At The Regional Rail Museum In Chennai!

I discovered a nice little place in Chennai that many parents might like to take their children to. Why only children, it might be of interest to adults too; especially those who are train enthusiasts. It is the Regional Rail Museum. I did not know of its existence until a few days ago. Situated in the premises of the Integrated Coach Factory, it has exhibits that are both indoor and outdoor, technical and heritage. The ticket office is in an out-of-use train coach. Along with tickets, one can get miniature models of coaches and cards as souvenirs here. There is a small food court outside, actually it is more of a food stall.

I spent some time at the museum recently. It was hot, but the trees and other plants made walking in the outdoor exhibit area bearable. The indoor exhibits are full of information in the form of posters, pictures and models. But the outdoor is more appealing to the eye. The magnificent engines and coaches standing in the lawns are a photographer's delight. And there is a toy train too. Here are some of my pictures, taken both indoor and outdoor.

This beauty is one of the outdoor exhibits.

What is a rail museum without a toy train?

A tiny train, a small platform!

 This lovely fountain close to the toy train station is refreshing on a hot summer day.

 Where there is a train, there is a tunnel too!

 One of the paintings on the outer wall of the tunnel.

The indoor exhibits have several "to scale" models of old and new coaches. This is a model of a III class wooden coach.

 A double decker coach.

 An LHB air-conditioned chair car.

A large area in the hall is occupied by a running scale model in three different levels representing the Metro train, the suburban train and the MRTS. A view of Indira Nagar station.

And a running model train.

This gleaming Fowler Plough Engine (1895) stands elegantly just outside the main building housing the indoor exhibits.

Almost all the outdoor exhibits are equipped with ladders which help one to climb up to the cabins to see the interior. This ladder is attached to a steam engine. In another area, there is a gigantic crane too.

Members of Chennai Weekend Artists, a group of amateur artists have adorned some walls at the museum with their colourful and bright art. A pretty sample!

I am told that the paints are supplied by the museum, while the artists give their precious time and talent. The result is beautiful!

A little hut storing some maintenance or gardening tools has this impressive engine roaring out of its walls!

On Akshaya Tritiya, A look At Child Brides and "Rehaai"!

"Rajasthan gears up to prevent child marriages on Akshaya Tritiya*", screams a headline in one of the papers I was reading the other day. The accompanying report goes on: The Annual Health Survey for 2012-2013 says that over 14 per cent of the girls in the state were married when they were below the legal age of 18. According to Health Minister Rajendra Rathore, Accredited Social Health Activists and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives, paramedical staff, health workers and NGOs have been asked to prevent child marriages in their areas. A massive campaign in the state is making people aware of the fact that not only parents and guests, but all those involved in child marriages like priests, tent-house owners, caterers and band-owners could be booked under the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2006.

With these measures, hope the figures for child marriages are much lower in the current Annual Health Survey. No doubt, the issue of child marriages is a serious one; but what made me realize its gravity is a Pakistani drama "Rehaai" that I watched recently. Just 15 episodes of intense drama drive home a social message so effectively that no other medium could possibly have. A child bride is not merely a statistic here, but a living breathing adolescent who undergoes the trials and tribulations of this social evil. And we, as viewers are left red-faced looking in the mirror it holds to the after-effects of this custom that thrives in parts of India and Pakistan alike.

Photo: UNFPA/Stephanie Sinclair

The story of "Rehaai" deals primarily with child marriage, but several other issues are woven beautifully into it. Like the desire for male offspring, pregnancy at a young age, polygyny and the insecurity it brings with it for women, confining women to home and hearth under the notion that it is against a man's pride to send his woman out for earning money, and domestic violence. But in spite of all this, it is not a weepy, depressing tale. It is a superb portrayal of grit and resilience shown by a bunch of women who are ill-prepared to handle situations that they find themselves in. If seeing them as targets of atrocities makes your blood boil,  looking at the way they face and fight the difficulties warms the cockles of your heart.

Kudos to the team of this wonderful drama. This is meaningful television at its best. The more I see of Samina Peerzada, the more I like her. She is brilliant as the troubled matriarch of this family, struggling to deal with the ways of her wayward son. Her talent is matched in equal measure by Noman Ijaz, who plays her headstrong son. Another significant feature of this drama is that it is played out in a lower/lower-middle class neighbourhood. The language, the dress sense of the characters and the whole ambience reflects their class with a blunt honesty. No opulent mansions, no flowery language, no fancy cars and definitely no designer clothes or jewellery. There is a certain "rawness" about the way it is presented, lending it its authenticity and credibility. Farhat Ishtiaq's story is accentuated by Mehreen Jabbar's nuanced direction. Watch out for her attention to detail. It brings the location alive on your screen.

Tailpiece: I watched this drama when Deepika Padukone's "My Choice" was doing the rounds on social and news media. The glossy women appearing in that video and the lines they were mouthing sounded inane, and paled in comparison with what the women did and said in "Rehaai" in terms of women empowerment. And no, being in that situation was not their choice!

*Akshaya Tritiya falls on April 21 this year.

यादों के आँगन में

पुराने मकानों को धराशायी कर वहाँ नई इमारतें खड़ी करना आजकल आम बात है. इसीसे जुड़ा एक सुन्दर लघुलेख मैंने पिछले दिनों अंग्रेज़ी में पढ़ा. बहुत ही तरल और हृदयस्पर्शी! न्यू इण्डियन एक्सप्रेस में २८ सितम्बर, २०११ को प्रकाशित रवि शंकर की यह रचना चंद शब्दों में अपनी बात कहती है. यह देखने के लिए कि क्या हिन्दी में भी वह बात बन पाती है, मैंने उसका तर्जुमा हिन्दी में किया है. मूल लेख की लिंक भी साथ है. पढ़ें और बताएँ!

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अतीत की यादें किसी पुराने रिकॉर्ड की तरह होती हैं, जिसे छोटे बच्चों के कपड़ों या पुराने प्रेमपत्रों की तरह घर के कबाड़ख़ाने में सहेज कर रखा जाता है. उस रिकॉर्ड को बजाओ तो पता चलता है कि उसमें कई खरोंचें आ चुकी हैं और आवाज़ बार-बार टूट रही है; वह आवाज़ दिल को कचोटती है. लेकिन मन में गीत की वह धुन अब भी अच्छी तरह से बजती है...एक लम्बा अरसा गुज़र जाने के बावजूद!

अपने बचपन के घर में लौटकर उसे कुछ अजीब-सा लगा, जैसे वह एक परिचित अजनबी हो. वह घर जल्द ही बिकनेवाला था. पीली पड़ चुकी दीवारों पर आँगन के पेड़ की छाया ऐसे दिख रही थी जैसे किसी दैत्य के हाथ हों, बचपन की रातों में हिलते हुए वह हाथ बहुत डरावने लगते थे. फिर वह उन इबारतों को खोजने लगा जो बचपन में उन्होंने गुप्त जगहों पर चोरी-छिपे लिखी थीं. शायद बाद में पुताई करनेवालों की नज़रों से वे बच गई हों, क्योंकि उन जगहों तक वही पहुँच सकते थे जिन्हें उनके बारे में जानकारी हो. वह एक छोटी लड़की की धुँधली हो चुकी तस्वीर उठाने के लिए नीचे झुका. शायद साथ ही पड़ी अस्त-व्यस्त पन्नों वाली अभ्यास-पुस्तिका में से यह तस्वीर नीचे गिर पड़ी थी. एक मुस्कुराते हुए चेहरे के दोनों तरफ लाल फीते के फूलों से सजी दो चोटियाँ, काजल से गहराई आँखें जो धूप की वजह से बंद हो रही थीं; एक पल के लिए हवा का झोंका कहीं से चमेली के फूलों की खुशबू लेकर आया और यादों के खज़ाने में से हँसी की आवाज़ गूँज उठी.

वह खाली कमरों में चहलकदमी करने लगा. जहाँ कभी चित्र टँगे होते थे, वहाँ अब ख़ाली चौकोर थे. छत में बड़े-बड़े छेद थे जिनमें से दिखनेवाले आकाश को छत की बल्लियाँ चिढ़ा रही थीं. चटके हुए फर्श पर फैले कूड़े के बीच पड़े चिड़ी के इक्के पर उसकी नज़र पड़ी. वह ऐसे मुस्कुराया जैसे किसीने कई बार सुना हुआ लतीफ़ा दोहराया हो. लतीफ़ा तो अब मजेदार नहीं रहा, महज उसे सुनाए जाने की याद से चेहरे पर मुस्कुराहट छा गई. इसी घर के बरामदे में दोस्तों के साथ ताश खेलते हुए सुना लतीफ़ा. अब तो उन दोस्तों की कोई ख़बर ही नहीं है.

अनवर हुसैन की शृंखला "नॉस्टेलजिया" से साभार  

लकड़ी के जिन खम्भों पर ढलाऊँ छत टिकी हुई है, वह जल्द ही उखड़ जाएँगे. उसने गहरे रंग की उस लकड़ी को छुआ. उसकी उँगलियों ने वहाँ उसके पूर्वजों के स्पर्श को महसूस किया. मगन होकर नाचनेवाले फ़कीर की तरह अपनी बाँहें आकाश में फैलाकर सूरज ढल रहा था. उसने मलाबार का वह सूर्यास्त देखा, जहाँ कई-कई रंग बिखर रहे थे, ठीक उसके गीत के सुरों की तरह. उसे लगा उसने घर के अन्दर से अपनी माँ की पुकार सुनी. माँ के हाथों की बनी कॉफ़ी की विशिष्ट तेज़ सुगंध भी उस तक पहुँची. उसने एक झटके के साथ मुड़ कर पीछे देखा, लेकिन घर में कोई नहीं था.

बगीचे में पौधे बेतरतीब-से बढ़े हुए थे. आँगन में कई दिनों से झाड़ू नहीं लगी थी और यहाँ-वहाँ कूड़ा फैला हुआ था. लेकिन वहीं पर तुलसी वृन्दावन ऐसे खड़ा था जैसे इस बीच इतने वर्षों का अंतराल गुज़रा ही न हो. सफ़ेदी किया हुआ ईंटों का चौकोर चबूतरा, जिसमें दीया रखने के लिए छोटे-छोटे आले बने हुए थे ताकि दीये को हवा न लगे. पौधा हरा-भरा था. उसके पत्तों की भीनी खुशबू उस शाम को महका रही थी. उसने तुलसी के एक पत्ते को अपनी उँगलियों के बीच दबाया. उसके सुगन्धित स्पर्श से उसे सुकून मिला. जब उसने देखा कि पौधे के नीचे की मिट्टी नम है, तो उसे बहुत अचरज हुआ. पिछले कई दिनों से बारिश नहीं हुई थी. उसने नीचे झुककर आले की ओर देखा तो वहाँ रखा मिट्टी का एक दीया उसे दिखा. उस दीये में तेल के धब्बे थे. किसीने यह दीया पिछले दिनों जलाया था.

वह मुस्कुराया. उसकी जेब में रखा फ़ोन बज उठा. घर के खरीदारों की तरफ़ से उनके एजेंट का फ़ोन था. शायद पता करना चाहता था कि वह कितनी जल्दी घर के कागज़ात पर दस्तख़त कर सकते हैं. उसने फ़ोन नहीं उठाया.

मूल अंग्रेज़ी रचना: रवि शंकर , न्यू  इण्डियन एक्सप्रेस, २८ सितम्बर २०११

Playing With Clay!

Kalakshetra Foundation is hosting Earth Matters II, a month-long Indo-Korean Ceramic Residency in its sprawling campus in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai from 19 January to 23 February 2015. It is being organized by the InKo Centre in association with the Arts Council Korea (ARKO), Lalit Kala Akademi and the Kalakshetra Foundation. This project is the second in the series in India. The first edition took place in January 2012.

The residency has brought together 12 ceramic artists--six each from India and Korea. They are Kim Seungtaek, Kim Jaegyu, Jung Hyesook, Kim Younghyun, Yoo Euijeong, Son Jinhee, Zaida Jacob, Phalguni Samanta, Srinia Chowdhury, Nidhi Chopra, Ashish Chowdhury and S Potrarasan. The residency will be followed by an Indo-Korean Ceramic Exhibition at Lalit Kala Akademi in Chennai from 25 February to 5 March 2015.

I was happy to be able to spend some time and see the artists at work at the studio in Kalakshetra. They looked happy to be working there too. There was friendly banter, laughter and sincere work, all happening at the same time in the serene locale on a bright January afternoon. Here's wishing all the artists a great time at the residency!

Since their work holds a visual appeal, I decided not to write about it in words, and let some more pictures from the studio speak instead. Take a look!

"Celebrating Oneness" With Music And Dance At The Beach

"Music, theatre and the arts are meant to be bridges to connect across cultures, civilisations and other artificial boundaries that divide people. But, often they fall prey to the same divisions created by man. As arts get more and more esoteric -- with artists and the audience seeking comfort in homogeneity of class, caste, race or creed -- even it begins losing its ability to communicate and build bridges across the vast and wondrous diversity of people and places. The art and the artists stop growing."

Says noted Carnatic vocalist T. M. Krishna in a note on the thought behind putting together the Urur Olcott Kuppam Margazhi Vizha, a unique festival of dance and music by the beach that took place on January 15 and 16 in a fishing village in Chennai. By taking classical music and dance out of the closed environs of elite auditoriums and bringing it right in the middle of a fishing village, he and his team have taken the first step towards "celebrating oneness" as the tag line in the banner says.

The idea sounds so attractive and inviting that we decide to go. As we turn in a narrow lane just off the road parallel to the happening Elliot's Beach, it feels as if we are transported to a different world. Local women selling flowers guide us to the "kutcheri" that their village is hosting. I am told some social organisations have pitched in to do the cleaning up and to raise funds privately for this fest. What used be a dumping yard for old cars has been transformed into a lovely performance space, with the Bay of Bengal providing a beautiful backdrop.  A Matador and a Qualis have been left behind while the rest of the area has been cleared of all the old cars. Spray-painted and decorated with strings of light bulbs, these vehicles add an authentic local touch to the venue. Later, many kids get onto the top of the Matador to enjoy a better view of the performances. A couple of walls in the area have been painted in festival-related graffiti. The kuppam (fishing village) is now ready for the festival.

People come full of curiosity and anticipation for this novel event, many preferring to sit down in the sand while several take chairs thoughtfully provided by the organizers. The programme is compered confidently by two girls from the kuppam. Local youth perform an energetic paraiaattam with drums, and a group of girls engages the audience with their wit and charm in villupaattu (musical story-telling performed using bow as the primary musical instrument). It is a pity that I cannot enjoy the story-telling because of my inadequacy in Tamil, but judging from the reaction of others, they are having a great time.

The first classical offering of the day is an instrumental ensemble featuring  young and talented musicians on flute, violin, chitra vina, kanjira, mrudangam and morsing, followed by a Bharatanatyam recital by Anita Guha's troupe. The second day opens with the customary paraiaattam and villupaattu. Later, popular playback singer and Carnatic vocalist P. Unnikrishnan takes the stage and regales the audience with well-known compositions amid requests for film songs from the kuppam kids. He obliges in the end crooning a few lines from the super-hit ennavale adi ennavale. The festival draws to an end with "Krishnan Tudhu" by Kattaikuttu Sangam.

All through the festival, the energy and enthusiasm of not only the performers but also that of the organizers and volunteers is overwhelming and infectious. The kuppam residents have been co-operative and supportive of the event. What has this whole exercise achieved? Well, it is too early to say. Certainly a new initiative has been taken. Congratulations to T. M. Krishna for conceptualising this fest and actually making it happen. One of the "Aha" moments for me is when he decides to introduce all the musical instruments in the ensemble to the local kids, pointing at each instrument and saying its name loudly. Getting the kuppam girls to compere the proceedings is a great way to include them too. Most of the villagers have not had any exposure to any classical music, musicians or instruments before this. This effort has brought them slightly closer to all those. Hope more such efforts will follow. T. M. Krishna sums it up nicely when he says, "Let them listen to it all, and even if one of them likes it and wants to learn, my purpose is served."

Here are some more images from the festival that will help to get a feel of the wonderful ambiance.

Delhi This Winter: A Picture Book!

I spent the past week in Delhi. I walked, went in auto rickshaws, took buses and boarded the Metro at times. The days were cold, the sun was feeble and the sky generally overcast. The haze would not go away until almost noon. But I used my camera to my heart's content. Here are some glimpses from my outings.

It is a riot of colours with chrysanthemums--called guldaudi locally--blooming across the city!

Winter is the time to flaunt one's silks. Some lovely options in a store window.

Cycle rickshaw is still a popular mode of transport in Old Delhi. This street is chock-a-block with vehicles on a cold and dreary winter afternoon.

Kejriwal smiles at you from posters all over the city. At a bus stop in South Delhi.

Isa Khan's tomb inside the Humayun's Tomb complex. It is so neat that it reminds one of a tiered cake!

This ceiling with this intricate painting is in the tomb complex. Perfect symmetry and bright colours! And they built it about five centuries ago. Amazing!!

Winter is the time for school picnics. The complex was teeming with children from several schools. Supervised by their teachers, these girls wait outside Humayun's Tomb.

Coffee Home, Baba Kharak Singh Marg. This spacious eatery in the busy Connaught Place area is a favourite haunt of shoppers as well as office-goers. The outdoor area under the shade of this huge tree is an added attraction.

The dome of this lovely structure in the Hauz Khas Complex catches the rays of a hesitant sun on a somewhat hazy morning.

A doorway to the mysteries of history. At the Hauz Khas Complex.

The Hauz Khas Complex is frequented mostly by college students. The ancient ruins act as a backdrop for the cellphone-toting modern generation. An interesting contrast!

Hauz Khas...the royal tank! It is hard to believe that this tranquil expanse is right in the middle of a bustling metropolis.

Hauz Khas Village. Small boutiques, art galleries and fancy little restaurants in an old setting. These spaces have been created without changing much of the original structures. Expensive, but unique and charming at the same time.

These winter vegetables on a cart by the roadside are so inviting...they are bursting with freshness. Attractive colours too!

Flowers...another of nature's bounties. Neatly decked up in bouquets at a roadside stall.

Christmas is a winter phenomenon. It is time for shopping, fun and food at a mall; the decorations adding to the festive atmosphere. Another riot of colours here!

Watching "Durr-e-Shahwar", A Social Drama From Pakistan!

This post contains some spoilers!

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A kitchen lined with dark cupboards in a lower middle class house in Jhelum, Pakistan. The demure daughter-in-law spending long hours there kneading dough, washing dishes, cooking or making tea. Her head properly covered, her eyes always lowered, her voice soft, and her demeanour pleasing.

Four decades later, a modern apartment in Lahore. An ambitious career woman, her husband and their daughter at the breakfast table. They are irritable, grumpy and stressed out, snapping at each other for nothing.

Wait, this is not a case of a homemaker versus a working woman. These are scenes from a Pakistani teleplay "Durr-e-Shahwar" (I googled to learn the meaning of this and found that it is: Pearls worthy of kings) that was aired recently in India as "Dhoop Chhaon". Just 15 episodes of excellent storytelling, superb acting, touching dialogue and impeccable direction. Each episode stays with you long after you have finished watching it. Writer Umera Ahmad, director Haissam Hussain and rest of the cast have all done their job very well.

To be fair, there is nothing new in this story. It is the story (at least in parts!) of almost every home, every family and every couple in our part of the world. Its magic lies in the way it has been presented to the viewers. Beautifully shot, the frames are aesthetically pleasing, while the content candidly depicts what all it takes to hold a family together. The events unfold as if they were mirroring our lives, our relationships, and our surroundings. Maybe that is why they appeal to us.

Shandana and Haider. Durr-e-Shahwar and Mansoor. Two couples, a generation apart from each other. Shandana leads a fast-paced, hectic life with her husband Haider and young daughter Sophie. Their marriage is marred by their egos, impatience and immaturity. When she comes to the scenic Murree to spend a holiday with her ageing parents, she is struck by the gentle lifestyle of the older couple, filled with love and care for each other. But what she does not know is how much water has flown under the bridge before things came to such an idyllic setting. While Shandana adores her dad, she always thought that life has been a bed of roses for her mother, being married to such a thoughtful and considerate man as Mansoor. It is only after Durr-e-Shahwar decides to reveal her story to her daughter in order to help the latter deal with the crises in her life,  that we get a peek at the turbulent time she spent in the early years of her marriage.

And it is this part of the story that has been dealt with in a masterly manner. The flashbacks showing the claustrophobic environs of the young bride in her marital home leave you gasping for a breath of fresh air. Unable to find her feet there, she seeks relief in her father's letters. They come to her regularly, each and every word dripping with wisdom, love and encouragement.  Umera Ahmad excels in writing the dialogue for this play. Sample this letter to get an idea of her craft:

उम्मीद को ढूँढा नहीं जाता, उम्मीद को रखा जाता है अपने अंदर, अपने दिल में, अपने ज़ेहन में. ये नन्हे बीज की तरह होती है. चंद दिनों में बीज ज़मीन की मिटटी से बाहर तो आ जाता है मगर उसे दरख़्त बनने में बहुत देर लगती है. लेकिन वो दरख़्त बनता ज़रूर है, अगर उसको पानी दिया जाता रहे, अगर मिट्टी को नरम रखा जाये.

सिफ़र की ज़रुरत हर अदद को होती है कुछ बनने के लिए. सिफ़र जिस अदद के साथ लगे, उसकी कद्र-ओ-क़ीमत कई गुना बढ़ा देता है. तो अगर तुम अपने आपको सिफ़र समझती हो, तब भी क़ीमती हो, तब भी तुम बेकार नहीं हो, तब भी तुम हर गिनती से पहले आओगी. हर गिनती का आग़ाज़ तुम्हींसे होगा. और हर नौ अदद के बाद एक दफ़ा तुम्हारी ज़रुरत पड़ेगी. अगले मोड़ पर जाने के लिए तब्दीली जब भी आएगी, तुम से आएगी, सिफ़र से आएगी.

The language is as gentle as Durr-e-Shahwar's father is. It oozes with affection for his daughter. In fact, there are three father-daughter pairs in this play. Durr-e-Shahwar, Shandana and Sophie, all three have the highest regard and love for their fathers that shines wonderfully well through the narration.

The play is not dark and depressing. It is warm, honest and captivating. All the actors fit like a glove in their roles. Did I hear someone say that the story was old-fashioned, regressive? Well, it might be true for some situations or dialogue if one came across them in some other context. But here, they do not seem to be out of place. And even if they do, the play should still be watched to see what a neat package it is. Perfectly suited for the television medium, it can connect with people across generations. Wish we got to watch such short, tight and time-bound presentations on our channels instead of the long, loud and inane fare being dished out there in the name of entertainment!