A humming word

The lockdown has made us aware of the people we live with.  And, our diet included: Discord. Debates. Discussions.  For most, living with family was surreal. Their habits, their thoughts, and their actions seemed different from their nostalgia that they fondly remembered. Life was no longer a Paper Boat illustration.  What changed? We grew up!  And how!? In a way our parents never did or even our grandparents never did.  Away from family and our everyday rituals, many lived a life tasting freedom and during lockdown, a stay-at-home only made it uncomfortable with thoughts we don't connect with and with habits the elderly don't relate with. We call this generation gap.  And illustrating this was Generations, a play by Suryasnata Tripathy and directed by Jay Jha of Kissago at Rangbhoomi Spaces.  The conviction of the artists and the emphasis on generation could be understood only post lockdown. Till then we were all living in our bubble, slurping on the ...

I remember growing up, my brother and I would cycle to the library. He riding and me sitting in the front. The library was City Central Library. In Chikkadpally. I spent my entire childhood here. My cousins and I hiding comics within text books and reading.  We watched television only in the night for half hour. Else, we spent more time with paper planes and paperboats. As malls sprouted and libraries diminished, cafes with bookracks took over but somewhere stuck on that cycle handle, I realised how wonderful it would be to recreate the spirit of throwing around paperplanes, making paper boats but with our words, moulding it, kneading it and creating art and books together. Join in.. As you lived a childhood as cool as mine. Or create one if you have not.

MR Book Center or as the owner Uncle calls it “Mister Book Center” sits comfortably, tucked under the Begumpet Flyover. The innocent Green and Yellow banner with Bold Letters hide the mammoth collection of the store. Enter it and you’d be welcomed by Calendars, translation of popular books in Telugu and racks and racks of books. It is a wonderland for book lovers.  A thirty-five-year family-run business, MR is the initial of their father’s and brother’s names. The staff is friendly and the owner uncle, another MR, is warm and easy to speak with. He showed us a copy of Quran that had a small note by the Nizam. He also told us anecdotes of book lovers who never married for the fear of not having to keep their books. The eminent Corona and the waning book visitors managed to creep in our conversations. And he immediately mentioned that he partnered with Amazon and Flipkart with a glint in his eyes.   A rare Quran      MR Uncle One would remember that they sol...

As summer looms over our head and the prickly heat powder steps out of the cupboards, the yearning for mangoes (best part of summer) begins too. But did you know that Gandhiji planted a mango tree in Abids at Sarojini Devi Naidu's house Golden Threshold on March 9, 1934? (It was a sapling sourced from Yerwada jail!). Hyderabad Trails, on the occasion of Women's Day, hosted a quick walk around the Golden Threshold. We walked in the rooms where Gandhiji and Naidu garu, once walked and looked around the various rooms. Niharika and Assistant Professor Dr. Janardhan Rao filled us on the various details; however, I wish the photographs in the rooms were clear and names of the people in the photographs were mentioned. What surprised me was the turn out! The enthusiastic crowd on a Sunday morning, sharply dressed, to listen to a piece of Sarojini Naidu's story and to listen to poetry (read by a young boy). And, more poetry was read in the Indira Devi Hall, which was opposite...

After an enriching day of talks on Art and Protest and a day of learning at the conference in Bangalore, I washed my eyes with an art exhibition at the State Art Gallery by Bharath Yadav, who belongs to the cowherd community, displayed an array of exhibits and paintings focusing on buffaloes, pollution, meat shop. What intrigued me was the art installation by this gentleman which was a bullock cart of rusted pipes and a synchronous arrangement of milk cans with a small wooden box with a slit. How often do we think of buffaloes with a pollution mask? Never, right? And with people with masks around, it was amusing so see so. The artist effectively proves his point on how environmental damage is leading us to the claustrophobic polluted air that we've manufactured for ourselves.  The past few weeks, I was inundated with good art that have been linked to protest and focus on the margins. And a play titled Mosambi Narangi, a play abou t  two failed junior artist...

The Hyderabad Literature  Festival culminated the city's culture and heritage and mixed it with the brewing issues (like ecology) and gifted us a festival of art, dance, literature... With its guest nation as Australia and focus language as Malayalam, the HLF chose Vidyaranya High School at Saifabad as their venue. After missing the first two days, I relished the third day, like the Kesari chai in the Kulhad. Since there were several nukkads, I chose my corner of poetry and attended sessions by the renowned Kala Ramesh and a discussion on Ecopoetics by Urvashi Bahuguna and Anand Vishwanadha, two versatile poets who focused on nature.  Apart from the sessions, what I really liked was the display of art by differently abled people too. The foot artist stole my attention and I gaped as he painted with his toes. I took a picture with him, although I was embarrassed to do so. And, bought a beautiful painting by him.  While the chaos of the art and books stormed th...

Ever wondered what Kashmir looked like before the militia, the government, the terrorists and the plague of fear took over? Kalakriti Art Gallery, host to the art exhibition: Makers and Meanings, has displayed three tiny room full of photographs, clicked by R.C. Mehta. Mr. Mehta ran the first photo studio of Kashmir and he clicked animated portraits of the commoners and celebrities, alike--Pandit Nehru campaigning in the house boats to shy women and sunkissed soldiers, you will find the breath of Kashmir captured in these portraits. Also, the camera which was used was displayed too. So, go ahead, photo bugs! And, for the poets in us, walk through the bazaars where they sold bread, the farms where women toiled and campaigns in House Boats. What was impressive was that the farmers were women. This was 1940s. Can you imagine? These photo rooms, as I call it, is a time travel. You can see the Dal Lake, the Jhelum, the Shalimar Bagh of the 40s and be awestruck. As I passed by, going ...

Naya Qila is a hidden gem of Hyderabad and HydTrails Walks gathered a bunch of us to explore the splendour, the engineering and the gore behind these silent stone walls. Located beside Golconda, this historical place marks the conquest of Aurangazeb. Saurabh, our leader for the day, took us through the marvels--The Tombs, The Trees and the stories behind it, Janana (ladies mosque) of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. But the highlight was reaching the Majnu Burj, where the cannon used for the war with Aurangazeb was used and watching the picturesque sunset that marked it as a trail worth the effort. Our group was a wonderful mix of students, young parents, enthusiastic photographers and eager historians and authors. Thank you, Hyderabad Trails for this!

Art is a semicolon for our life; on either side, the independent clause is related but a breathing connector, helps us ease our routine. You will still get irritated with the bump holes, changing government policies, changing socio-economics among other labyrinthine problems of life, but knowing that each of us go through the same and when captured on an easel, it relieves you. Look back, after five years, and you’ll realise your worries were in vain. Meanwhile, take a glance at the everyday trance. Aptly named as Trance Everyday, Moshe Sayan, a self-taught Hyderabadi artist, uses vivid colors to capture the rainbow of colours in the sky. You may have captured from your cubicle at work, while sipping some chai or from your pantry or from your balcony but the watercolors carry their own charm. While oleographs, serigraphs are like nymphs and gods in heaven—beautiful but unattainable, watercolors and sketches are the shiny pebbles on earth—natural and attainable. A woman da...

The Indian Photo Fest claims to be the largest photo festival in South Asia. And rightly so. The fest that’s being held from September 20, 2019, to October 19, 2019, chose the right venue as well.   The State Art Gallery is a haven for art lovers. Nestled surreptitiously beside D Mart, the gate leads you to an uphill, dotted by metallic structures of crocodile, deities, and birds; the parapet wells are painted red with Worli art.   Enter the mammoth gallery of three floors and you’ll realize what a beautiful art space is hidden in the concrete jungle of Cyberabad. And you’d thank yourself for dragging yourself through the boisterous traffic to view the annual Indian Photo Festival, that boasts of an illustrious exhibition, book launches, work shops and a dedicated bunch of volunteers and participants. The sprawling exhibition that narrate emotional stories need space and time and what better than this gallery where time pauses for you. With adequate seating arrangemen...

We collect dirt, dust, and grime, not only on our bodies but also on our souls. In the glittering images and persona of Facebook and Instagram, we don't share the innermost thoughts but what if there was an avenue to do that. And that's what Sammy Sahni and Uzma Hyder facilitated at the office of Pause for Perspective. Tucked in a lane in Begumpet, the office of Pause of Perspective is a retreat for the soul. One can grab a book and read there or attend a Slow Down Saturday workshop to reconnect with yourself, among the other activities that they conduct. In a mileu of chirping birds, dragonflies, the scent of fresh air in a balcony, we sat on the floor, in an hexagonal shape and our connecting points were Sammy and Uzma, Ruhi of Pause for Perspective. Sammy read poems from her latest book, Iridiscence, and each piece was followed by discussions on what we felt. The motley of crowd from a yoga teacher to a student to psychologists, gave us fresh perspectives. I parti...

How often do we collect bill slips? How often do we save old letters and read them and re-read them till we soak up the words? For those of us who love vintage paper or vintage records, here's a display with a lemony twist: Bakula Nayak, an architect turned artist, chose simple vintage articles that we seldom ignore as the canvas for her art work.  The exhibition, that will be held till September 2, 2019, at Kalakriti Art Gallery, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, is a double treat: for those who love to rewind back in time, look at that gramophone or read a letter neatly hung on an examination pad; and for those who like Indian poetry. Bakula has painstakingly included the verses of Ritusamhara by Kalidas. The book is an epitaph to the six seasons of India. I call it an epitaph because we don't witness six seasons anymore. I have read a few verses of the book, translated by Ranjit Pandit, spouse of Vijaylakshmi Pandit, and it is a hard read. I had the fine opportunity to spea...

The cheetah leapt across the grasslands and in its third attempt pounced on the gazelle--it shuddered, braved the attacked but breathed its last. The cheetah, ready to tear its shiny skin, was deterred by a coterie of vultures.  They formed a circle around the freshly opened gazelle and waited.  The cheetah, looked at them and the grey-blue sky, and walked to a nearby pond to quench its disappointment.  Across the pond was a farm with goats and chickens--it was a no animal's land.  The cheetah walked down the barrage of stones and stood at the foot of the farm.  A bleating goat caught its attention. The conical mouth and the beady eyes made the cheetah sprint with joy. The goat was  gambolling across the fence. Tempted, the cheetah moved forward. It was a prey yet he did not want to declaw its milky white skin.  Its bleet sounded like the morning call of a koel. He stood, transfixed, till a brawny woman, with a ba...

Note: This is not a review. Please read it if you have or haven't watched the film. The article 15 of our constitution states: Article 15  prohibit the state from discriminating any citizen on ground of any religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them. And we all know that the Article 15 doesn't hold good in many states where riots, lynching are as common as tea stalls on a highway. That is why we all need a movie like this to remind us. The movie Article 15 is directed by Anubhav Sinha whose director's chair stands on the limbs of a few flops and a few hits. But this movie will keep his chair sturdy. Based on true events that took place in the unfateful year of 2014 in Badaun, Uttar Pradesh, the movie starts with a local folklore by the Dalits of the village led by Gaura, played impeccably by Sayani Gupta. The narrative is set on the premise of the caste and discrimination and like the aim or Arjuna, it doesnt move an inch left or right. T...

You were a city within a city for people who devoured words and loved books; from an array of paint brushes to drawing pencils, your pallette was filled. Ball points to Multi colored pens to Pen pencils--you were a haven for stationary fanatics. The tinkle of the keychains reverberates within. You inspired decades of book reading with your neatly stacked rows. The cassette shop was the proverbial feather in your cap. You will be sorely missed. /An ode to Walden - Somajiguda/

Rudyard Kipling, a Nobel laureate and popularly known for his book: The Jungle Book, was a prolific writer and he wrote till the day of his death on January 18, 1936. His book Kim was among his famous books and unfortunately I have not read the unabridged version but I did pick up a graphic novel version, adapted by Lewis Helfand and illustrated by Rakesh Kumar; the book is published by Campfire Books. I stumbled upon Campfire books at a Comicon in Hyderabad and picked up two books: one of Krishna and one on Ravana. Kim doesnt disappoint either. The color schemes, the illustrations and the sketches were done extremely well.The earthern colors, the seamless flow of the story and artistry shone through. Kim is set in early 1900s and revolves around The Great Game, a political confrontation between the British and the Russians for claiming Afghanistan and South and Central Asia. The central character Kim is a young boy, a son of a late  army officer, who lives in Ferozepu...

What is Kalakriti Art Gallery Kalakriti Art Gallery stacked on the busy road of Road no 10, Banjara Hills, is a haven for art lovers and artists in the same steam. It is a respite for the eyes that's often subjected to insipid landscapes of dust and soot around the growing populace of our city. The library/bookstore stocks books from Tara Books and other publications that assist legendary and upcoming artists to promote their work. And with the addition of Creatif, I am sure the gallery will surprise us with more shows, like the one we went today to: Window to the Gods by various Indian artists including Raja Ravi Verma. The colors and mediums used such as olegraph and chromograph and the fine lines that define their art was a treat for noobs like me (I am an amateur in the techniques). My mum, an art lover and a practicing artist, enjoyed the display too.  The Scoundrel and the Gentleman  But what stole our attention and mersmerised us was the talk by ...

Despite the rains over the last two days, we hoped that there would be no thunder or lightning last evening. And thankfully, there wasn't. A few of us met met at the luscious green KBR to read our poems. The idea was to stay away from coffee houses and chai ki dukaan to soak ourselves in the greenery. And, we found a sweet spot under a tree. After a couple of rounds of poetry a peacock walked graciously. The velvet colors it adorned were gorgeous. The peacock hopped on to the trees nearby and then onto a tower. We ended the session after three rounds. The poetry read by these closet poets about their deepest emotions of love, patriotism and hurt, will remain with me. Here's my verse (an ode to Centenary--Jallianwala Bagh Massacre) April 13, 2019 The banner of summer sun and call of cuckoos wrapped the little Sikh boy, let's call him Little S, and his sister who were playing chuppam chupai. Little S hid behind the turbaned man with broad, strong shoulders. Sister came...

The Kalyan Mandapam was decorated with racks of books and tables with boxes of picture books and coffee table books. The stage was set with boxes and card machines. People formed lines to buy the boxes of three various prices: Rs. 999/- ; Rs. 1499/- and Rs. 2499/-. Lock-the-box by bookchor.com was an event that book readers would hoard to. Books of various genres and categories all stacked neatly in racks and people were picking them out like mangoes from orchards and placing them in their boxes. The seems of the mandapam had people seated with books and boxes. Each of them had to ensure the the boxes were filled and the price of the box was justified. A few of the book lovers shared the box and a few bought the box-worthy books. A young woman acquainted me and we shared the box. I am glad she did.  The fact that the mandapam was filled with used books made it endearing. However, books like Diary of Anne Frank, Mein Kampf were brand new. What I liked particularly...