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Sense &
simplicity
The artist community today cannot stop talking about the void his death will create in the art circuit. Generations grew up studying his works and a few were even lucky enough to meet him in person. And, those who did will never be able to forget the enigma called Tyeb Mehta. A man, who was adorned with adjectives like shy, quite, humble and down-to-earth in his lifetime, will be known as a man with 'suppressed energy' in his death.
As a member of the Progressive Art Movement, Mehta will also be known as the pioneer who changed the destiny of Indian art. Mehta, who was born in Gujarat in 1952 and did a diploma in art from Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai, made a record as the highest paid living Indian artist when his work 'Mahishasura' was auctioned for Rs 8 crore at a Christie's auction in 2005. The comment he made in an interview at that time is still fresh in one's mind -- "I feel good even though I don't know who bought my work. In a larger sense, it means that Indian art is being accepted in the international market and feel happy to be part of that process." Poignant words, so much like his painting Mahishasura in which the demon was shown embracing Goddess Durga, depicting that when one is united with divinity, one gets transformed and the Goddess instead of killing, resorts to love. This is the trend of thought which inspires our city-based artists much more than his financial success, or a string of honours like a Padma Bhushan in 2007 or a JD Rockfeller III Fund Fellowship in 1968 or a Kalidas Samman from the Madhya Pradesh Government in 1988. Ravinder Sharma, secretary, Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi, who met Mehta two years back at their annual exhibition, recalls him as a person with a tremendous source of energy trapped inside. "He was a quiet person but one could sense the energy within, which successfully transformed on canvas with simple yet bold lines. Abstraction got a new meaning when he touched it. He will be always remembered for his originality and depth," says Sharma. Sharma still remembers the way Mehta looked while he met the master in Delhi. "He would've been 82 when I saw him. As if illuminated with some secret source, Mehta proved that artists never fall sick. And age is not a hindrance in the process of creation," he adds. Viren Tanwar, another prominent city-based artist who met Mehta twice in Mumbai, recalls him as a calm and most down-to-earth person. "It was sometime in 1884 and I was a young artist taking part in a show at Mumbai's Chemould Gallery. He came to watch and then he told me that he loved my works and gave me a pat on my back. It was so encouraging. Next time, I met him after six or seven years and he remembered me," he said. The artist couple of Anjali S. Aggarwal and Sanjay Kumar, who adore Mehta's works for its simplicity, boldness and straight approach, says he would always remain an inspirational force for young artists. "We love his Bulls, Rickshaw series and Kali and when his painting fetched Rs 2 crore in 2002, it highly motivated us." "An artist who saw India moving through various phases and captured every change on his canvas," is how Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi chairman Diwan Manna would like to remember him. "I wish he lived a little longer to see the total transformation of the country," he says. Mehta has gone but his rich legacy will be a constant source of inspiration for many to follow in his footsteps. A condolence meeting is being organised by the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi on Sunday at 11 am. |
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Melodies with mangoes
Food for the soul is also on the menu of Haryana Tourism, which is organising the two-day Mango Mela at the historic Yadvindera Gardens, Pinjore, from Saturday. Visitors will thus get to savour not only juicy fruit but alos rasa in the form of sufiana sangeet. While the acclaimed classical, folk and sufi maestro Barkat Sidhu will enthrall the audience on the first evening, renowned qawwal Aslam Sabri and party will provide the grand finale to the festival. Here, Barkat Sidhu shares his views on sufism and the contemporary music scenario with Lifestyle. For Barkat, sufism is a timeless quest of the soul. "True sufis are always steeped in humility and strive for a direct contact with the Creator through the medium of pure love and music," he says. On the mushrooming of young singers, he is wonderstruck at how many budding artistes have already cut scores of musical albums, while he only has seven albums to his credit even after over five decades of riyaz. "I always warn my disciple son Surinder against such quick ventures by others kyonki kachchi imarat girti bhi jaldi hai." The unethical practice of piracy is another menace that is affecting the purity of music. When asked about debutant sufi singers who're far more junior but richer than him, he blames himself for not learning the ragas of "self- praise" and "commercial approach." But he also strikes a note of hope. "In any case, the old glory of the classical tradition is seeing a resurgence as the boom of the shor-o-gul, power-packed music is on the wane. Just as fast food, when consumed over a long period, cannot match the palatability of home preparations, the new-age soulless compositions, that give no pleasure to both the performer and listener, too cannot sustain their hold." On the rash of TV reality shows, he says that they're playing with the apsirations of adolescents and have convinced a majority of them that there is no other formula for instant fame and success. Thus, they take to systematic learning of music.
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Big picture
Film & fashion fraternity rejoices as gayness is legalised Historic!" That is how the film and fashion fraternity has hailed Thursday's Delhi High Court judgement decriminalising gay sex. Hailing India as great, they said the verdict would give more independence to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community. Hairstylist Sylvie, who is a homosexual, said, "This is a day to go down in history. India has come to terms with the issue, giving it a touch of humanity and definitely recognised citizens' comfort of being open about their sexuality." Tarun Mansukhani, whose film Dostana starring John Abraham and Abhishek Bachchan lightheartedly touched upon homosexuality, hailed the court's decision. "Dostana as a film only brought the subject into public limelight and had people speak about it and created a certain amount of awareness and acceptance — but what the court has done today shows that we do live in a great country," Mansukhani said over the phone from Mumbai. "Today, they (gays) have an identity, their independence," he added. Heartthrob John Abraham, who won over legions of gay fans with his role in Dostana, said, "I am personally very happy. I think everybody needs equal rights, irrespective of being homosexual or heterosexual. I think it's a positive step." Director Onir, who handled the gay issue in his film My Brother Nikhil in a realistic way and received critical appreciation for his endeavour, says the court's verdict sends out a strong message to everyone. "At the moment, this is a judgement that has been passed by the Delhi High Court. So, it doesn't stand for the entire country. The government is still to approve it and implement it, but a very strong message has been sent,” he said. Another critically acclaimed filmmaker, Madhur Bhandarkar, who touched upon the homosexuality issue in his successful movies Page 3 and Fashion, says it's high time society opened up and created space for these people. "They have been fighting for years for their rights and finally the day has arrived. I believe now society has to shed its inhibitions and accept them because it takes a lot to change the mindset of people which indeed would be a slow process," said Bhandarkar. "This is a defining moment in the history of free India. No state has the right to tell its citizens when or whom to love. The only 'queer' people are those who propagate hate," filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt said. Esha Koppikhar is one of the rare Bollywood actors to have played a homosexual in Girlfriend. She feels the verdict will help homosexuals come out of the closet and lead a normal life. "It's good that now homosexuals would be open about their sexual preferences unlike before when they used to be shy about it. It would have been difficult for them otherwise. After all, who wants to live a life of dual identity?" Fashion designer Parvesh too felt for gay community, "Indian culture was very elaborate from ancient times and sexuality is a very personal decision. Hence it is good to know that government has finally opened its eyes on Section 377. It’s a great achievement.”Stand-up comedian Vir Das said, "I think in the last five years, our courts have really been like rock stars with their verdicts. They have meted out justice intelligently.” Actress and gay activist Celina Jaitley said, "With great pride and tears I would like to congratulate the entire LGBT community. Homosexuality is now legal in India. Our long battle is won and with pride can the gay walk with their heads held high.” Manavendra Singh Gohil, an erstwhile Gujarat royal who is gay and an activist, said it would be "a very good idea to call this day as the 'Queer Independence Day of India'". — IANS, PTI
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Appetit Pure plum pleasure Kandla Nijhowne Plums! Large deep coloured orbs so full of juice, so inviting, so full of sweet promise that is not always fulfilled… The sweetest plums I’ve ever eaten, and never after, were the ones we stumbled upon with a roadside seller in Kasauli. Like juvenile kids we dismissed the niceties of washing them and while sauntering down the bazaar, promptly dug our teeth into those sumo sized specimens. When plums are tart, they can be pretty mean and acidic, making you squint in despair. But not these winners! We went saucer-eyed in amazement at the delightful fruit we had discovered! Countless trips to Kasauli over countless years and never again have we had the good fortune of meeting plums so perfect. In India we have quite a few varieties of plums but nothing beats the western world, boasting 140 different types. Some plum varieties are specifically bred so that they can be dried and still retain their sweetness, and these are processed to make prunes. There are some under the freestone category, meaning the stone separates easily from the flesh while others are called clingstone fruit where their flesh doesn’t willingly part from the stone. English can be such an evocative and poetic language! German Plum Cake
This cake is more like a sweet pizza topped with plums. You’ll sound very knowledgeable if you call this by its original name- Zwetschgenkuchen! Take a deep breath, break up the word and you’ll succeed! Ingredients 2 ¾ cups flour 2 ½ tsp baking powder ? tsp salt 1 cup powdered sugar ½ tsp grated lemon zest 150 gm cold butter, cubed 2 eggs, lightly beaten ¼- ½ cup milk at room temperature 700 gm firm plums, washed, halved, stones removed ½ tsp cinnamon 2 tbsp sugar Method Preheat oven to 375°F. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and 1-cup sugar. Stir in the lemon zest. Scatter the cold cubed butter over the flour and rub in with your fingertips till the mixture looks even and crumbly. Work in eggs and just enough milk to make soft dough. Kneed well and shape into a ball. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up. Roll the dough into pizza thickness and fit into a shallow tin. Place plums cut side up, on top of dough, packing them in tightly. You may even choose to slice them into crescents and arrange them in a flower pattern. Mix 2 tablespoon sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle on top. Bake on middle level of oven until crust is golden brown. Cut into slices and serve with a dollop of cream or a scoop of ice cream. If the plums are quite tart, you can increase the quantity of sugar sprinkled over them. Plum Sauce
Ingredients 6 cups fresh plums 1 tbsp lemon juice 7 cup grain sugar 1 cup water Method Wash the plums thoroughly and wipe them. Do not use any fruit, which is even slightly squishy, bordering on spoilt, for this could be the undoing of the final flavour of the sauce. Discard the stones and chop the fruit into small pieces. Using a heavy bottomed vessel, boil plums, lemon juice and water on medium flame, stirring constantly till the burgundy pink mixture comes to a boil. Add sugar and resume boiling. Stir constantly and boil vigorously for a minute. On cooling, you will notice that the sauce somewhat thick. As and when you want to use it, add a little boiled water to a small portion of it to make it of a ketchup consistency. If you make a whole lot of watery sauce at the very on start, it will be prone to mould and fungus and will not store well. |
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Co(r)ncoctions!
It’s monsoons and what better way to celebrate the rains than digging your teeth into a piping-hot corn (bhutta). And when we are talking about the good ol’ bhutta, who can ignore the tongue-tickling aroma of freshly roasted bhutta on charcoal, layered with nimbu ka ras and sprinkled with a dash of salt. Yum is what comes to mind. But first, we want to talk about the modest bhutta and the varieties that have branched out of the humble corn. And, what strikes us almost instantly is the availability of American corns. An instant hit with the young and not-so- young ones, their easy accessibility and tangy flavour has knocked many foodies flat. So much liked is this variety that we now find a corn kiosk in every market and outside almost all food joints. As for their popularity, we can say it definitely tastes good and is healthy too. Available in three flavours (almost everywhere) — masala, plain and spicy these corns remind of what all of us might have had as children. Boiled corn kernels, sauted in butter with green chillies, salt, nimbu ka ras and topped with sprinkled chaat masala. Evolution of recipes is what we can say here. Isn’t it? Talk about popularity and a vendor who sits outside Reliance Fresh in Phase VII, Mohali, says, “The season does not matter when it comes to these corns. People like it so much that they don’t mind eating these hot corns even in sweltering heat.” About the recipe, he says, “It’s a pre-mix that we get. We don’t do much apart from mixing the right ingredients.” That’s some news. Popkorn is another variety that we’ve grown munching on and with the advent of technology there is a variety here too. Now you can pick butter, pepper, spicy or plain salted popcorns according to your taste. And the latest variety that we savoured in a plush city restaurant was a dish that had corns mashed and then deep-fried and served with a spicy chutney. But, out of all of these recipes nothing beats the fresh roasted corn sold at the roadside. And so enticing is this variety that we see so many people gathered around a bhuttawallah across the chowks and inner sector markets- choosing a bhutta to roast. While the process of roasting itself is tempting, it is fun to open the husk, poke a few of the kernels, dig sharp nails to see how fresh the corn is and then finally see it getting roasted. Though this may sound archaic, but this is the perfect way to have a roadside bhutta treat. Howver, this is not the end of the art of bhutta roasting. The final zest comes with a freshly cut piece of lime, red chili powder and salt that the bhuttawalla artfully massages through the length of the cob, leaving trails of hot and sour flavour all over the kernels. Eat hot, is the mantra for a perfect zest and if it happens to be drizzling, then the taste multiplies many folds. So, when it rains next time do not miss the chance to savour a piping hot bhutta. jigyasachimra@tribunemail.com
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Road to fame
Adventure is not in a guidebook and beauty is not on the map. Seek and you shall find. But what if your search ends up breaking a record? Well, that’s what these three adventurers from the city, Bhalinder Singh Sangha, Rana Sidhu and Karanbir Singh Bedi, did. Taking the road by storm, the trio made the Limca Book of Records of the fastest West to East drive, starting from Koteshwar (Gujarat) to Tezu in Arunachal Pradesh. Covering a distance of 3,941 km in just 84 hour they broke the previous record of 119 hour by a good 34 hour to spare. “We wanted to start from the East, but the weather conditions were not favourable. Our plan was to cover 1,255 km in 24 hour to ensure that we completed required 3766 km in 90 hour with a six-hour break after every 1,255 km. Its amazing that we covered it in just 84 hrs, covering 175 km more,” said Bhalinder. They have an impressive profile in adventure sports, which is a way of life for them. “I was the expedition leader when Hero Honda Overdrive team which broke the Leh to Kanyakumari record on two bikes last year. Karan was also a part of the expedition,” says Rana Sidhu, who owns an adventure club www.goadventuresports.com. And the effort started way before the journey. “Extreme sports like these take a toll on your body. So, we started six months prior, taking endurance drives to Delhi, Pathankot and back, working on our strengths and stretching our limits. Beat this, when we finished at Tezu, we din’t even congratulate each other, we were so tired,” he briefs. But they credit their success to one thing, “Planning. Like getting permits in advance, timing our detours and research about the routes. There are small things that made the difference,” said Bhalinder. And, the journey gave them a chance to explore the incredible India. “It was an amazing explortion. The salt farms of Kutch, beautiful Benaras, crossing the Vindhyas, driving though Panna National Park and the breathtaking Northeast. After this journey, we would suggest that if you want to see the real India, take a road trip,” both echo. But the incredible India did come with its share of problems, “We were cautious driving through Bihar and Madhya Pradesh where roads were full of potholes. At times, our speed came down to 30 km in 3 hours, which was frustrating. Then there were safety issues and bandit threats in these areas,” shares Bhalinder. And then there are stories of another kind. “We enjoyed a rain shower at one in the morning driving though Bihar. Another time, Karan while trying to capture a family of elephants in the wild, got chased by the leader of the herd. He must have ran at the speed of 100 km in 9 seconds,” remembers Bhalinder. A record of it own, we guess. Pushing their boundaries further, the trio now plans to repeat the success by driving from the North to the South. “We want to set the bars at levels that are unbeatable. And, even if somebody breaks the record, then he must consider himself the best,” said Rana. Way to go, guys!
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Three-fold path
There are two ways of checking any form of disparity in a society. One: Empower the underprivileged and give them opportunities. Two: Dilute the power of powerful and attack their special status. For all these years, Indian establishment have resorted to the former without considering the latter, “Which is the primary cause for our slow paced progress. Unless the powerful are not deprived of power, the privileges would never reach the underprivileged and we have failed to realise it,” Pavan Choudary thumps the harsh reality from Confucius’ messages only to begin with Chanakya’s teachings, “Be kind, honest, loyal, high on character, but before developing these moralities, be high on strength. A militarily and economically weak constituency can’t survive on ethics. It’ll never have friends, only foes.” He feels only wisdom can make a society prosper, “But only that wisdom that aids its transformation, is applicable and that gives us the ability to take decisions which will give long term benefits.” Author of a series of books on wisdom, Chanakaya’s Political Wisdom, Confucius’ Social Wisdom and Kabir’s Spiritual Wisdom, it took Pavan five year to conceptualise and write the book. In his books, he has talked about many relevant pragmatic steps to accelerate the rate of development. And all three are equally important as Pavan explains with an example; “Babar attacked India with a force of just 8000 soldiers that defeated Raja Rana Sanga’s army of one lakh men. That happened because Raja’s forces instead of fighting, went to Kailash Parvat with a belief that god would rescue them, thus an overdose of spiritualism brought about the downfall of Raja Sanga.” Similarly Portugal, Egypt, China were conquered by the foreign forces because the government there prime importance to spirituality. Nevertheless, he stresses that spiritualism is required to balance out our success, to keep us grounded, humble and to inspire us to strive for more and Kabir’s theories teaches us the same aptly. “We don’t treat people with due respect who are at a lower rank. If 25 per cent of people in India are below poverty line, 90 per cent are still below the dignity line.” Hailing from Madhya Pradesh, by profession Pavan is an MD of a French MNC and is making efforts to let his organisation work in a more humane manner. Considering the three, Chanakya, Confucius and Kabir pioneers in their streams, Pavan, who was in the city on Friday to launch his books cites another reason for the subject matter of his books, “Chanakiya used Sanskrit, Kabir Awadhi and Confucius Chinese, these languages aren’t the mother tongues of most of Indians. I thought the translation would potentially help Indians understand their important teachings, which if implemented can bring about massive change.” A huge consignment of his books have been ordered by the Parliament as well, which he feels would eventually help politicians realise, “India should not grow into a golden sparrow rather a golden hawk that knows how to tackle enemies.” Is anybody in the parliament listening! ashima@tribunemail.com
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Get...wet... go!
Divas are not made in a day. The ones that worship fashion; dream, eat, breathe about it, even if that calls for sleeping in stilettos! And rainy days on fashion need not dawn during rains. Needless to say, the season in question too calls for immaculate dressing. A brief curtain raiser to the rain accessories.
Umbrella. The only one that is, there is. And not just the proverbial Blue Umbrella, but even the ones in, green, yellow, red, white, black...seven colours of the VIBGYOR. “Umbrellas in almost all colours sell fast, but the ones in transparent with innovative prints are popular, informs us the lady at Dewsun, while pulling out a one in sheer base with big blue and white polka dots on it. The others too appear in a riot of colours and patterns, with the one in yellow diagonal stripes standing out. Instantly reminding of the sun shield protector function too. The collection by Stoin, actually available at major galleries and stores, has bright and beautiful patterns. Moving on to raincoats, the first image that comes to the mind is of big boring raincoats in military or black colour. The garment itself seems to on its way out. Sanjana Ahuja, at a store in Sector-17, smiles, “They are not fast sellers. Generally not many buy them, as there’s no target clientele. If at all, they are popular, then it is amongst school going kids and as much for their colours as for utility.” At Mum’s Mall, Sector 9, a colourful one in blue and yellow with Friends Forever logo perhaps, suitable for catching kids’ fancy.
—TNS |
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After the scorching hot summers, it is time to beat the heat with the rains. Monsoon has set in and we’re in for some rainy days ahead. What do you do when you are done with your homework and it is time to go out and play with friends, but the clouds won’t give way to the sun? No need to worry now, Cartoon Network makes easier as it introduces an all new and exciting range of rainwear in hip and lively colors, themed around kid’s favourite toon characters- the green hero - Ben 10 and the pint-sized, super trio– The Powerpuff Girls. This trendy and stylish rainwear line includes lovely umbrellas, which are portable and light in weight, covers larger area and easy to manage. Raincoats are available in a hue of colours and are made up of high quality waterproof material. Especially designed, keeping in mind the latest trends and enthralling patterns. -TNS
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