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| (From top): Neena Ranjan, secretary, Department of Culture, Ambika Soni, Karan Singh and Satish Gujral at the National Gallery of Modern Art; Abhijeet Sawant; Harsh Bhatkal and Sonu Nigam (left to right) at the launch of Aapka Abhijeet; models strike a pose at the Nokia N Series fashion show at PVR; Chef Bernard Decaix at the workshop at Choko La |
What happens when the nation’s foremost art museum hosts a retrospective exhibition of a renowned artist like Satish Gujral? Well, such an event is bound to draw known artists and names around the city in huge numbers to the venue. This then was exactly the scenario at Delhi’s National Gallery of Modern Art recently at the inauguration of Ecce Homo! (Behold the man), an exhibition showcasing the life and work of well-known artist Satish Gujral. The exhibition curated by Sharto Datta, showcases six decades of work by the artist.
The book titled Satish Gujral ? An Artography was also released on the occasion by the newly-appointed Union Minister for tourism and culture, Ambika Soni. The book, which is published by Roli Books, carries numerous rare images of Satish Gujral’s sculptures, paintings, collages and architectural works.
The images are supported by analytical essays by three eminent critics namely Gayatri Sinha, Santo Datta and Gautam Bhatia. Rajeev Lochan, director of the National Gallery of Modern Art said, “This exhibition is an attempt to showcase the perceptive and holistic journey of this artist who chose to paint, sculpt, design and spend his entire lifetime in a pursuit, resonating with his intuitive vibrations and listening to his inner voices as part of his creative quest.”
Escorting the artist was wife Kiran Gujral who said “the exhibition is about celebrating the joy of life and is a retrospective of his (Satish Gujral) work.” On display at the venue are Gujral’s works that include breathtaking oils, sculptures and charcoals portraying folklore, Panchatantra and portraits. Also on showcase is his latest game series and burnt wood creations done during the 1970s and 1980s.
The guest list at the exhibition included Gujral’s daughters Alpana and Raseel, son-in law Naveen Ansal and a host of other heavyweights including former prime minister and brother, Inder Kumar Gujral, ICCR chairman Karan Singh and artist Jatin Das among others. The exhibition will be on till February 28.
High on chocolate
You’ve heard of wine appreciation courses and Scotch whisky tasting is, of course, an art by itself. But how about getting an expert to explain the finer points of chocolate? That’s what Choko La, Delhi’s only chocolate boutique did last fortnight. They flew down Bernard Decaix, head pastry chef and ‘chocolatier’ at Harrods to give the Capital’s connoisseurs a completely novel experience.
The chocolate appreciation that started at eleven in the morning lasted till 1.30 in the afternoon. It began with a video presentation that took the guests on a tour of a chocolate farm in Africa and the minute details that go into chocolate-making. This was followed by Decaix showing the audience the cacao pod and its beans. He also handed out pieces of white and black chocolate and asked the audience the difference between the two. “Can you make out that the cocoa level is much lesser in the milk chocolate? That’s why dark chocolate is more healthy. You won’t get fat if you are a dark chocolate lover. Look at me,” he grinned.
The chef also whipped up some chocolate delicacies (read ganache, chocolate tart, chocolate mousse and chocolate roses) and doled out the recipes to the guests. Among the people in the audience was designer Nainika Karan who was intent on getting everything just right. “You see, I love dark homemade chocolate. And it’s very difficult to get the proportions right. I guess I will take a few more pointers from him,” she said.
Decaix turned out some special concoctions for the boutique among which were signature items like the delicious Chocolate Pizza with bitter chocolate sorbet and the Chocolate and Passion Fruit Ravioli. Said Decaix, “Creativity is important. When I see a pizza and a ravioli, I wonder why there can’t be the same thing in chocolate? So, I like to experiment with different chocolate recipes.”
Fashion calls
Fashion and films have come together many a time probably, but never before in a movie theatre. PVR Plaza in Delhi recently had a fashion show preceding the preview of the Jim Carrey starrer Fun with Dick and Jane. Presented by Nokia N Series, PVR Cinemas and Mirchi Activation, the fashion forecast is a series of ramp shows by four leading fashion designers ? Rina Dhaka, Suneet Varma, Siddharth Tytler and Poonam Bhagat.
Dhaka was the first among the four to showcase her collection. This was a colourful collection with lots of purples, blacks, whites and reds making a mark in clinging corsets, knee-teasing skirts and dresses. What stood out was a bright yellow choli and lehnga with the village belle touch to it. “These are remnants of the party season as also a peek into what is to come this spring,” said the designer. But though she took a bow at the end of the show, she looked distraught, given her store on MG Road was just one of the many, which had just been demolished by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
The connection between technology and fashion was explained by Gautam Advani, director, multimedia, Nokia at the event. He said, “With advanced mobile devices now becoming a norm for the affluent and the style-conscious, Nokia N Series aims to leverage this forum by showcasing the N series phones and enable consumers to make a difference in their changing lifestyle.”
Singing between the lines
You’ve seen them perform on the small screen and you may even have seen them belting out a number or two at a live show. But did you ever imagine reading a biography about Abhijeet Sawant, the winner of the first Indian Idol show?
Aapka Abhijeet, as the book is called, has been published by Popular Prakashan in English and Marathi. The book was launched at a Crossword outlet in Mumbai recently by Sonu Nigam, leading playback singer and one of the judges on the show that crowned Abhijeet.
“This book is an inspiration for many others like Abhijeet, who are on the look out for opportunities to make a mark and create a space for themselves,” said Nigam at the launch.
The book maps the rise of Abhijeet the star, and deals with the different factors that made him a celebrity. Did you know, for instance, that he almost did not make it to the auditions when he left the queue to fill up the form and was almost not allowed to rejoin it? Or that he spent his “lonely” childhood driven by his passion for cricket and terror of academics.
Also at the launch were Harsh Bhatkal, the head of Popular Prakashan and the finalists of Indian Idol II. And no, Abhijeet didn’t read out excerpts from the book. Instead, he pelted out the Mohabatein Lutaonga and Lafzon Mein tracks from his album, and a couple of film songs on the audience’s request as well.
