Friday, October 30, 2015

Darshan Singh Maini and Diwan Singh Bajeli


1. For a few random comments on James's politics (listed in alphabetical order by critics), see the appendix. The curious mélange of comments offered there hardly yields a significant pattern.

2. In Marxian circles, the subject continues to be vigorously debated. While Arner Zis paraphrases Ernest Fischer as arguing that ideas hardening into ideologies become "petrified moulds or intellectual stereotypes serving to promote the interests of the ruling classes," the view is effectively disputed by Zis and others (see Zis 57-58).

3. It is believed that James modelled Rosy on his own invalid and hyper-sensitive sister Alice, though in the process he inverted the world-view of the latter. For nearly all the references to her in James's letters, as well as her published diaries, clearly establish her radical, anti-imperialist sympathies.

4. James has, it appears, in several striking images used the Keatsian motif throughout the book in relation to Hyacinth's sensibility and aesthetic "mysticism." For a full discussion of this motif, see Tintner. The famous passage about looking at "the good things of life through the glass of the pastry-cook's window" (PC 283) is, incidentally, echoed in W. B. Yeats's poem "Ego Dominus Tuus." The poet sees Keats as "a schoolboy" "with face and nose pressed to a sweet-shop window."

5. In a comprehensive and insightful essay on The Princess Casamassima, Martha Banta applies Fredric Jameson's Marxian views on the relationship between history and fabulation in an elaborate manner. It is her argument that James uses the Hegelian concept of history as "the realization in matter of World Spirit" and that Hyacinth Robinson experiences the pull of "two other allegiances: an aesthetic of history . . . and an ideology of history" (100). Without going the whole hog with her in point-to-point application of Jameson's ideas, I must, nonetheless, say that I share largely the premise of her larger formulations, though I doubt if James himself had any coherent, integrated, and enveloping sense of history in the manner of a Shakespeare or a Tolstoy. 
His "sense" of such things and phenomena is, at best, Balzacian. In such writers, the historicism of the book stems less from a truly historical imagination than from an instinctive grasp of the sociological changes their aesthetic and ethical antennae pick up. I believe that it is in this sense that Lukács considers both Balzac and Scott as having a prognasticative consciousness despite their avowed reactionary world-view. Amazon.com: Darshan Singh Maini: Books, Biography, Blog ...

Sep 11, 2013 - Eminent theatre critic Diwan Singh Bajeli relates why he chose to write a book on the theatre of Bhanu Bharti

It is interesting to note that books across a wide spectrum of genres are being published in India these days. Particularly comforting is to see more and more books on theatre. So from an interested reader’s point of view, so also from that of a student of the stage, a book like “The Theatre of Bhanu Bharti” — recently published by Niyogi Books, must be a welcome change. Its author, eminent Delhi-based theatre critic Diwan Singh Bajeli, certainly notes this “change of trend” in our publishing industry with relief. [...]

But how relevant are these Western authorities to understand our theatre practices, our society? Bajeli concedes, “Every society has distinct characteristics and theatre is a mirror of society. Therefore, theatre is not an importable or exportable commodity. At the most, we can take certain elements from the others, incorporate them into our system, our reality.” The basic idea is, “the process should have thesis, antithesis and synthesis…only a few directors have achieved this. Habib Tanvir is one, Bhanu is another.”

Bajeli compares the subjects of his two books thus: “The book on Bhanu is more objective. He is a highly trained professional artiste who seeks to unite both form and content in his work. He seems to be closer to the Nehruvian ideology, a believer in a secular and democratic society that has a socialist pattern. My approach to the book on Upreti was more emotional as I was a member of the Parvatiya Kala Kendra founded by him.

Inspired by Maxim Gorky, Upreti used the folk form as an instrument to make people aware of the exploitative society. For him, the stress was more on the content.”

Next on Bajeli’s list is a book on Kumaoni folk theatre forms. Within its ambit would be “Jaagar, a theatre of guilt and expiation; Hurkiya Baul, a celebration of the transplantation of paddy; Haal Yatra, a collective worship of the plough and Thul Khel, an enactment of Ram Leela in Kumaoni dialect.” Thul Khel, he adds, “is on the verge of extinction.”

Saturday, October 10, 2015

Art is what you respond to

The Navhind Times ARTI DAS | NT BUZZ
Ceramic artist Priya Sundaravalli from Auroville is in Goa to showcase her art at Gallery Gitanjali, Panaji. In conversation with NT BUZZ Priya speaks ...
On a concluding note when asked about viewer appreciation for her art she says that it is something that comes from within. “A viewer either has the vibration or sensitivity to appreciate a piece of art or not. To me pottery items being sold by a lady in a market-square are most precious objects, although these are actually dirt cheap. For me art is what you respond to, what’s inside you and what frees you,” says Priya.
(Gallery Gitanjali, Fontainhas, Panaji is hosting the opening “SYN.APSE” an exhibition of the ceramic works and art installations of Priya Sundaravalli on October 10 at 6.30 p.m. The exhibition is on till October 31 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.)

The Hindu - Issues regarding children took the centre stage at the fourth Auroville Film Festival which drew to a close on Wednesday. Questions were raised on ...

KAVYA CHRISTOPHER, TNN | Jun 3, 2015, Jun 3, 2015 - First, the audience decides whether it wants to watch a film or not much before the film is released — irrespective of what the reviews say. Second, I have done subtle films earlier, with very little of what is quintessentially entertaining. Back in the day, they did not work as well as I thought they would. These days, we add those bits of entertainment and they seem to be working. I think the audience has a certain image of an actor, so much so that they know what to expect from him. Having said that, I also don't think the audience has actually expected too much of me from any of my films. At the most, they will say, he performs, and that his films are quite clean. If I do an extra fight, or dance, or a solid dialogue delivery, then that is a bonus. I understand some people are good at those things, so they need to do it. Even I will watch them. But I can't see myself doing all of that all the time.

Do you think that may have affected your popularity at some point?
Every actor goes through phases and I have been through my share of phases too. I wanted to do cinema that I believed in. But one day, I chanced upon a report that featured me in the third line, much after a lot of newcomers. I tried to analyze why I was so far behind and figured that it is not about your talent at all — an actor is defined only by his box office collection. And I knew that I wanted to be there. Talent is a myth. You will just receive compliments. There is nothing more that you can get out of it. But when you are successful, nobody speaks about how talented you are, it is only about how successful you are. I thought, if that is what is required for one to be called a popular actor, then so be it. It was not a small change. It took me at least four to five years to gain some sort of a foothold in the industry. I thank that report to make me want to come forth. I don't know how much ahead I am, but I know where I stand today.

Times of India-26-Jun-2015
After five years in the industry, Aditi Rao Hydari still hasn't lost her spunk .... I agree that bodies and faces are replaceable, but talent cannot be ...
What made you take up a realistic commercial film with male central characters?

For four years now, people have told me what I must do. 'You look too sweet', 'You must look more sexy' are things which I've often heard. It would really confuse me earlier. But I want to be myself now. People must love me for who I am not for who I am trying to be. I love it now because filmmakers pick me for this. Subhash Sir has used the vulnerability in my look that everybody sees and has given me a role that is driven by my acting. He made me play someone else and that is what gives the mystery angle to the character as well as the film. She speaks only with her dagger eyes. Her character is in layers and that is unspooled gradually in the film. I don't want to say too much because there is a lot more that is best reserved for theatres. I am glad my character is such that I got to be one of the boys in the film.

Are you trying to strike a balance between glamorous and meaty roles?
I had come into this movie just after Boss. I enjoy these glamorous roles. But now I have inculcated the mindset that I don't want to be replaceable in a movie. I agree that bodies and faces are replaceable, but talent cannot be replaced. I feel there is more to me and filmmakers are beginning to see that now.

Bollywood Life-06-Oct-2015
Aditi Rao Hydari is arguably one of the hottest women in Bollywood. She is stunning, talented and insanely attractive. Basically she is the ...

Satyajit Ray, ‎Sandip Ray - 2013 - ‎Art
Satyajit Ray, Sandip Ray. toy was an expensive one), and the ... made good films as well as bad ones. Bearing in mind that talent is a rare thing anywhere at any ...

Satyajit Ray - 2005 - ‎Motion picture producers and directors
Satyajit Ray. to cinema. The truth is that, in the absence of a suitable artist, it is futile to expect the creation of great art. Genuine talent is rare in any place, at any time ...

Andrew Robinson - 1989 - ‎Biography & Autobiography
'A Satyajit Ray script is so clear and natural that no discussion is necessary,' says ... This definition does not exclude the rare and lucky breed that gets five or ten ... experience is that people with talent suffer from an inhibiting fear of rejection ...

Wichita Eagle - ‎