include Godavari Dutta, Bimla Dutta, Krishna Kumar Kashyap, Smriti Shree, Sarita Das, Binita Mallik, Ranju Das, Rajani Thakur, Archana Raj. Shreya Sarda from Design Flyover has designed the whole book. 

All those who love Mithila art would get some sort of fulfillment after having this book in their shelves. 

.....
Review by - Hemant Das 'Him'
Send your feedback to - hemantdas2001@gmail.com / editorbejodindia@gmail.com


Monday 9 September 2024

"Veergati"- Hindi play staged in Patna on 31.8.024

 Only rewards for the crime

( हिंदी में समीक्षा के लिए -   यहाँ क्लिक करके क्रम सं. 55  देखिए )

Joke is just the other face of tragedy. 

It's not the severity of the crime but the status of the criminal on which dispensation of justice is dependent. The two thieves are slogged mercilessly for the burglary but the princely Sukumar is left unhurt after the same crime. Even more, those whose belongings were stolen by Sukumar, were compensated with full of the loss. The situation is so reverse for Sukumar that he finds no way to live like a common man and be treated in the same manner. Then Sukumar thinks of committing heinous crime like robbery or even murder. But to his astonishment he finds people happily willing  for being robbed or murdered by Sukumar. The reason behind this seemingly absurd phenomenon is that the king has ordered hefty compensation is such crime is committed by Sukumar.

On his failure of adventurous deeds Sukumar is so piqued that he thinks now to take direct offence to the King. He reaches the King's Palace and through away his turban. But because the Minister show there a serpent felt down from the turban that the King gives his throne to him and marries his daughter to Sukumar. Now Sukumar is nonplussed how to tackle the situation where there is no punishment for him even for the biggest crime and rather there is only rewards showering on him for each and every crime.

The story of the play is a big slap on the perverse system seen in various parts of the world where justice system has turned into a farce. The class differentiation is displayed in the most naked form. This comedy is hardly a comedy if not shown with the help of grotesque body gestures of different characters. The issues raised are real and that is why the adept playwright has taken help of over emphasisation to convert them into unreal bites and so more palatable for the audience.

The pithy script of Asgar Wajahat is the lifeline of the play and the direction of Tanvir Akhtar who also behind the lighting concept ensured that each actor stands distinct from others in terms of speaking style, postures and mannerism. Ashutosh Mishra and Md. Jani with his vital musical contribution made this show a music treat. The dialogues were in verses and with full of melody. 

It was truly a tonic for muse and refreshing experience for the mood. 

---
Review by- Hemant Das 'Him'
Send your feedback to - hemantdas2001@gmail.com
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Saturday 31 August 2024

प्रसिद्ध हिन्दी कवि बोधिसत्व का काव्य पाठ, पटना में 30.8.2024 को सम्पन्न

 "वहीं पाना चाहता हूँ / मैं अपने सवालों का जवाब / जहाँ लोग वर्षों से चुप हैं"




प्रगतिशील लेखक संघ, जनवादी लेखक संघ, और जन संस्कृति मंच के संयुक्त तत्त्वावधान में दिनांक 30.8.2024 को माध्यमिक शिक्षक संघ भवन, जमाल रोड, पटना में हिन्दी के प्रसिद्ध कवि बोधिसत्व का काव्य पाठ सम्पन्न हुआ. उन्होंने इस अवसर पर अपने नए कविता-संग्रह "अयोध्या में कालपूरुष" और अन्य संग्रहों से अनेक कविताओं का पाठ किया जिनमें से कुछ के विषय इस प्रकार थे - "चाहता हूँ", "तमाशा", "उनकी खातिर", "पागल दास", "छोटा आदमी", "शान्ता", "मगध डूब रहा है", "हे राम", "गिरना", "विनय पत्रिका वृक्षों की", "ताजिया", "नदी पानी कथा", "सुख सूचक शिलालेख" आदि.

कविता पाठ के बाद डॉ. विनय कुमार, अरुण कमल, आलोक धन्वा जैसे वरिष्ठ कवियों ने उनकी कविताओं पर अपने विचार प्रकट किए. कार्यक्रम का कुशल संचालन चंद्रबिंद सिंह ने किया. इस अवसर पर राजेश कमल, अनीश अंकुर, शहंशाह आलम, पुनीत, संजय कु. कुंदन, अरविंद श्रीवास्तव, कृष्ण समिद्ध, अंचित, हेमन्त दास 'हिम', मो. नसीम अख्तर, रवि किशन आदि भी उपस्थित थे.

पढी गई कविताओं की एक झलकी प्रस्तुत है-

"बड़ी अजीब बात है
जहाँ नहीं होता
मैं वहीं सब कुछ पाना चाहता हूँ,
वहीं पाना चाहता हूँ
मैं अपने सवालों का जवाब
जहाँ लोग वर्षों से चुप हैं"

"शान्ता जब तक रही
राह देखती रही भाइयों की
आएँगे राम-लखन
आएँगे भरत-शत्रुघ्न"
--
"बिना बुलाए आने को
राजी नहीं थी शान्ता...
सती की कथा सुन चुकी थी बचपन में,
दशरथ से..."

"मैं तो सिर्फ बताना चाहता था लोगों को, 
कि इस 'वजह' से अयोध्या में बसकर भी,
उदास रहते थे पागलदास" 

"सूचित किया जाता है कि राज्य में
दुख का समूल नाश कर दिया गया है
अब केवल जै-जैकार बचा है
सूचित किया जाता है कि धिक्कार अब व्यभिचार है
एक दण्डनीय अपराध है क्षोभ"

"एक छोटी सी गाली
एक ज़रा सी घात
काफ़ी है मुझे मिटाने के लिए,
--
मैं बहुत कम तेल वाला दीया हूँ
हलकी हवा भी बहुत है
मुझे बुझाने के लिए"

"मदारी साँप को
दूध पिला रहा हैं
हम ताली बजा रहे हैं
--
मदारी हमारा लिंग बदल रहा है
हम ताली बजा रहे हैं"

"मटमैले वितान के नीचे
इस छोर से उस छोर तक नाच रही थी माँ
पैरों में बिवाइयाँ थीं गहरे तक फटी
टूट चुके थे घुटने कई बार
झुक चली थी कमर
पर जैसे भँवर घूमता है
जैसे बवंडर नाचता है वैसे
नाच रही थी माँ"

वैसे तो कवि की सारी पढ़ी गई कविताओं को श्रोताओं ने ध्यान से सुना और पसंद किया पर "पागलदास" और "संदिग्ध समय में कवि" पर ज्यादा गहमागहमी  दिखी.

कविता पाठ के बाद चुनिंदा वरिष्ठ कवियों ने कविता-पाठ पर अपने विचार प्रकट किए. डॉ. विनय कुमार ने अनेक मिथकीय संदर्भों का हवाला देते हूए कहा कि बोधिसत्व भारतीय परम्परा के उम्दा कवि हैं.

अरुण कमल ने कहा कि बोधिसत्व सबसे अलग कवि हैं. ये इतिहास के विद्यार्थी रहे हैं इसलिए इनकी कविताओं में उसका प्रभाव झलकता है. कभी-कभी बहुत कुछ साहसिक भी लिख जाते हैं.

आलोक धन्वा ने कहा कि कविता से ज्यादा संश्लिष्ट विधा कुछ भी नहीं है. बोधिसत्व की कविताओं के अनेक आयाम हैं. 'ढाका' वाली कविता पर भी इन्होंने विशेष चर्चा की. एक विषय पर उन्होंने कुछ सुधार प्रस्तुत किए जिस पर बोधिसत्व ने अपने स्पष्टीकरण दिए.

कार्यक्रम से संचालक चंद्रबिंद सिंह ने बोधिसत्व की रचना प्रक्रिया पर अपने विचार प्रकट किए. उन्होंने यह भी कहा कि संग्रह को पढ़ना और कवि को सुनना दोनों में काफी अंतर होता है. कवि को सुनना एक विशिष्ट प्रकार का अनुभव होता है जिसमें कविता और अधिक समझ पाना सम्भव होता है.

अंत में जसम (जन संस्कृति मंच) के पुनीत ने आए हुए कविगण और श्रोताओं का धन्यवाद ज्ञापन किया.
....

रपट के लेखक- हेमन्त दास 'हिम'
प्रतिक्रिया हेतु ईमेल- hemantdas2001@gmail.com / editorbejodindia@gmail.com












Monday 19 August 2024

"Mithila Art": a 360 degree review of Madhubani Painting - book released in New Delhi on 17.8.2024

"We drew mythology, you must draw the present"


Days are not far away when people will forget their mother-tongue but they will still remember their ethnic art and paintings. In such a scenario only such paintings will be able to take the role of flagbearer of the culture - a speaker Alok Kumar said this at the event.

Art is not just a matter of expression, it's a matter of existence. Without this you are just a zoological creature and not a human being. Throughout the world, folk arts have evolved and flourished as an  integral part of the daily normal life of the inhabitants. They have carved out a niche for themselves by conserving their uniqueness in terms of style and technique. Through the ages, Mithila Art which is a more logical name of Madhubani Painting possesses the commendable features of inclusiveness as it has been adopted not just by the so-called elite Bhrabhmana and Kayasthas but also by the so-called ordinary castes like Dusadhs and others. The techniques and materials used in making of a Madhubani paintaing requires just flowers and other natural colours found easily in the nature. The motifs mainly consists of the nature, Hindu mythology and general life of the masses at large.

Prof. Prashant Das (IIMA) presented the welcome note to the audience and then requested the distinguished guests to come to the dais for the book release. This auspicious act was performed jointly by Chandra Mauli Karn (IFS), Arjun Naraya Choudhary (veteran writer), Cdr Kaushal Choudhary (Rtd.), Savitri Labh (artist),  Prof. Prashant Das, Binita Mallik, Dr. Minu Agrawal and the publisher Nirmal Kr Karn from Adarsh Enterprises.

After the book-release, the renowned Maithili singer Sundaram Choudhary presented Ganesh Vandana and Bhagwati geet in his mesmerisingly mellifluous voice. He was accompanied by the tabala player Pratyush and a co-singer Pragya.

Surprisingly two of the three editors namely Minu Agarwal and Laura Zizka have had no past connection to Mithila painting in their life. Only Binita Mallik is the editor who has been born and brought up in Mithila culture.

Binita Mallik propagated that the best friend of a person is not a human but a skill. Every art has a particular language and grammar of expression. She has inherited the art from her ancestors and has put her paintings in several exhibitions. She is a well-known Madhubani painting artist in Delhi. 

Minu Agarwal stated, art is something that connects people and we can celebrate the creativity best where it comes from. And the big mass of people who have gathered has some connection with Mithila culture. They have the ability to appreciate our book the most. She described further the nature of different chapters of the book and stressed particularly that the second and third chapter has cultural connection. In the middle of the book parallels have been drawn of Mithila art from some other art movements.

Chandra Mauli Karn (IFS) said it proudly that along with other presents he has presented Mithila art pieces to more than 100s of the foreign dignitaries and he did so because Mithila paintings deserve it. He recounted that some of the dignitaries in Africa said that the Mithila art has some striking similarity with tribal arts. He reminded that many initiatives have been taken from the Central Government to promote Mithila Art. 

Alok Kumar drew attention of the people towards the sustainability of paintings. He said that in coming days when most of the people are getting dispersed away from their home villages unfortunately they are drifting away from the use of their language. Though there is a a danger of forgetting the mother tongue  (which we must try to avoid at any cost) there is still a high probability that they will relate to their culture mainly through their paintings. So, the book on Mithila painting is a true service in the direction of conserving the culture.

Nirmal Kumar of Adarsh Enterprises is the publisher of the book. He said that this coffee table book will fill the long time gap on Mithila art. Not only the artists of the book but also an editor and the publisher are from Mithila. 

Savitri Labh (Artist) described the significance of Kamaladah and Kobar in Mithila art. He also said that even though someone grows old he can make Mithila paintings and can keep themselves enthusiastic and creative.

Ashok Kr Coudhary from Sahitya Akademy also expressed his views on Mithila paintings and said that though he belongs to Odisa still is a big fan of Madhubani paintings.

The released book contains insightful articles and interviews with a view to give full perspective to the readers about the Madhubani aka Mithila Art. Prof. Prashant Das is the managing editor and Binita Mallik (artist and poet), Dr. Minu Agarwal (Prof. at CEPT, Ahmedabad) and Laura Zizka (Prof. at Laussane de Echole, Switzerland)  are the editors.

The artists whose contents have been covered in this book include Godavari Dutta, Bimla Dutta, Krishna Kumar Kashyap, Smriti Shree, Sarita Das, Binita Mallik, Ranju Das, Rajani Thakur, Archana Raj. Shreya Sarda from Design Flyover has designed the whole book. The book has been divided in nine chapters as the following-

1. Mithila Art: A survey of what we already know 

2. A visual survey of Mithila Paintings

3. The International reception of Mithila paintings in the 1970s A countercultural kairos?

4.Transforming the bride: Gauri Puja in early 20th century Madhubani Paintings

5.Madhubani Paintings reviewed with modern lenses

6. Is the Mithila Painting losing its sanctity because of its excessive access?

7. Godavari Dutta:"The art came as a ray of hope in the otherwise gloomy life"

8. Bimla Dutta: " We drew mythology, you must draw the present"

9. Krishna Kumar Kashyap: "There is no distinction between education and art"

Those who were present at the event included Adhir Mallik, Pranav Priyadarshi, Ravi Shankar, Dr. Arvind Das, Suresh Kr., Ashish Niraj, Uday Shankar, Kumud Das, Radha Raman, Vijay Kr., Ravindra Kr, Sarita, Vidya, Dr. Narendra, Satyam, Rachna, A. Karn, Mamta, Jyoti, Dr. Dhwani and many more.

At the end of the event, Hemant Das Him presented the vote of thanks to the organisers and audience of the event.

----  
Report by- Hemant Das 'Him'
Send your feedback- hemantdas2001@gmail.com / editorbejodindia@gmail.com
Note- more pictures will be added tomorrow