Power of Yoga

As our lives get more stressful, yoga is helping to restore the balance between the mind and body, says Anita Iyer.

The popularity of Yoga is certainly picking up pace with urban India moving around with yoga mats tucked under their arms. Television channels like Sanskar, Aastha, have made yoga gurus like Baba Ramdev a household name. Although mired in many controversies, Baba Ramdev is undoubtedly the idol for many yoga amateurs. Early in the morning, innumerable viewers sit glued to television sets waiting for Yoga Gurus to free them from disorders by performing almost magical postures.

The word ‘Yoga’ is derived from Sanskrit word Yuj, which means to unite or merger. It means uniting the mind, body and soul by the process of meditation. The main objective of performing yoga is to strike a balance between the mind and body and attain self-enlightenment.

Discussing various aspects of yoga, Yoga Guru Suneel Singh, a 45-year-old Yoga practitioner says, “I have been performing yoga since I was a teenager and yoga for me is the art of living. There is certainly a rise in the number of people taking up yoga to relieve themselves from anxiety”, he confirms. Explaining how the concept of yoga works for relieving stress, Mr. Singh adds, “When a person is nervous or stressed, his breath is shallow and irregular but when he meditates, his breathing is regulated and his mental fatigue is released and he feels relaxed. Meditation can be either concentrating on any object, word, the holy letter Om or maybe chanting of a mantra”. The benefit gained differs from person to person as the degree of involvement differs. Yoga steadies the mind to a great extent, decreases anxiety, relieves depression, mental fatigue and relaxes the human mind.

There are many professionals who have experienced peace by practising the tenets of yoga. Alex Antony, a 23-year-old media professional says, “The field of media involves long hours and sometimes I end up working for about 16 hours a day which leaves me completely exhausted. I started yoga about two years ago and practicing it for at least one hour on a minimum of four days a week helps in relieving mental fatigue and attaining balance”. Yoga as an art form originated and is practiced in India since the past thousand years. Yoga finds its reference in the Upanishads, the Bhagvad Gita, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and Purans of the Vedic and post-Vedic era. There are no age limitations for performing Yoga. It can be done whenever desired as it doesn’t require any apparatus. The saturation depends on the personal capacity of the person performing the Yoga and it helps in attaining physical, mental and spiritual stability.

Yoga aasans are instrumental in providing remedies to many ailments and can be divided into static and dynamic. In static aasans, the person remains in the same position for a longer period like Padmasan. This increases the blood circulation to a particular body part thereby reducing pain in the particular area. Dynamic aasans comprises of exercises, which burn calories by stretching the body. The internal organs are massaged in this process and toxins are cleansed from the body.

Suneel Singh has integrated age-old traditional forms of yoga with newer and other forms of exercise to suit the urban practitioner. He has been conducting workshops on health care solutions for ailments like obesity, diabetes, neck pain, arthritis, stress, insomnia, heart problems, mental tension and depression etc., yet he believes that yoga has its own limitations. “Although effective for various ailments, yoga has its own restrictions. Yoga is preventive and not curative as many today claim. If practiced on a regular basis many diseases can be averted in later stages of life. Yoga means disciplining yourself and restriction from vices”, he explains.

Contradicting the above statement, Ms. Shilpa Jain, a yoga consultant says, “It was about three years back that I started learning yoga and took it seriously after I was cured of cancer. I used to practice Pranayam for at least 2-3 hours a day and I attribute at least 80% of my recovery from the disease to Yoga. Later after learning the art, I took up yoga as a profession and today I am a consultant”.

In yoga, we synchronize the breath so there is more of oxygen intake in the body and greater amounts of carbon dioxide is released, thereby making you feel rejuvenated. Yogacharya Sneh Ganotra says, “We hold workshops specifically for curing ailments like asthma, migraine, joint pains etc. Here the emphasis is mainly on controlling the breath and performing aasans. Deep breathing infuses energy in the body, reaching the lungs and works for the betterment of the individuals”.

“Due to changing food habits and lifestyle, there is a greater need for concentrating on all the powers of the body and meditating to stay in touch with the inner soul”, she adds.

There are three pillars in Yoga- Ahar which means that we must restrict the intake of food and abstain from meat, alcohol, tobacco and fermented foods etc, nidra or proper sleep as an essential element and the third factor being brahmacharya which means refraining from materialistic gains and leading a satisfied life.

Yoga possesses a great healing power for maintaining both the physical and mental well being of individuals and is a way to a healthy and balanced approach to life.

Mystical paintings

Tanjore paintings are deeply rooted in tradition and still innovative within limits, finds Anita Iyer.

Tanjore paintings can often be seen adoring our living rooms and corporate office walls and never fails to grab our attention for a minute. With their rich blend of bright colours, use of jewellery and larger-than-life figures, a Tanjore painting mesmerizes art lovers. As Ms. Indu Gupta, a Tanjore painter from Delhi says, “What makes Tanjore paintings unique is their colour combination, use of gold and precious stones and typical arcades. It is the hardwork and use of gold and stones, which raises the cost of any Tanjore paintings from Rs. 2000 to Rs. 2 lakh, but still there are takers for this art form”.

Tanjore Paintings are known for their surface richness, vivid colours and compact compositions. One amazing fact about Tanjore painting is that they were placed in dark temple shrines by the emperors. The reason for this was to enhance the presence of these bright gold paintings in the dim place.

Ms. Anandhi Rajan, a Tanjore artist from the past 15 years says, “In Tanjore paintings gaudy colours are used and much importance is given to the depiction of facial expressions and use of glittering gold foils instead of colours gives it s dramatic effect”. The subjects in Tanjore paintings are largely religious with depictions from mythological stories Ramayana or any other epic. The most common themes are the paintings that depict episodes from Lord Krishna’s life.

Exceptional attribute of Tanjore paintings is their shelf life. As stones and gold are used, the paintings do not tarnish and have a lasting life of about 80-100 years normally. It is a known fact that a red background is the distinctive mark of Tanjore paintings, but green is also sometimes used for an added effect. There are even fixed colours for Gods like Lord Vishnu is preferably coloured blue, Lord Nataraja chalk white and Goddesses are usually Yellow. Uniqueness of Tanjore paintings lies in the fact that all the figures have round bodies and almond-shaped eyes. The traditional Tanjore artists have a flair for ornamenting the figures with jewellery and ornate dresses.

In the primitive period, the traditional pandits of Tanjore drew Tanjore paintings on the walls of the temple in the Mughal era. Though Tanjore paintings get their name from Tanjore of Thanjavoor, a place in Tamil Nadu, it is not the birthplace of this art form. Tanjore style of painting developed between the 16^th and 18^th century under the patronage of the Maratha rulers when they occupied Tanjore. The art form achieved popularity during the rule of Sarfoji Maharaj, (the last Maratha ruler in Tanjore) who was a great patron of art.

With the decline of dynastic rule in Tanjore, the Tanjore artists (Rajus) were divided into three groups- the first headed to Vuyaioor, second to Mysore, and the third stayed on at Tanjore. The emphasis for painters at Tanjore was on studded precious gemstones and gold foils, at Vuyaioor on decorative garland and in Mysore school of painting on intricate designs and paintings. Apart from these, there were many artists who migrated to Tanjore from Mysore, Andhra, Bijapur, Maharashtra and Gujarat and their style of painting was slightly different and influenced by various Gharanas they emerged from.

The Tanjore paintings were deep rooted in tradition, innovation was limited and the artists kept the technique of making these paintings as a close secret. But as years passed and the numbers of artists for Tanjore painters were limited, the artists were forced to reveal the technique and soon these paintings found a place in palaces apart from the traditional temples.

The process of making Tanjore painting requires minute detailing and involves many stages. Firstly, a preliminary sketch of the image is made on the base, consisting of a cloth pasted over a wooden plank. Then chalk powder or zinc oxide is applied evenly on the base. After the drawing is made, decoration of the jewellery and the apparels in the image is done with semi-precious stones. The dresses, archs, pillars and thrones are adorned with gold leaves and stones of different colours. Finally, dyes are used for add colours to the figures in the paintings.

Today, there are many traditional age- old paintings, which are in a dilapidated condition. Mr. V.K. Iyer, a strong advocate of Tanjore art from Chennai says, “I remember reworking on a Tanjore piece, which was about 80 years old. The work doesn’t end with merely drawing the painting, there are certain steps to be taken to preserve the master piece like using anti-fungal on the drawing board, no organic paints are be used and precautionary steps are to be taken regularly. Today the problem is the materials needed to make the original painting are not easily available so we have to look out for alternatives”.

In an attempt to revive this dying art, the artists have developed techniques where easily available materials are replacing the ones used centuries ago. In the traditional method, the base for Tanjore painting was made from jackfruit tree where as today ply-board is used. “Earlier natural vegetable colours were used to paint the pictures but today acrylic chemical paints are used, which even offer better shade contrast. Also, instead of precious stones, substitutes like Jaipur glass stones and semi-precious ones are used. The figure shapes earlier were rounded body but now- a- days it has changed a bit”, concludes Mr. Iyer.

Although Tanjore paintings represent an era of golden art in Tanjore, a fact that cannot be denied is its resemblance with Mysore paintings. “What makes Tanjore paintings special are the intricacies involved in making the paintings. Tanjore paintings resemble the Mysore style of paintings but the shapes are conical instead of plump figures in Tanjore. Also, the use of jewellery is limited in Mysore style of paintings and colours are used in place of stones in the paintings”.

Undoubtedly, Tanjore paintings have a unique charm of their own and have created a niche for themselves among other paintings. The paintings were made for rituals and worship in the traditional period and not for display. However, today they have predominantly become display items, which adorn the drawing rooms as also the corporate offices.

A bad Sunday!

It is not a wise idea to watch Sunday on any day of the week, says Anita Iyer.

The movie Sunday revolves around Sehar (Ayesha Takia), a comic dubbing artiste whose world turns upside down knowing that a particular Sunday is missing from her life. Sehar in the movie tends to forget about happenings in her life and that causes a lot of chaos and confusion. To give her respite, ACP Rajveer (Ajay Devgan), a dishonest Police official resolves to crack the case. In the way of locating the lost Sunday, Rajveer comes across a murder case which passes gestures of Sehar being the murderer. Is Sehar really a murderer or innocent as she claims is the real climax of the story.

The other star cast in the movie includes Ballu (Arshad Warsi) a taxi driver and his friend (Irfan Khan) a struggling actor who carries the roles of Ravana, Draculla, Dons and the hilarious Himesh Reshamiya. The emotional punch of Arshad Warsi suffering from Kidney disorder was redundant and doesn’t fit the story line at all.

The second half revolves around the mystery of two murders in the movie and it is disappointing rather than surprising in the end to find the murder. The whole movie seems to be shot in Delhi with beautiful historical landscapes in the background

The first half of the movie has great comic timing with marvellous performances by Arshad Warsi and Irfan Khan proves that he can shoulder comic roles too. All the songs in the movie are out of place and have no relevance to the movie what so ever, only the title track ‘Sunday’ manages to groove the audiences. Even the choreography by Ganesh Acharya is not worth talking about and fails to impress.

Known for his comic movie “Golmaal – Fun Unlimited”, Rohit Shetty doesn’t quite succeed to tickle the funny bone this time with Sunday. Although Shetty has teamed up the best actors, it fails to guarantee success at the box office.

Nothing different.

Nagesh Kukunoor disappoints desperately with his new movie Bombay to Bagkok, says Anita Iyer. The plot of the movie revolves around Shankar (Shreyas Talpade), a cook who steals money from a local don and in a way to escape the goons joins a team of doctors. He accompanies these doctors heading towards Bangkok for relief work. In the chaos, he loses the money purse and the movie is about his adventure in finding it.

In the meantime, in Bangkok his life changes when he bumps into Jasmine (Lena Christianson), who works in a Thai massage parlour. The problem is she speaks Thai and he speaks Hindi so they are not able to converse with each other, all the talks are through broken English. To add a twist to the love story, the goon reaches Bangkok in search of Shankar. How Shankar finds his lost money purse escaping from the goons and his love story with Lena is the crux of the movie.

Shreyas Talpade is yet again successful in proving his excellent acting skills and Lena, the Thai lead is also promising. The role of Chota Don played by Vijay Maurya where he raps instead of conversing is outstanding and keeps the audiences glued to the screen. The role of Punjabi Rachinder, Shreya’s closest buddy is well- written.

The movie disappoints Nagesh Kukunoor’s fans desperately. It is hard to believe that Bombay to Bangkok is a Nagesh Kukunoor’s movie who delivered wonderful movies like Iqbal, Dor, Rockford, and Hyderabad Blues in the past.

The slug – Same, same but different is incorrect because there is nothing different in this movie but only predictable comedy, there is no originality in the jokes of the movie. At the end, it can be said that Bombay to Bangkok has only few impressive moments and worth only a one time watch!

Meditative moments

Charan Sharma’s paintings on Buddha creates an illusion of his presence, says Anita Iyer

Charan Sharma, the renowned contemporary artist, recently held an exhibition at The Museum Gallery in Mumbai showcasing his current works ‘Upasthiti’ which means ‘Being there’ or ‘Presence’. The exhibition displayed magnificent paintings on Buddha, Buddhist monks and scriptures engraved on the walls.

Ask him the inspiration for his works on Buddha, he says, “I attended an 11-day Vipasana camp in Nashik refraining from even talking for 11 days and concentrated only on Buddha. It was here that I became inclined towards Buddha and to know more about the Mahapurush and his philosophy, I travelled to Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and many other places. Now the principles of Buddha flow directly on my canvas through my brush”.
Charan Sharma has been involved in portraying Buddha images since the past seven years. “Buddha symbolises contentment and I am contented,” he believes. “I have travelled a long way from my last work ‘Enlightenment’ to ‘Upasthiti’. In the previous work, images of Buddha were clearly seen in the painting but in Upasthiti the presence of the Lord is felt without even painting him through monks and Buddhist scriptures,” he adds.

Charan Sharma was born in Nathdwara Gharana - a family of traditional temple artists involved in making miniature paintings of Lord Krishna and other idols. "I was born into a family of artists in a small township in Mewar, Rajasthan. Brought up in that traditional culture, I learnt and developed the art. My father and brothers were traditional painters from Rajasthan, but they painted Krishna paintings in Marwar style. Right from the childhood, I was exposed to the Marwar style of painting. But after graduating in Fine Arts from Rajasthan, I wanted to experiment with something different from the Marwar style and Krishna paintings. So I went to the J.J School of Art in Mumbai to learn something different,” he recollects.

The surroundings we reside in shape our thoughts and actions and this is clearly seen in Charan Sharma’s earlier works with strange themes like dilapidated Havelis, a dump of pebbles, puppets and toys. On this, Charan Sharma explains, “All these themes may seem unusual to you but to me who was born and brought up in this culture, it comes naturally. My paintings are inspired by the surroundings, the jharoke, havelis and puppets in Jaipur”.

Sharma is known for his works that brought alive the lonely ruins of Navalgarh, Dhund, Basoli, and Pichwai, among others. Quizzed why he draws dilapidated havelis, he reasons, “I generally draw dilapidated buildings because they are in pathetic state toda, reduced to ruins. Also I believe, however contemporary we become, we must stick to our roots, so I enjoy drawing havelis recollecting my past days. I wish to convey message of protecting and preserving the valuable heritage through my paintings.”

Charan Sharma has explored various mediums, different materials and techniques, but this time in Upasthiti is showing 20 paintings, which he has done on canvas using Acrylic colour and gold leaf. The uniqueness in his paintings lies in his style of combining tradition with modernity and yet preserving the originality. Each of his paintings has a distinct signature, an originality that cannot be plagiarised.

The modern artist has internalised the Buddhist message and reproduced his philosophy in a new light. Every painting by Charan Sharma has a gist of Buddha’s philosophy. “From Upasthiti, I like a painting titled ‘Entrance’ conveys the message of ‘keep going for knowledge and achieve enlightenment’ and the other work – Echoes means ‘let the vibrations stay in’.

Charan Sharma’s paintings from Upasthiti on Buddha in his meditative mood, and silent monks in a peaceful march effectively communicate their message to the masses. Having a look at the paintings gives a feeling of contentment and a feeling of the presence of Buddha.

Truly a star on earth

Watching ‘Taare Zameen Par’ will make you feel nostalgic about your school days says Anita Iyer.

The story of Taare Zameen Par revolves around an eight year old kid Ishaan Awasthi (Darsheel Safary) who suffers from dyslexia. The child is always in his dream world filled with colours, fishes, space ships and drawing them on canvas but least interested in numbers and alphabets. When things don’t seem to get better, he is packed off to a boarding school but things get too worse than before. The child goes into shell, keeps to himself and leaves painting his imaginations as he did earlier.

Adding to this is the trauma of being away from his family. The bonding between the son and his mother (Tisca Chopra) leaves you moist-eyed at several moments. Then, to help the child, a new arts teacher enters the boarding school, Ram Shankar Nikumbh (Aamir Khan). He provides wings to Ishaan’s imagination and helps him break out from his shell.

It is a movie that doesn’t merely entertain but also educates the audience about the learning disorder dyslexia. As Aamir discovers patterns in Ishaan’s book like mirror image writings, confusion between same sounding words, the viewers are also able to learn and connect with him.

The child, Ishaan is capable to hold on the audiences in the first half without the entry of Aamir Khan and also excels in the second half. At many places, the small kid leaves you spell bound with his natural acting skills and you can actually feel how the kid might be struggling every day. The child’s emotions are captured in beautiful way leaving tears in your eyes throughout.

At the end, Aamir Khan emerges as a true story-teller and deserves a merit to make the child perform in an impeccable manner. The compositions by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and soothing to your ears and accentuate the scenes. The lyric of the song Maa by Prasoon Joshi rightly explains the bond between the son and the mother. Also special note has to made of the visual effects and animations in the movie.

Watching the movie makes you feel nostalgic about our own school days. The movie has a message for all saying parents also pressurize their children to excel academically but parents should enhance the hidden potentials in their child.

Looking at the promos gives an impression that it is a kiddie movie but in the movie a grave problem is discussed in a spectacular manner. It is a movie to be watched along with your kids and it surely change the way you look at them!

Believe in yourself

Raghav Sachar, an up-coming music director and a self-taught master of 30 musical instruments shares a moment with, Anita Iyer

• Tell us something about your background? Do you come from musical lineage?

I do not have a musical lineage but my father’s natural interest in music developed a musical talent in me too. I remember my father who was a Police DG and he had gifted me the first ever-musical instrument ‘Harmonica’ on my fourth birthday and since then he gifted me a new instrument on every birthdays.

• Did you have a craze to learn to play so many instruments from the childhood itself?

I had a fetish for musical instruments right from the beginning. On every birthday I received an instrument and today I play 30 musical instruments including saxophone, harmonica, flute etc. Looking at the instrument, I knew I could play it. As a child, when I used to play the instrument people used to appreciate my talent, this was a motivating factor for me to perform well.

• What are the instruments you play?

The harmonica, flute, three kinds of saxophones, the keyboard, the clarinet, the recorder, the blues harp, the guitar and the didgeridoo (a long wooden flute) are some of them.

• Where did you perform during your initial years?

My father admitted me in a music school in Delhi when I was eight and that further brushed my musical talent. I used to love playing the guitar during my school days and was a part of the rock band - “Canzona”. Along with this band, I traveled all over India and played at IIT Institutions, BITS Pilani etc.

• As a budding artist, who were your inspirations?

I was fond of R D Burman and Mohammed Rafi in my initial years. I used to love Kenny G and his music.

• How did you get started with your career in music?

I used to perform with Canzona rock band and others too. In the meantime, I was involved in making jingles with Shantanu Moitra and Daniel B George. Later in 2001, I went to Monash University in Australia to study Music & Composition and I also specialized in Jazz. When in Australia, I was called by Shantanu Moitra for playing in albums for Shubha Mudgal and Viva. Later, when I came to India I worked on Bollywood flicks like Kal Ho Na Ho, Hum Tum, Kyon Ho Gaya Na, Parineeta and Dhoom, Parineeta and a few more.

• How did you land up being a music composer of ‘Kabul Express’?

I was called for by Yashraj clan for instrumentation of old Yashraj songs. While the proposal was in process, one person saw my composition and they asked if I would like to pitch music for their movie Kabul Express. I readily agreed and the rest is history. Kabul Express was a hit but the instrumentation album never took off!

• Your songs have a lot of western influence complete with jazz to Arabic tones?

While I went for my education abroad, I travelled extensively in South East Asia performing at places like Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia etc. So, when I compose there is a blend of music inspired from different countries, so you can hear diverse genres and fusions in my music. Also, my soul and essence is Indian but education is western so there is again a blend.

• You have worked for Bollywood songs and also albums. So, what do you love doing the most?

I enjoy doing my albums, as my albums are mirror images of events that have happened in my life. The visuals in the video are triggered by personal experiences and my feelings are penned as lyrics in the songs. Whereas, when you compose for movies, there are restrictions. At a point your freedom ends and you have to follow what the director says so your creativity gets restricted.

• How lucrative or challenging is it to perform shows in India and abroad?

Internationally, the audience has a better understanding of the western instruments I play. Also, in India, more importance is given to the singers than the musicians.

• What are you currently working on?

‘Play it loud’ is my recent album, besides that I am composing tracks for movies by Kumar Mangat like Sunday, Halle Dil etc and also some prominent banners.

• Did you even guess that you would achieve so much so early in life?

I think I was lucky as I started off with my career at an early age and also had my bachelors in music. What further came as a boon was that I got noticed and my music was liked by people.

• Now that you have tasted success what is the mantra of your success for aspiring talents?

My advice would be remain focused and be determined to the field. Always believe in yourself and no obstacles can pull you down.

Magic with lasers

Known for his animated series on Panchatantra, Manick Sorcar converses with Anita Iyer about his magical animation journey.

• Being son of legendary magician P.C. Sorcar how did laser excite you rather than magic?
  

I am excited more about doing magic with laser than doing traditional magic. Love for art and science is something, I inherited from my father, late P.C. Sorcar. As a youngster, I helped in painting the backdrops and the lightning design for the various magic items, which inspired me to become an electrical engineer and artist. I still remember, my father taught us that anything can be 'magic' when it is 'extraordinary'. So, I create magic through Laser animations!

• How did you get introduced to laser lighting?

It sort of came as a by-product of lighting in which I had hands-on experience as a child, trained as a part of my engineering degree, and still practicing it. Laser is the acronym name for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation and is a special type of lighting. At my electrical engineering firm in USA we deal with laser lighting for many purposes. Being also an animator and director of our own stage shows, one day it struck me to use the strong beam of laser for animation on stage. The challenge was how to tame the dangerous stick of light to act as a painting brush. One led to another and soon I was using laser animation to act with live actors on stage. The results were astonishing, which brought me recognition and took off like a rocket.

• Tell us something about your initial experiments using laser for animation?

My traditional animation dealt with drawing on papers with a pen, or painting directly on a computer canvas with an electronic pen for animated movements. For laser animation, the strong beam of light is manipulated to be used as a painting brush and then use it either on the screen for 2D or in the space for a 3D animation.

• How difficult was it in 1980's to make an animated character before the revolution in computer graphics?
  

Very difficult, because virtually all art work needed to be done by hand, which needed a great amount of manpower. Computer helped in doing the in-betweens and painting the background scenes, but even today, I prefer to draw some of the important movements of animated characters by hand to give the warmth in it. Computer softwares tend to give a mechanical look in the movements, which I do not like.

• What was the main motive behind making animated series based on Indian stories like ‘Panchtantra’? Was it to revive our Indian culture?

The original purpose was to attract my two US-born daughters to their roots and Indian culture. The first film “Deepa & Rupa” was based on a classic fable from Bengal where live action was uniquely weaved with animated characters. My older daughter Piya (then 12) acted in the lead role. The film bagged over half a dozen top awards from international film festivals and was telecast on TV numerous times. The cultural gap that I was trying to bridge for my daughters, soon got international exposure and was warmly welcomed by mainstream America. It was vividly clear that there was a demand for quality animation for children, which will provide more than just temporary entertainment. I made a series of animation based on fables from the Panchatantra, and other classic sources of India, which became popular at schools, and were repeatedly telecast on prestigious educational channels around the country. I am proud to say, this will be the 16^th straight year my animation films will be aired by the prestigious Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Channels of Colorado; next telecast will be on the New Years Day, January 1, 2008 when the US state will ring in the first morning with these classic Indian animations.

• Tell us something about the production of 'Deepa and Rupa' in 1990, as it was one of its kinds in India?

Deepa & Rupa was recorded as the Very First Indian animation mixed with live action. It was my first major production and the key actors were my daughter Piya (Rupa), and Deepa Reddy (Deepa). It took me almost three years to make as I could only work on it at nights, weekends, and any time I could spare from my daytime engineering profession. It was made in the late eighties when softwares on character animation and picture scanners were still unheard of. As a result, a good portion of the movements of animated characters and background scenes were hand painted and then frame-grabbed to be digitized. It was a long painstaking process, but the end results were brilliant. The media, newspapers, magazines - all gave rave reviews after watching the show on TV, which made it a household name. We got a surge of invitations from schools to make presentation of the film and take question and answer session with the aspiring students who wanted to learn about Indian culture and/or be animators.

• Your animation films have now become a subject of research for academic degrees? How does it feel?

It is most pleasing that my animation films have now become a subject of research for academic degrees. Two years ago “Manick Sorcar Animations that Teach Indian Cultures” was the topic of research work for an American student’s BFA (Bachelor in Fine Arts) degree with double major in animation and visual effects at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. It feels great as what started as an attempt to instill Indian culture in my daughters became a cultural bridge between East and West.

• How challenging was weaving the animated character with live character before the revolution of computer graphics?

It wasn’t impossible, but would take a substantial amount of trial and error effort before achieving the proper result.

• Tell us something about the technique ‘SorcarScope’?

Laser shows are fun to watch but laser can be quite dangerous if not used properly. “SorcarScope” is a technique I developed through which live actors on stage can act simultaneously with laser without any danger.

• Tell us something about your initial showcases of animation works?

After some experiments I dared making “Calcutta Forever: A Laser Fantasy”, a documentary on the 300 year old history of Calcutta that was shown at the prestigious Nandan Theater of West Bengal in 2000. This was recorded as the very first laser documentary ever to be shown inside a theater in India, and was a hit. After that, I went a step further where I mixed life-size laser animation with live performers on stage, which resulted in the creation of “Dancing with My Soul”, and later “Enlightenment of Buddha”. I was delighted when at the international contest; “Enlightenment of Buddha” won the First Place in Italy, and received the Artistic Award, from the International Laser Display Association.

• Your show ‘Laser toons’ at Nicco Park had a record of 78 shows in one month, drawing over 140,000 jubilant spectators. How was the experience?

Very, very thrilling! To be very frank, the entire show was mainly designed with children in mind. But its appeal and the magical effects of the laser became so popular that it started drawing crowd exponentially. People of all ages and demographics, ranging from ordinary people, film actors, and nuns of Mother Teresa to Buddhist Monks came to see the show – some repeatedly.

• How does it feel to be internationally acclaimed for your animation and laser works?

By Almighty’s grace, I have been showered with all kinds of awards and acclaim which indeed made me happy. But I will have to confess; none of them are as pleasing or heart contending as seeing the smile the shows bring on a child’s face.

• Coming from a magical background, didn’t you ever think of fusing animation with magic?

No! I have been busy fusing magic with animation. My award- winning laser animations are only a small sample of that.

• Are you planning something innovative on the animation side now?

Absolutely! My target is to take the technique to a level where nobody has gone before. In my next laser animation you will be able to take a physical tour inside the screen, walking around the 3-D characters!

• What would be your advice to budding animators?

Love your work with heart and have full confidence in yourself. Then follow the teaching of Swami Vivekananda: “Stop not till the goal is reached” and success is all yours.

Ideal marriage!

Tulsi Vivah is considered as a very auspicious ritual in the Hindu wedding tradition, says Anita Iyer.

Tulsi or the Holy Basil is the sacred plant of the Hindus and symbolizes purity. A Hindu house is considered incomplete without the Tulsi plant in the courtyard. It is a part of tradition to water the tulsi plant, light up a diya near it and worship it daily. Tulsi leaves are used in temples for worship purposes and also a part of several customs like marriage and funerals. Tulsi is believed to bestow the inhabitants with happiness and promote longevity.

Guruji Nishikant Upadhyay, a pandit says, “The festival of Tulsi Vivah inaugurates the annual marriage season in India as it is considered lucky for the couple. The general belief is that one who performs this wedding ceremony of marrying Tulsi to Vishnu considering her as their own daughter, gets the esteem of having performed Kanyadan, which is regarded as an extremely meritorious act in Hindu religion”. Tulsi Vivah usually occurs on the 11th or 12th day of the Kartik month on the day after of Kartik Ekadashi.

The legend behind celebration of this festival goes back to the incarnation of Goddess Tulsi devi who was born as Vrinda. Tulsi was married to the demon King Jalandhar. Getting married to him, she prayed to Lord Vishnu for longevity of her demon husband. King Jalandhar received a boon that he would be free from death till his wife Vrinda was chaste. It was believed that he was immortal, unless someone broke the ‘pati vrat’ of his wife. Misusing his powers, Jalandhar declared war and becomes a cause of danger to the gods. To avert the menace, Lord Vishnu on the request of the other gods took the form of Jalandhar and stayed with Tulsi thereby breaking the ‘Pati vrat’. After Jalandhar's death, Vrinda cursed Lord Vishnu and turned him to stone (Shaligram) and collapsed on the floor and from her body emerged the tulsi plant. It is a result of this mythological story that Vishnu pooja is considered incomplete without tulsi leaves.

On the day of Tulsi Vivah, a full meal consisting of rice, moongachi gathi, puri , sweet potato kheer , red pumpkin vegetable cooked with pieces of sugarcane, amla and tamarind is offered to Tulsi Vrindavan.

In the evening, tulsi pot is coloured and the plant decorated as a bride. Sugarcane sticks and branches of tamarind and amla are planted alongside the tulsi plant. On the marriage day, a fast is observed and Tulsi vivah ceremony takes place in the late evening. An emblem, either an image of Krishna or generally the Shaligram stone is placed next to Tulsi plant.

The marriage is performed like a normal Hindu wedding by applying Turmeric and Vermilion powder on the plant, chanting of mantras and tying Mangal Sutra around the Tulsi plant. A cloth is held between the 'bridegroom' (Shaligram stone) and the 'bride' (tulsi plant). The cloth is removed after the last mantra of the marriage, ‘Mangal Ashtak’ is chanted and the word ‘Savadhan’ is pronounced and all the people shower ‘Akshat’ on the married couple. After the marriage, Panchamrit (mixture of five dailies - curd, ghee, milk. honey and sugar), and sweets are distributed as prasad among family members and friends.

Tulsi Vivah is a part of our old traditions and finds a mention in Padma Puran. Rajishri Kokate, a chartered accountant by profession says, “This ritual of "Tulsi Vivah", though an old tradition is celebrated with great devotion even today. I was introduced to the concept at my parental home and I still follow it after my marriage. This has been carried forward by our generations and I would imbibe it even in my daughter to follow the tradition in future”.

Interestingly in Goa, the festival takes a different form with sending of Goan Ojhe (sweet) to married daughters from her parental home along with jodi, threads used in oil lamps. This festival of Tulsi Vivah is celebrated in each and every household of Goa with delicious sweets.

Owing to its significance, it is believed that couples getting married on the day of Tulsi Vivah will be together for their next seven lives.

At his fingertips

Arvind Sule uses his fingernails to carve unique works of art, says Anita Iyer

Sule makes portraits, designs, themes, memory drawings and cartoons by moving his pointed thumbnail on a piece of paper. This movement gives birth to beautiful designs. “I remember when I went to Kolkatta, I was amused seeing a man-pulled rickshaw with hefty people sitting on it. I carved that on a piece of paper as a remembrance. I love to portray what I see around - people playing garba, for instance. Also, nature inspires me to draw birds and animals like the tiger.”

Involved in this art form for around 50 years now, Arvind Sule has a collection of about 200 pictures till date. Recollecting the first time he experimented with this art, he states, “Decades back, while travelling to college, I saw a man in the bus carving designs on the ticket. Out of curiosity, I asked him about this art and he showed me the method. I just saw him do it once on the ticket and learnt it after practising many times”.

The art requires a great deal of dedication and patience. Arvind says: “Learning any form of art requires dedication and even carving on paper was difficult. I tried to engrave on newspapers initially and sometimes the paper would tear or the subject would be distorted”.

The most challenging part of his art form is he carves the subject directly on the paper without drawing any prior outline or sketch with a pencil. More surprising is the fact that he never had any formal training in painting or for that reason any form of art, yet the accuracy is maintained.

Arvind explains: “I am more interested in making portraits as it is more challenging owning to the fact that expressions are of paramount importance in such pieces and eyes, lips are to be engraved beautifully”. He has made portraits of Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, P.L. Deshpande, Babasaheb Purandare and the famous Common Man cartoon, among others. Arvind Sule also carves thoughts in words and calligraphy and finds it comparatively easy because it involves curves and moves which are already etched in our minds.

The artist had recently displayed his works at Haiku Art Gallery, Thane. At the exhibition he said, “There are many artists who do something unusual and unique and go unnoticed. My message would be to hold exhibitions if you know of any art form, as only then would it create awareness and other people might consider adapting it”.

Striking the right chord

Lesle Lewis, the veteran of Hindi-pop, shares his musical journey with Anita Iyer

Did you have a musical lineage?

Being a son of P.L. Raj, the renowned choreographer in Bollywood, I was at an advantage. I have been on recordings with my father and have seen music being composed by known music directors like R D Burman, Zakhirji, Laxmikant Pyarelal, Kalyanji-Anandji and later accompanied them as a guitarist.

Did you always want to be a guitarist?

In my teens, I wanted to be a drummer, but it was difficult to carry the drum kit so I shifted to guitar because it was easy to carry. I remember on the last day of our school, when asked what my ambitions were, I said, ‘I want to play the guitar’ and the whole class laughed at me but today I am proud that I am a guitarist.

How were you introduced to rock music?

I did my schooling in a boarding school and once a week we could play records there. So, there I got acquainted with the best of rock music with works of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Beatles, among others. These later become my role models.

How did you start your career?

After my schooling, I came back to Bombay and decided to play the guitar. I started playing in Dharavi, Fisherman’s Colony, Police Quarters, and on railway stations. I remember earning Rs. 30 per show and performing once a month. I had to spend Re. 1 each day to carry my amplifiers and instruments in the cab for rehearsals and Re 1 back home. So my income was just Rs.30 and my expenses were nearly Rs. 60 a month. So at that time, playing the guitar was more of a passion for me than a profession. My dad was furious about the fact that being a son of a renowned person in Bollywood, I was performing on the streets but my mother used to cover up for me.

You also played at the Oberoi Towers in the early days?

Yes, while doing jingles alongside, I was also playing at Mumbai's Cafe Royale, Oberoi Towers. I still visit the place; the structure is the same, the podium I used to perform is still there, only the name has changed. Even today some of the waiters know me and it feels great to revert to the old memories sometimes, seeing what I have achieved.

How did you think of making albums when it was not a viable option? How did you perceive of doing something distinct?

I didn’t want to do something that was distinct but something that I liked. My dad, who was a part of Bollywood, always said if you wanted to do music and establish yourself it had to be Bollywood. Anything outside Bollywood wouldn’t work. But I had made my mind to do something alternative to Hindi cinema. I had a panga with my dad and I am happy I opted for non-filmi music.

How did you take the risk of introducing an alternative music at the time when filmi-music ruled?

I would say, maybe I was just lucky that my music clicked. I have played with the aam-janta dancing to my tunes in Umbergaon, Dharavi, so I knew what would stay. It’s all about striking the right chord and making the janta groove to the music.

Tell us something about your love for jingles, which also won you the Indian Academy of Advertising Film Art in 1989.

I was into making jingles with Louis Banks, who was also crazy about electronics and technology oriented like me. There was a time when we did nothing but compose three to four jingles a day. It was fun to make a short tune, which would create waves for 30 seconds. Later, I came up with my own company to record jingles for commercials.

How did Colonial Cousins happen?

Once while I was playing my guitar, Hariharan just hummed some lines and it sounded good. We thought of doing something concrete and Colonial Cousins happened. The Indo-western fusion was rare and it clicked.

You are into jingles and your songs have a lot of western influence, so how was it working with Hariharan, who hails from a classical background?

Not many people know that I am well versed with Indian folk and Bollywood songs, owing to the fact that my dad was into Bollywood. Although coming from a classical gharana, Hariharan had a fair exposure to western music from his schooling days and western music is not alien to him. So, the harmonious blend of western with Indian music came unsurprisingly to us.

All your compositions, right from Paree hu mein to Piyu tu, are distinct…

I make songs specifically for the artist. I design songs keeping in mind the strengths and weakness of the singer. For every artist I have worked with - Suneeta Rao, Alisha, Ashaji, Band of Boys, KK – the compositions are made suiting their voice quality, bringing out the strong points

What do you think about the Hindi-Pop scenario today?

Pop has come up so high today and it is very much become a part of Bollywood. Bollywood does not allow anything bigger than it to survive; it assimilates and makes it a part of Bollywood. Bollywood film music, which had its own identity, has made pop music its property, and therefore today Bollywood music sounds like pop. It is just because Hindi-pop has become a part of Bollywood that it has survived.

What do you think about the remixes in today's music scenario?

Today remixes have become more of video than audio where models dance in skimpy clothes. Remixes entirely depend on taste and if it is done in a good way, it is acceptable or else it’s bad.

What is your take on the endless reality shows which are aired on channels?

The main question that arises about reality shows is - How many know the Indian idols so we actually know who made it real big? It is all about shaping your career and making the right moves to sustain yourself in the industry. Today reality shows have become just an entertainment drama for the viewers with all masala guaranteed.

Tell us something about your new academy for budding artists?

It is an academy for youngsters who believe in music and want to make it big in the musical world. Today in this cut-throat competition, singing is no more about liking, it is about hard-core money. So you have to invest money and at this academy we style you, design you and make sure you get a hearing at the record companies. We would make the artist sound as polished as we can and this academy would be creating lot of opportunities for music directors, technicians and so on.

Traditional, Yet Trendy.

Bandani with its intricate designs in kaleidoscopic colours manages to survive inspite of changing trends says Anita Iyer.

Bandhani are the bright multi-coloured patterns on cotton, muslin or silk cloth using the Tie and Dye method. As the name suggests, the technique of Tie and Dye involves two stages: tying sections of cloth and then soaking it in colour dyes. The word "bandhani" is derived from the verb ‘bandhna’, which means to tie.



Shabnam Deshmukh, Head of Department of Academy of Art and Design says, “Bandhani has survived through the ages inspite of the changing trends in fashion. Many patterns in fashion get replaced but Bandhani has adopted the changes and has survived. Earlier only duppatas, dress materials or sarees were available with Bandhani works on them but today even Kurta, tops, men’s shirts are available”.

She further adds, “People are fed up of wearing machine made modern garments with same prints so they prefer going back to their traditional roots and wearing hand designed garments. The tying effect in bandhani gives it an appealing effect, which cannot be seen in any other form of garments. Also, the colour combination in Bandhani is unique with multi coloured shades on it”.

The colours mainly used in bandhani are yellow, red, green and pink – the traditional colours in Rajasthani culture. Different colors used convey different meaning like red color stands for bride and a yellow bandhani is mainly for the lady who has become a mother recently. Bright colours as green and maroon are extensively used in the art form, but with changing times, as bandhani has become a part of fashion, various shades and English colors like grey, beige are now used for tie and dye.

The process of making bandhani is complex and involves many steps right from tying the cloth to washing the cloth after dying. Portions of cloth to be retained from the dye are tightly tied with wax cotton threads so as to give white circles when wrappings are removed. The remaining part of the fabric is dyed in dark colours like red, purple, dark green, deep blue or black to form the background.

There is a unique design in bandhani where the background is in light color and the patterns are in dark colors. This pattern is made by dyeing sections of the cloth in the desired color with a piece of a felt (non-woolen cloth) and then tying it. The cloth is bleached and only the tied sections retain the colors. Later when the background color is dyed, the finished bandhani emerges, with dark coloured dots on a light background. According to the necessary, the cloth is retied and redyed.

For making small white circles on the cloth, green peas for smaller circles and Kabuli chana for bigger circles and coins can be used for concentric circles. The whole concept of tying before dying is basically to prevent the dye from reaching the fabric evenly. Portions that are tied will stay white, or of a lighter shade because the knot prevents dye to reach those areas. Gradations of colour from dark to light make the bandani cloth look beautiful.

The fascinating thing about the process of bandhani making is the artists often grow a long nail on the little finger of the left hand or wear a ring with a tip on it. This rings helps them to push the cloth upwards to form a point that would then be tied and left uncoloured.

Another interesting aspect is the local name given to each pattern according to the shapes they form. Some of the most common designs are dungar-shahi or the mountain-pattern; kodi for a tear shaped one, boond for a small dot with a dark center, and the laddu-jalebi for the swirling patterns. Others include Tikunthi for circles and squares in a group of three, ‘Chaubasi’ for four and Satbandi for a group of seven.

The origins of this lasting traditional art form can be associated to the State of Jaipur. However, the common belief states that it was brought to Kutch by Muslim Khatris from Sindh. Bandhani was introduced in Jamnagar around 400 years ago and today is a leading center of Bandhani. The literary text of the Harshacharita refers to Bandhani. A bandhani garment is considered lucky for the bride.

A bandhani artist from Kutch Mr. Zakharia Khatri, a 62 year old, National Award winner says, “We have been involved in bandhani making since ages. Our forefathers were involved in this art form, we inherited it and now even my children have adapted it. What makes bandhani attractive are the geometric patterns like dots, circles, squares, waves and stripes etc. Also, the other attractions are the colours used which are generally burnt brown with the designs worked in red, yellow, green, maroon and orange”.

Earlier, natural and vegetable dyes were used to colour the fabrics but today, synthetic modern dyes have replaced them. The main reason being that natural dyes are expensive than their synthetic counterparts. On this, Survat Anand, a fashion designer says, “Contemporary designers are opting for synthetic chemical dyes to keep pace with ever changing fashion tends. Also, the use of chemical dyes has reduced the time required for fabric to absorb the colours, in contrast with the natural dyes which took several days to marinate”.