Commenting on the upcoming book, poet turned author, Kikon says: “I am delighted that Penguin Random House will be publishing my first book of nonfiction…reports Asian Lite News
Ultimately, it came down to the Battle of the Tennis Court during World War II when Allied troops doggedly hung on to the hill leading up to the residence of the Deputy Commissioner in Kohima, ultimately forcing the invading Japanese forces to withdraw and indeed, turn the course of the conflict in the region.
Penguin Random House India has announced the acquisition of a rare historical account of the significance of the battle, tentatively titled “His Majesty’s Head Hunters”, by Aspen Fellow and Naga poet Mmhonlumo Kikon that will be released in late 2022.
Providing a unique viewpoint, this book uncovers the untold story of how Kohima, now the capital of Nagaland, went from being a nondescript small hillock to becoming the political and administrative headquarters of the British Government and inadvertently ended up as a site of the world-changing war.
Western scholars often refer to the Battle of Kohima, which culminated in the Battle of the Tennis Court, as the Stalingrad of the East. Historians even say that this was the last real battle of the British Empire and the first battle of the new India. However, the real history left behind by the Japanese army led by Japanese Lieutenant General Kotoku Sato and the Allied forces remains to be told.
Commenting on the upcoming book, poet turned author, Kikon says: “I am delighted that Penguin Random House will be publishing my first book of nonfiction. The dialogue with our past must continue in the light of the present and be constantly reviewed by revisiting history, and that is what I will be doing in the book. The Empire manifests itself in many aspects of our policies and we must keep exploring these as new vistas of history get written.”
“I hope that my work will add to the body of existing work. It is an opportune moment to explore the various dimensions of the events which shaped world history and which situates current discourse within a new spectrum,” he adds.
Associate Publisher at Penguin, Premanka Goswami, who also commissioned the book, says it “will open a window to the ultimate sacrifice of the Naga community, which completely changed the fate of World War II and significantly impacted the course of world history. We’re thrilled to have Mmhonlumo on board and we sincerely feel that the book will not only interest a wide spectrum of readers in India but also the enthusiastic readers throughout the world.
Mmhonlumo Kikon is an Aspen Fellow and the author of three poetry collections: “Slingstones” (2021), “The Village Empire” (2019) and “The Penmi Poems” (2018).
He grew up in Kohima and has been writing for journals and newspapers since his college days. After completing his master’s in English literature from Delhi University, he pursued development studies with various organizations and was actively associated with social service and community welfare. An MLA in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, Kikon is a BJP National Spokesperson. An ardent footballer, he played for his college team and regularly promotes the sport in his home state. He lives in Kohima with his wife, two daughters and son.
“A thought-provoking book that gives meaning and context to India’s promise and potential for great achievement,” says former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh…reports Asian Lite News
“What is Indias future? I deeply believe in Indias promise, in our potential for great achievement. I am also old enough to appreciate our ability to snatch failure from the jaws of success,” writes an optimistic Naushad Forbes in “The Struggle and The Promise: Restoring India’s Potential” (HarperCollins) as he presents a blueprint for the way ahead.
The Promise is our diverse culture that has something for everyone. Our young population is thirsty for education and achievement. And a strong private sector is our engine of growth. We can lead the world in the future.
The Struggle is to create a business-friendly environment, even as education, public health and quality of jobs demand attention.
How can the government, citizens and firms turn our struggle into promise and enable India to lead? How can we fix things by learning from best practices elsewhere? How can we ensure openness, inclusivity and innovation? How can independent institutions make up for low state capacity? How can our culture deliver leadership?
Forbes answers these and other critical questions concerning India’s progress. He provides a logical, actionable blueprint for getting the balance right between industry, institutions and policy. Backed by rigorous research and copious data, here’s a book that shows how to fulfil India’s potential.
“I hope you will find some of these answers to be convincing. But I hope, even more, that this will prompt wide discussion as you seek your own answers to these vital questions. We can then jointly craft India’s future,” says Forbes.
“A thought-provoking book that gives meaning and context to India’s promise and potential for great achievement,” says former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
“Naushad Forbes is not only a successful business leader but an exceptional intellectual…He is objective in his analysis of where we lag when he talks about our nation’s struggles and then takes a focused, incisive approach to highlight the immense promise of India. The result is a book with thought-provoking, practical ideas to restore India’s true potential,’ says Sachin Sharma, Executive Editor, HarperCollins India.
Born in 1960, Naushad Forbes is Co-Chairman of Forbes Marshall, India’s leading process and energy efficiency company, and was the president of the Confederation of Indian Industry (Cll) in 2016-17.
He received his Bachelors, Masters and PhD Degrees from Stanford University and was recently given an honorary doctorate by the University of Edinburgh. Forbes was an occasional Lecturer and Consulting Professor at Stanford University from 1987 to 2004, where he developed courses on Technology in Newly Industrialising Countries.
He is currently Chairman of the Ananta Aspen Centre and the Centre for Technology Innovation and Economic Research.
Drawing on his own memories and impressions of this unique land, he pays homage to the country that has been his home for 84 years…reports Asian Lite News
As the sunny rays of winter pour through our windows, curl up on your reading chair and indulge in these binge-worthy reads.
Bose: The Untold Story of an Inconvenient Nationalist by Chandrachur Ghose
New information throws light on Bose’s intense political activities surrounding the revolutionary groups in Bengal, Punjab, Maharashtra and United Provinces, his efforts to bridge the increasing communal divide and his influence among the splintered political landscape; his outlook and relations with women; his plunge into the depths of spirituality; his penchant for covert operations and his efforts to engineer a rebellion among the Indian armed forces. With this new information, what appeared to be dramatic now becomes more intense with plots and sub-plots under one man’s single-minded focus on freeing the motherland and envisioning its development in a new era.
Was Bose really a Nazi sympathiser? Knowing very well about the strong public opinion that existed among the political leadership and the intelligentsia in India against Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and imperial Japan, why did he risk his own political image by allying with the Axis powers?
Pacey and thought-provoking Bose: The Untold Story of an Inconvenient Nationalist will open a window to many hitherto untold and unknown stories of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
The Puffin Book of 100 Extraordinary Indians
100 inspiring stories of outstanding achievements! The Puffin Book of 100 Extraordinary Indians is a celebration of achievements and personal stories of those who forged new paths for themselves and others in a way that it continues to affect modern lives.
Written as short anecdotal biographical sketches, the book presents the lives of scientists, doctors, activists, painters, sportspeople, dancers, political leaders and many more from different walks of life. Featured in this collection are names like Irom Sharmila, Dutee Chand, Bhagat Singh, Gauri Sawant, Virat Kohli and Sundar Pichai.
Whether they climbed the heights, swam the depths, mastered science or track and field, picked the baton of education or activism – each of their stories is replete with big and small victories that continue to inspire.
A Little Book of India by Ruskin Bond
As India completes 75 years of independence, we bring to you a slice of our beloved country in the words of our favourite author, Ruskin Bond. Drawing on his own memories and impressions of this unique land, he pays homage to the country that has been his home for 84 years. Bond talks fondly about the diverse elements that make up this beautiful land — its rivers and forests, literature and culture, sights, sounds and colours.
A Little Book of India is an amalgamation of the physical and spiritual attributes of our homeland, and takes you on a journey filled with nostalgia and devotion.
A short story collection by S. Hareesh X ADAM
Four Belgian Malinois puppies, raised by an ex-serviceman, who end up in four different life situations; two men who play a game made out of death notices clipped from newspapers; a man who exploits his friend’s disability to satisfy his own bestial needs; a government employee who is intoxicated by the taste of wild meat and sinks deeper and deeper into the toxic world of hunting; two buffaloes who break away from their butcher, leading an entire village to chase after them; an old man who rejoices in the death of a sworn enemy who was once his friend.
S. Hareesh’s Adam explores the more difficult of human emotions — lust, anger, jealousy, vengeance and greed. Translated from the Malayalam, the collection presents nine unusual stories about ordinary people, their passions and their diverse destinies in a world where humans, animals and nature collide. Hareesh’s unique style of storytelling, which mixes astute social observation with an irreverent and sarcastic tone, makes these stories invigorating, and pushes the craft of the short story to new and refreshing realms.
‘The Authentic Yoga’ Book, Brings Yoga Closer To One and All
Heartfulness launched The Authentic Yoga originally written by Shri P. Y. Deshpande with additional content by Heartfulness Guide – Daaji, that includes the Foreword and a new chapter presenting the yogic practices in the light of Heartfulness for everyone to benefit from Yoga directly. The book gives a deep insight into the true state of Yoga in finding unity within body, heart, and soul in totality that can rightly translate us into being ‘human’.
Considered one of the finest art teachers in thecountry, Kolte, whoseearly works show a strong influence of Paul Klee, the Swiss artist and teacher, firmly believes that art schools should be converted into studios where students can discover creativity inside themselves…reports Sukant Deepak
He believes that seeing and painting is imitating, but when one paints first, what emerges is evolution. Prabhakar Kolte, one of the pioneers of the Indian Abstract art movement says that Abstract art opened for him the true freedom to see a painting the way he wished to paint.
“And being a teacher, I realised that Abstract art gives freedom and way of communication, so I kept discovering various ways of expression through abstraction,” says Mumbai-based artist, who after studying at the Sir J.J. School of Art also taught there.
Kolte, whose exhibition ‘The Mind’s Eye’ was recently organised at the newly opened Delhi-based Treasure Art Gallery (TAG), in which around 60 of his works were displayed and witnessed attendance by nearly 500 spectators, says, “The works were also projected on a huge screen outside the gallery, a novel idea which I quite liked.”
Smiling that he has his reasons for avoiding the media, the artist, who shuns interviews, “Well, most of them do not really want to see art and value it in terms of monetary benefit only.”
Talking about the “evolution” of his work does not really bother him, Kolte, whose work focuses on the intangible says, “This is a task reserved for critics and connoisseurs. I am happy with what I am painting. My involvement in art, my passionate reaction to artistic matters.”
Considered one of the finest art teachers in the country, Kolte, whose early works show a strong influence of Paul Klee, the Swiss artist and teacher, firmly believes that art schools should be converted into studios where students can discover creativity inside themselves.
Believing that it is high time that the teaching methodology at art schools be overhauled, he adds, “We need to do away with restrictions in art education. It is important that students be exhorted to think for themselves. That is most important. Yes, students do demand a change, but why are they not revolting? An artist must do that, no? They must fight for their right to learn.”
Currently writing a book on art, the artist remembers those who have left a mark on him and his work.
“Shankar Palsikar was a profound thinker, writer and speaker, and I was fortunate to follow him in different ways. Gaitonde came a few times to give lectures in our school. Although his ideas were not so easy to decipher, being in his presence was definitely thrilling. Later, I was fortunate to meet him in his barsaati studio in Delhi a few times. Slowly, I started visiting Tyeb Mehta and Akbar Padamsee, and discovered my expression,” he concludes, who in the year 2010 received the ‘Durga Bhagwat Award’ for his book ‘From Art to Art’ — a compilation of various articles on art.
They say the book is for anyone who is looking to reset their food habits which are in sync with their own body, mind and health…writes Sukant Deepak
With the idea behind the book to present Ayurveda in a simplified, contemporary and relatable manner to ensure that the reader can incorporate Ayurvedic principles in their daily cooking and food habits to achieve optimum health, authors Dr. Asghar and Sonal Chowdhary say that this system considers food as the first medicine, and in these times of the Pandemic, it has become even more important to stay healthy.
The duo, whose book ‘The Ayurvedic Kitchen’ (Westland Publishers) recently hit the stands stresses that recent times have proven that the best defence against the virus is immunity.
“There is a lot of buzz, curiosity and a variety of readily available information on the internet regarding the same. People try different ways to boost their immunity but unfortunately, the information available on the web gives a blanket approach for everyone. With this book, we want the reader to have an individualised approach as per their own constitution and genotype (which they can know using the Dosha Quiz in the book ) and help them understand ways to include immunity-enhancing foods in their diet,” Dr. Asghar tells.
They say the book is for anyone who is looking to reset their food habits which are in sync with their own body, mind and health.
“It will be useful to ayurvedic consultants, nutritionists, dieticians, therapists, as they can guide their patients towards a healthier food approach as the recipes and food items scientifically connotes calories, effects on doshas, seasons and also their nutritional benefits,” says Chowdhary.
Both believe that contrary to popular perception, the young are getting more inclined towards natural ways of healing.
“Millennials are increasingly getting aware that natural forms of healing are better as they have minimal or no side effects. They are happiest when diseases are cured with fewer medicines or by practising proper diets or regimens,” asserts Chowdhary.
Dr. Asghar adds that when one looks at the pathology of diseases, many of them occur owing to incorrect diets and skewed daily regimes — something which Ayurveda sheds much light on.
“Well, the result of wrong eating habits are quite visible to everyone. Lifestyle disorders are on a rise and they are directly linked to incorrect eating habits. The result of these habits have started to build fear in most people and they have started taking more interest towards natural ways to combat the present condition.”
Chowdhary adds that fitness is becoming important for this experimental generation who are keen to try alternative natural ways and work more towards prevention than looking for cures.
The authors also say that in this time and age, it is paramount to think about the integration of different medical systems that can instrumental in making people healthier.
“This will definitely overcome the lacuna or limitations of all systems,” Dr. Asghar concludes.
Homemaker-CEOs can teach MBAs, corporate managers and businesses much more than you ever imagined…reports Asian Lite News
From stories that detail the shenanigans of animals, to the BCCI’s impact on Indian cricket, to discovering the unity in diversity that is India through the workings of the 15th Finance Commission, to the saga of India’s first manufacturing park for medical devices to lessons homemaker-CEOs can teach MBAs, corporate managers and businesses, to magical foods that will change your life, to the agony and ecstasy of falling and failing in live, Rupa Publications invites you to Bond with the best this February.
Here’s what’s on offer:
All Creatures Great and Small – By Ruskin Bond
‘Samuel was a snail of some individuality. Some considered him to be the bad snail in the family, but that was because he did not listen to his elders and liked to do things on his own… Birds and butterflies recognized no man-made borders, so why should snails?’
If there is one thing that never gets old or boring or repetitive, it is stories that detail the shenanigans of animals. Often extremely entertaining, animals act in certain ways that are intriguing, wondrous and fascinating.
In ‘All Creatures Great and Small’, Ruskin Bond, known for his signature simplistic and witty writing style, brings us stories and personal essays that speak to this animal-human equation. He takes us into the world of ambitious snails, conniving eagles, monkeys that love hot baths, humans who befriend them and many other exciting tales!
On Board: Test, Trial, Triumph – My Years in BCCI – By Ratnakar Shetty
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is an institution that elicits extreme reactions. While some marvel at the remarkable work it has done to promote and develop cricket in India and elsewhere, others decry it as being myopic, arrogant and money-minded. However, nobody can deny the impact the BCCI has had not only on Indian cricket, but also international cricket and the influence it commands. Over the years, the professionalism and excellence displayed by Indian cricketers on the field has been complemented by the zeal and diligence of those who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to take Indian cricket to where it is today.
‘On Board’ offers the reader an opportunity to walk through the corridors of this extraordinary institution and enter its meeting rooms, where many issues were discussed and momentous decisions taken. Penned by Prof Ratnakar Shetty, who has been an integral part of the BCCI’s evolution from being just a member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) to the most powerful cricket board on the planet, the book is an engaging read.
Those Were the Days: Tales From The 15th Finance Commission – By Ashok K. Lahiri
The Finance Commission has played a critical role in India’s federal structure since 1952. Every five years, this constitutional body produces a report recommending what share of the Union Government’s divisible tax pool should be devolved to the states, and how this aggregate should be distributed among the different states, among other recommendations on fiscal governance. In between its appointment and submission of its Report, the Finance Commission tends to spend the intervening period in the relative secrecy of internal discussions and state visits.
Despite the excitement about the Commissions in the media, and among the public, leaders and bureaucrats in states, little is publicly known about the rich experiences that the members and staff of the Commission gain while visiting all the states of our large and diverse country, and their interpersonal interactions.
‘Those Were the Days’ captures vignettes of such experiences of the 15th Finance Commission. It is a book not of history or economics or even secret deliberations within the Commission, but one that captures the joys of working as a team, a sense of discovery of the unity in diversity that is India and the great camaraderie that it enjoyed with leaders and civil servants in the different states. Made in Lockdown: India’s Medtech Growth Powered by AMTZ – By Jitendra Sharma
AMTZ is India’s premier medical technology park with common manufacturing and scientific facilities that include specialized laboratories, warehousing and testing centres such as the centre for electromagnetic compatibility and safety testing, centre for biomaterial testing, centre for 3D printing, centres for lasers, MRI magnets, gamma irradiation, moulds and many other industrial service centres.
This book highlights the real strength of AMTZ – not just the products to fight the pandemic, but a broader ambit of the healthcare value chain. ‘Made in Lockdown’ is all about how AMTZ showcases modern India as a leader in the medical technology global stage.
Every Mother Is a CEO: Management Lessons From My Mother – By Dhanjit Vadra
Homemaker-CEOs can teach MBAs, corporate managers and businesses much more than you ever imagined.
Doesn’t managing a home’s finances, nurturing the family’s nutritional and emotional needs and planning the workflow of everyday activities of different family members count as management?
‘Every Mother Is a CEO’ answers these questions and more. In a breezy, conversational style, the author Dhanjit Vadra – Managing Director, Allen &Alvan Pvt Ltd and CEO, Allen & Alvan Defence & Aerospace – recounts the ways in which his mother Urmil Vadra worked tirelessly towards managing a large household, raising a family and assisting his father build a hardware manufacturing empire from scratch.
Heal With Foods: Magical Ingredients That Will Change Your Life – By Manjari Chandra
A vibrant, healthy you starts with your gut!
Our food choices are driven by what we subconsciously feed to our brain, influenced by advertisements, peers, societal norms and many environmental factors. Immaculately designed packets and their strategic placement on store shelves compel us to buy foods that, in reality, we do not need. These are the foods that deteriorate our overall health, particularly the gut, when in fact, the gut defines and influences every aspect of our health – from digestion and body weight, to mood, hormonal balance and immunity. And gut health can only be enhanced by eating nutritionally rich, wholesome foods.
Premier Amour: First Love – By Abhay
A love story that is at once exciting and tender!
The fact and fiction about love stories inevitably merge at some point, and one becomes the other. The proof lies between these pages.
Just like the lovebirds in real life, Bhanu and Bhushan experience the ecstasy and agony of falling and failing in love. But will they rise again in love? Will their first love give them a second chance? Those who have loved will get a clue from these lines:
A woman’s heart in love is like a peacock in the rains. It has to give in to much singing and dancing, flutter its rainbow feathers and spread them in an oversized arch, then strut all over the place wearing that colourful cloak, announcing to the world that it is the season of love.
First love is a rare lucky charm. Always wear it close to your heart.
To love and to lose in love is worse than not to love.
I am still recovering from a fractured heart, and it is unfair to give someone something that is broken.
Some women prefer to win their man, not steal him.
The festival will include a session that explores both the sensual allure of the human body and the fundamental ambiguities of its representation…reports Asian Lite News
The 15th edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival will take place between March 5-14, 2022, in its home city of Jaipur. Each year, Teamwork Arts, the festival’s producer, promotes art and world heritage through a variety of innovative initiatives at the festival. This year’s festival will also include a variety of sessions highlighting various aspects of art and culture.
Sohini Roychowdhury, a Bharatanatyam exponent, and Sharon Lowen, a renowned dancer of Indian classical dance forms — Odissi, Manipuri, Mayurbhanj, and Seraikella Chhau — will join Manjari Sinha, acclaimed music and dance critic, for a fascinating discussion on Sringara, exploring the evocative and evolutionary form. The session will look at the long history and various interpretations of Sringara, an aesthetic peak that is often regarded as the mother of all nine rasas in Indian dance.
Intriguing and vivacious stage personality Dolly Thakore, whose autobiography defies categorisation, has described her life with piercing honesty. Regrets, None, co-written with Arghya Lahiri, who has 20 years of theatre experience, is a humorous, witty, and candid look at Dolly’s eventful life. Ritu Menon, a feminist, publisher, and author, has written a theatrical biography of the remarkable actor and dancer Zohra Sehgal, who lived a full life until the age of 90. Menon explains how dancer Uday Shankar and actor Prithviraj Kapoor’s creativity influenced Sehgal. Thakore, Menon and Lahiri will discuss the essence of theatre, its genius, magic, and pervasive misogyny in conversation with Festival Producer and Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, Sanjoy K. Roy. Roy will also be in conversation with well-known Indian singer and musician Remo Fernandes during a session that will explore his pursuit of his greatest love: music, art, writing and his homeland Goa.
The festival will include a session that explores both the sensual allure of the human body and the fundamental ambiguities of its representation. Ambarish Satwik, a writer, commentator, and vascular surgeon, reflects on the distance between the naked and the nude in the anatomy of our race, even as modern imaging technologies render us asexual and transparent.
Alka Pande, a celebrated writer, curator, and historian, has examined the erotic from a variety of perspectives in her work. Pha(bu)llus, her most recent book, investigates the power of phallic symbolism as a key and recurring motif in religion, culture and art. They will talk about art and the nature of the erotic, as well as the anti-nude, in the context of the sensuous, mortal, philosophical and spiritual.
Farrukh Dhondy, a writer, screenwriter, and activist, has as many fascinating life experiences as professional accolades. Dhondy’s life is a cinematic rollercoaster, from bearing witness to pre-independence India, the Partition, and many a social movement to meeting a roster of eclectic, and even murderous, celebrities. Dhondy will discuss his life as a writer in conversation with film and theatre director Arghya Lahiri.
The book announced recently on the actor’s 54th birthday will be officially released on February 14. Amitabh Bachchan has written the foreword…writes Sukant Deepak
It is not about their meetings, their conversations, the long rehearsal sessions. It is a love letter to what need not be said. To what can be conveyed just with a glance. It is also about friendships sans reminders about bonds, about gazing into the abyss together, drowning and allowing magic to happen — be willing partners to find otherworldly rhythms. It is about an actor who never ceases to be human, and was therefore superhuman in his craft. It is also not just about Irrfan, but also filmmaker Anup Singh, the writer — someone who observes, the one who refuses to instantly interpret but leave spaces. Someone who wants to dive into the many layers of the actor’s method, never divorcing the man from his craft or vice-versa.
Anup Singh’s book ‘Irrfan: Dialogues with the Wind’ (Copper Coin) starts with his landing in Mumbai to meet Irrfan and cast him as the protagonist in the critically acclaimed film ‘Qissa’. But then, that is just the start. A lot happens between Singh casting him for ‘Qissa’ and ‘The Song of the Scorpions’.
Irrfan would always startle the filmmaker by returning to some vague conversation that they might have had months ago. The late actor would sometimes think anew about whatever they had been discussing and would excitedly begin the conversation again as though there had never been all these months in between. “And, then, his phone calls. At all times of day or night. He wanted to share a piece of music or a line in a poem or had thought of a new way of doing a scene. I miss those calls unbearably. And his voice as he said, ‘Anup sahib, why are you still awake? Anyway, yeh aap suniye…’,” the filmmaker tells from Switzerland.
The book announced recently on the actor’s 54th birthday will be officially released on February 14. Amitabh Bachchan has written the foreward.
The filmmaker says while writing it, he allowed every moment between them to unfold to its fullest. Adding that his attempt in the book has not been simply to give flesh and bone to memories, but just as importantly to evoke the spirit, the vigorous aeration of life that was Irrfan’s. “At no point did I feel that Irrfan might not want to share this or that. Quite the opposite, actually.”
Stressing that one of the joys of working with Irrfan, of spending time with him, was the thrill of never really knowing what his exuberant curiosity might be tinkering and playing with on any particular day, he adds that he could start with a gesture and wonder about the bone and muscle, and flare of nerves that are only some of the elements that drive that gesture. “And soon, he might be mulling about the force and gentleness of gestures suggested in the ‘Tibetan Book of the Dead’ as the soul makes its journey to a new state of being.”
Singh recalls that at one moment while writing, he suddenly realised that he seemed to be writing an elegy, a lament, as it was grief that was shaping his memories. But he stopped immediately. While melancholy, even desolation on occasion took possession of Irrfan near the end, he would still compel himself to keep his imagination alive, to keep fantasizing, to keep his faith in possibilities as long as he was breathing.
“I told myself to keep that in mind. Keep in mind that while working together, both Irrfan and I understood that it was necessary to be relentlessly on our guard against emotional responses that only hold half-truths. Emotions that lock us into but just one aspect of our experience,” Singh says.
Reminding himself of Irrfan’s belief that the rhythm with which one walks or raises one’s head or lets it sink, links us to the larger rhythms of our world, that attention to the breath and pulse of our being helps us to shape for ourselves the inchoate experience of our community as well as the rest of humanity, Singh realised that he needed to nuance his sense of loss by not forgetting the lively, expansive aspect of Irrfan: his exhilaration in life.
“With that vital, zestful rhythm thrumming within me now, I could return to writing what for me is a more comprehensive portrait of Irrfan. At the end of reading the book, I hope the reader will carry a little bit of this lilt into their lives too,” he adds.
At many places in the book, it is evident that Singh wants the actor to get into a certain rhythm and tone of the lead character in ‘Qissa’. However, he says that ‘drowning’ himself in a character would not have been Irrfan’s way. “For him, a rhythm was made not of what there is – for example, words – but of pauses, hesitation, the uncertainty between the words. And, for me, that’s what makes his play in Qissa so exquisite.
At one moment you think he’s full of malignance and the very next you see a fragile, vulnerable man. With this kind of performance, you don’t get a ‘character’. What you get is an alive, vibrant spirit, seeking to find his ‘character’ but, instead, constantly finding a new aspect of himself. Such a performance is as much a surprise for the audience as it’s for the actor. What emerges, I believe, is a human being. Someone eternally changing, someone always a mystery.”
Even though at one-point Irrfan refused to be part of ‘Qissa’. Singh says he cannot imagine the film with anyone else.
For both the film they worked on, the attempt was to rehearse hard, and improvisation then was not simply doing what felt right at the moment. “It meant we could choose to make that moment wrong because we could imagine how it would change a performance, a story, a film when we finally hit the right note sometimes much later in the process,” the filmmaker says.
Singh says that once he started jotting down just about everything that he remembered, the pain of his loss lessened. “It was as though we were working together again. It was only much later, that I started putting all these memory notes into some kind of structure, which is finally how the book took its shape.”
Ask him if the book gave him a ‘closure’, and he feels that the word is paradoxical. “Of course, the writing of the book has made me accept that Irrfan and I will no longer make any new films together. But that acceptance has also, in some strange way, fired my imagination. I have already completed one script after his death. This one was to be our next film. I wrote it quickly, feverishly, because in the writing I could see how he might turn at the doorway or how he might hold and then release a certain dialogue. While writing it, I felt we were working together again. I have now started writing another one. Again, this is based on a story we had discussed ardently. Irrfan and I are hard at work together again! What will happen with these scripts? Well, I await an actor whose one gesture will not remind me of Irrfan, but give me a sense that this is that one gesture that would have filled Irrfan with joy.”
He has co-authored “Conundrum: Subhas Bose’s Life After Death”, which features among the bestsellers on Amazon…reports Asian Lite News
The Communist Party of India went on to a prolonged vilification campaign. Sardar Patel issued instruction to Congress leaders to defend the INA soldiers without eulogizing their leader…reports Asian Lite News
This is probably the first critical biography of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose till date.
There are not many Indian heroes whose lives have been as dramatic and adventurous as that of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. That, however, is an assessment of his life based on what is widely known about him.
These often revolve around his resignation from the Indian Civil Service, joining the freedom movement, to be exiled twice for over seven years, throwing a challenge to the Gandhian leadership in the Congress, taking up an extremist position against the British Raj, evading the famed intelligence network to travel to Europe and then to Southeast Asia, forming two Governments and raising two armies and then disappearing into the unknown. All this in a span of just two decades.
Now, new information throws light on Bose’s intense political activities surrounding the revolutionary groups in Bengal, Punjab, the United Provinces and what is now Maharashtra and his efforts to bridge the increasing communal divide and his influence among the splintered political landscape; his outlook and relations with women; his plunge into the depths of spirituality; his penchant for covert operations and his efforts to engineer a rebellion among the Indian armed forces.
With this new information, what appeared to be dramatic now becomes more intense with plots and subplots under one man’s single-minded focus on freeing the motherland and envisioning its development in a new era.
Furthermore, one of the most sensitive issues that have prevented political parties and successive governments from talking much about Bose is his joining the Axis camp. While Jawaharlal Nehru and other prominent Congress leaders publicly denounced the move, the Communist Party of India went on to a prolonged vilification campaign. Sardar Patel issued instruction to Congress leaders to defend the INA soldiers without eulogizing their leader.
Was Bose really a Nazi sympathiser? Knowing very well about the strong public opinion that existed among the political leadership and the intelligentsia in India against Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and imperial Japan, why did he risk his own political image by allying with the Axis powers?
Pacey, thought-provoking and absolutely unputdownable, Chandrachur Ghose, in Bose: The Untold Story of an Inconvenient Nationalist (Penguin) opens a window to many hitherto untold and unknown stories of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
Chandrachur Ghose is an author, researcher and commentator on history, economics and environment, having graduated from Visva Bharati and the University of Sussex. He has co-authored “Conundrum: Subhas Bose’s Life After Death”, which features among the bestsellers on Amazon.
Ghose is one of the founders of the Mission Netaji pressure group that has been the moving force behind the declassification of secret documents related to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. His activism led to the declassification of over ten thousand pages in 2010.
The exhibition of the couple’s art deliberately explores the male/female dichotomy as complementarity rather than opposition. Madhvi Parekh’s work combines modernism with traditional Indian craft motifs…reports Asian Lite News
The exhibition of the couple’s art deliberately explores the male/female dichotomy as complementarity rather than opposition…reports Asian Lite News
At the Dior haute couture presentation in Paris in spring-summer 2022, Maria Grazia Chiuri, Creative Director of Dior women’s collections, and Karishma Swali, Mumbai-based Chanakya ateliers and Chanakya School of Craft collaborated to showcase an art installation featuring award-winning contemporary Indian Artists Madhvi and Manu Parekh.
A selection of original Parekh’s artworks spanning several decades have been translated into large scale hand-embroidered textile panels, which were installed throughout the Muse Rodin’s exhibition space and will be on view until January 30. The series of monumental textile artworks feature traditional Indian motifs and spiritual abstractions, which celebrate the dichotomy between male and female, real and surreal, action and stillness.
This new dialogue is the result of a years-long collaboration between Chiuri and Swali. Chiuri collaborated on this installation with art historians and curators Maria Alicata and Paola Ugolini. Chiuri has sought to collaborate with a diverse range of female artists from around the world, including dancers, choreographers, musicians, poets, photographers, filmmakers, and visual artists. This latest immersive experience, which interprets the artists’ paintings and renders them in exquisite embroidery and textile techniques, pays homage to Dior’s couture lineage as well as Indian craftsmanship’s rich heritage.
This extraordinary installation was created by 320 master artisans who worked for more than three months, hand-embroidering 340 square metres (3,600 square feet) of work. This dynamic commissioned presentation reinvents the roles of the atelier, the artist, and the couturier through the convergence of contemporary artistry, couture techniques, and textile excellence.
“I am honoured to bring to life our collective vision with Maria Grazia Chiuri, Madhvi Parekh, and Manu Parekh for this immersive experience that frames the Dior haute couture presentation,” Karishma Swali said. Adding, “Maria Grazia has always been a true champion for craft excellence, nurturing and preserving indigenous master techniques from all over the world, and we are grateful for her collaboration and mentorship.”
Underscoring her creative dialogue with India and paying homage to the blurred lines between fine art and craft, Maria Grazia Chiuri, brought together these two widely celebrated Indian artists using the language of embroidery, interpreted through meticulous artistry and textile techniques by Swali, at the Chanakya ateliers.
“I began collecting the Parekhs’ works many years ago and discovered an incredible synergy between modernism and traditional Indian motifs, with a deep reverence for exceptional craftsmanship as a unifying thread, exemplifying my mission for Chanakya and our School of Craft,” Karishma Swali said. “The challenge of interpreting their work was thrilling, and we approached the fabrication in a very spontaneous manner allowing the artists’ vivid lines and forms to lead the way.”
The exhibition of the couple’s art deliberately explores the male/female dichotomy as complementarity rather than opposition. Madhvi Parekh’s work combines modernism with traditional Indian craft motifs. Madhvi Parekh’s art is a confluence of modernism and traditional Indian craft patterns, and is steeped in folk traditions, her life growing up in her village in Gujarat’s abundance of nature, and Indian customs as diverse as the rangoli, embroidery, and the Bhavai travelling theatre. Chanakya and KarishmaSwali cultivated a folk vernacular to interpret her artwork through embroidery by using dimensional techniques in repetition to form background textures that evoke a magical world of folktales and the pastoral idyll, populated by village deities, forests, animals, and children.
Manu Parekh’s art constantly invites the viewer to travel through mental landscapes and spiritual abstractions, with a tenacity that distinguishes him as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Indian art. Parekh, a laureate of the Indian Government’s prestigious Padma Shri (1992), is one of India’s best-known modern artists and one of the country’s most inventive painters.
