ARTSCAPE
Sohni Mahiwal: Love-legend in paint

Song of Water

Water Weaver

The famous love-legend of Sohni Mahiwal, that was born and nurtured in the land of five rivers, Punjab, has found expression in Arpana Caur’s canvas and oils, but with a difference. It contemporises the legendary tradition. Take for example, her Sohni trying to swim across the river to reach Mahiwal. She is asked to stop, not by any water creature, but by traffic lights! She does not stop though and thus the love goes on, irrespective of any barrier, modern or traditional.

“I grew up in the environs of this famous love-legend. So painting these characters were just natural, inspiring factor for me,” says Arpana, who has made a comeback after four years. “The painting of such a great legend took these four years. I believe in working patiently. I am a slow painter,” she says.

The hall of the he Academy of Art and Literature which is showing her artistic creations till November 27, is adorned with flowing water effectuated by blue and white chalk colours with pitchers, full and broken showing floated on it, an idea never put to practice before. Most of her paintings are huge in size. Her Mahiwal is not like clean-shaven sans long hair sardar as in the Hindi movie `Sohni Mahiwal’(starring Sunny Deol and Poonam Dhillon).

He is a thin, lightly beaded man with long hair tied in a knot. He is both a worldly and a spiritual lover --a sufi. In a painting, he is seen pointing his finger towards the sky (read God) while Sohni is immersed in her blue, black water. He is also seen weaving a “love-net ” with Sohni who is under waters, meditating. Her Sohni, mostly painted in yellow and red, has a perpetual surprising yet clam gesture, as if she has come to terms with her tragic life.

The exhibition also shows some women weaving water. “Water for these women is a symbol of peace which women have always been weaving,” she says. I had always been fascinated with water, noticing which, Ramu Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, suggested me to paint water, hence these paintings,” she says.

Surprisingly, shoes are a recurring items in many of her paintings, some in a pitcher as also otherwise. “These shoes in pitcher are symbolic of ever continued life in Punjab. It is an identification of the region. The circle is a metaphor for life, which dies, but the legend (shown in shoes) lives on!” she justifies.

Arpana, whose paintings adorn the walls of art galleries in India and abroad, has countless solo, group exhibitions and awards to her credit. She also finds a mention in who’s who of several contemporary Indian art books. The versatile artist who executed the first Indian mural on `Environment’ with German artist Sonke Nisssen in Delhi, and `Time’ in Hamburg, Germany, last year, hails from a family of artists family. Her mother, Ajit Caur is a famous Punjabi writer having 20 books to her credit.

The two Ws, woman and water as also mountains seem to be he artist’s passion. A few of her paintings show woman in miniature mountains. “I am very much impressed by Nainsukh, an 18th century miniature painter whose miniature mountains have become inspiration of many of my paintings. And I draw heavily from his exquisite ideas,” she says.

You will be surprised to see some of her ideas which find expression in her portrayal of Sohni. In `Plunge’ she is seen underneath waters, trying hard to hold on to a broken pitcher while the banks show several candles, some of them put off while others burning, of course to be put off later. “These put off candles signify death while the legend lives on,” she revels the enigma behind this unusual painting.

The exhibition also shows some women weaving water. ”Water for these women is a symbol of peace which they have always been weaving since ages,” she says. I had always been fascinated with water, noticing which, Ramu Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, suggested me to paint women weaving water, hence these paintings,” she says.

Surprisingly, shoes are reoccurring items in many of her paintings, some in a pitcher as also otherwise. “These shoes in pitcher are symbolic of ever continued life in Punjab. It is an identification of the region. The circle is a metaphor for life, which dies, but the legend (shown in shoes) lives on!” she justifies.

The two Ws, woman and water as also mountains seem to be the artist’s passion. A few of her paintings show woman amid miniature mountains. “I am very much impressed by Seu-Nainsukh, an 18th century miniature painter whose miniature mountains have become inspiration for many of my paintings. And I draw heavily from his exquisite ideas,” she says. Arpana, whose paintings adorn the walls of art galleries in India and abroad, has countless solo, group exhibitions and awards to her credit. She also finds a mention in who’s who of several contemporary Indian art books. The versatile artist who executed the first Indian Mural on `Environment with German artist Sonke Nisssen in Delhi, and `Time’ in Hamburg, Germany, last year.

Nimble Shagun has magic in her feet

She came, she danced and she stole the show. Shagun Bhutani well-known dance artiste performed Angabalayita, an Orissi performance at India Habitat Center recently and left the audience spellbound by her meticulous steps.

Shagun, for whom, “dance runs in veins,” has as many as 10 performances in India and the same number in abroad to her credit spreading across two decades of her dancing career. Shagun excels in Odissi, Seraikella Chau and modern dance. Not only that, she has also studied lighting course, Pakhawaj and Yoga at different centers of learning. Her foreign performances include Italy, Mexico City, New York, Philadelphia, Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia. 

MUSIC ZONE
Penaz: It was old versus pop
Rana A. Siddiqui

The magic of old Hindi film songs has not yet waned. The magic of old numbers still rubs of on the crowd, even when pitted against pop numbers. This was amply demonstrated at a pulsating show organised by the ICCR at Kamani Auditorium a fortnight back.

The artiste was the ever-smiling Penaz Masani, famous ghazal and pop singer. As is her wont, she smiled through the evening, waving to the cheerful crowd.

“Nostalgic memories of Dilli and Dilliwalahs invariably bring me here. I am too glad to perform in my most favourite city, whose people are true ‘mehman nawaz’,” she said, splashing a pearly grin.

The show begun with a dance performance by Veronica and the Planets Dance Group, choreographed against Shankar Mahadevan’s breathless song Koi jo mujhe mila. Though not as stage-savvy as Penaz, the group was able to rivet the audience with fast numbers and gentle foot-taps.

The evening was truly colourful with Penaz descending upon the stage in a black embroided outfit, lending her lips to the famous Howrah Bridge song, Aayiye Meherbaan, baithiye jaan-e-jaan.

The song set the peppy tone. It was followed by a series of songs – Jiya bekarar hai, Aik ladki bhigi bhagi si and Jaane kahan mera jigar gaya ji, Gore, gore, o, banke chore and Jhum jhum jhumru. By now, the audience was completely immersed in the fast, euphonic numbers. Regardless of age, many senior citizens were seen swaying to the melodious tunes.

But for some senior citizens, it was a disappointing evening as they had flocked to the auditorium thinking it would be a ghazal evening.

Many left the venue when they were subjected to a pop fare. Penaz tried hard to appease them, but the gentle coaxing seemed to yield no result. Still, a few waited, expecting her to sing some ghazals. When their patience ran out, a person in the audience even asked her: “Is it only a pop evening?’’

“Ghazal sunnah chahte hain?” She demanded, and before the audience could respond, took off with Aaaj jaane ki zid na karo. The ghazal, needless to say, made their evening. Besides, it had a salutory effect on the senior citizens. They began enjoying songs like Kajra muhabbat vala, Bholi soorat dil ke chote , Ramayyiya vasta vaiyya and Damadum mast kalandar.

However, her last item, the renderings from her pop albums, including the most famous `Lakeerain,, had few takers. Album songs -- Tu dil dede, Yadain teri bhoola na de, and Kabhi tu mila tha ajnabi -- were bearable owing to Penaz’s training in classical music.

The evening might not have pleased everyone, but surely the crowd stepped out of the auditorium, swinging swaying to the magic of her songs.