09102024-LSTC-01.qxd 10/8/2024 11:48 PM Page 1 c m y b CARDI B HITS BACK AT TROLLS Rapper Cardi B has responded to the trolls who keep targeting her looks and hit back at those who claim that she underwent plastic surgery after welcoming her third child. Taking to X, she wrote, “Y’all really need to relax. This is how my body really looks like.” Nonika Singh I NDIAN-HUNGARIAN artist Amrita Sher-Gil remains one of India’s most celebrated artists. Hailed as a pioneer in modern Indian art, among the many honours, there is a postage stamp depicting her painting, Hill Women, and a road in Delhi named after her. Yet prolific and acclaimed author Ashwini Bhatnagar, whose book Amrita and Victor is being adapted as a documentary, believes otherwise. He observes, “Amrita did not get the global recognition she deserved. Often compared to Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, she may not have been a Picasso but in the same line of artistic geniuses.” In his documentary, he would rather call it a film, he wants to approach Amrita the person. Yes, it will look at her life through a dozen of her iconic paintings, serving as some sort of ‘psych-geography’, the place influencing artistic impulses. Indeed, there are many documentaries on the great artist, by Amrita’s niece Navina Sundaram, another by artist Subodh Kerkar and then Films Division of India’s National Award winning film too has delved into her life. What distinguishes Bhatnagar’s take? “For one, it will not be a flat chronicler; born on January, 30, 1913, at Budapest, died on December 5, 1941, in Lahore, the usual mapping of the iconic artist using archival footage.” Nor would it be a salacious look at her bohemian lifestyle choices. Rather Bhatnagar takes umbrage at what he calls ‘the Khushwant Singh mind-set of looking at women as commodities’. An ode to her immense talent, the film is equally about the woman and her love, Victor Egan. For someone who has done research on her for six years, Bhatnagar is aware of her traumas, ups and downs of a short life — she died at 28. He can’t stop talking about the angst she nursed, the anger against her Hungarian mother, Marie Antoniette Gottesmann, strong bond with her Sikh father, Umrao Singh SherGil, loving relationship with her Hungarian cousin Victor, as well as many men, and women, in her life. Bhatnagar has his own set of favourite paint- TRIBUNE Life For an by an Acclaimed author Ashwini Bhatnagar, whose book on Amrita Sher-Gil, titled Amrita and Victor, is being adapted into a documentary, says he has not fictionalised even one bit of her life Bollywood actress and beauty queen Manushi Chhillar credits her father, Dr Mitra Basu Chhillar, for his dedication that inspired her to dream of being a ‘clinician’ when she was younger. CHANDIGARH | WEDNESDAY | 9 OCTOBER 2024 artist ings too, like Bharatmata. He shares a story of how India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru felt that Amrita’s painting of a poor rural Indian woman, with an infant son in her lap and a young daughter by her side, was probably the most realistic depiction of our motherland. Yet another painting of Amrita, who studied at École des Beaux-Arts, Paris, he singles out is Professional Model, of a 40-year old model suffering from tuberculosis. An award-winning work, he says, “She exposed the underbelly of Parisian society beneath the glamour.” While tracing her journey in the film divided into three parts, Bhatnagar is adamant about not fictionalising even one bit of her life. Like her nephew Vivan Sundaram once said, ‘artists can take liberty with historical facts’, Bhatnagar has no issues with artistic liberty. Only, he WORDS OF WISDOM Having worked with leading dailies, Ashwini Bhatnagar doesn’t believe journalists make for natural authors for, “If journalism is a craft, writing is an art. Precisely why we can’t stop quoting Shakespeare.” It is the beauty of art that draws him to women like Amrita Sher-Gil and Meena Kumari, whose biography too he has authored. He doesn’t view them as tragedies. “There is no happy life ever. Meant to float freely, they were looking for an anchor without the need for one. Their creativity was so intense and they didn’t require another person to fulfil it.” adds, “If you can tell the story as it is and as effectively, why take the fictional route.” One day, the book might leap on to the silver screen as a feature film as many filmmakers have reached out to him. However, a film on Amrita, a period one, a tale spread across Hungary, France and India, requires a mega budget. Till then, he is making his documentary at ‘fraction of the cost’ for which he has turned a co-producer and a British director has been roped in. Screen adaptations of books are not a given. “Written word is enough and not all books lend themselves to visual adaptations,” he insists. But he doesn’t discount the power of cinema and reminds us how Guide became a different creative beast in the hands of Dev Anand and Vijay Anand. On the aside he also throws in the tale of how RK Narayan, the author, was aghast when In melodious notes VikrantParmar Renowned singer Monali Thakur says one needs to evolve with the changing trends in the industry, but the essence of music remains eternal Dad’s girl Wherever she goes, she spreads her infectious energy and delights with her mellifluous voice. In Chandigarh for a performance recently, singer Monali Thakur was equally delighted by the audience, “Sabki energy was so beautiful in Chandigarh and people were so welcoming. It was just an absolute pleasure to perform in front of them. The big surprise was my song Haan Ke Haan, as it was one of the first times I sang it in a concert but the response was amazing.” Music is music.I am just performing as a vocalist, but in my independent stuff I am a singer as well as songwriter, who is involved in the whole creative process. It is my thoughts getting expressed. Of course, I like independent music more because I get to express myself and that is more exciting. MONALI THAKUR Performing in various parts of the country, there must be a set process as to how she goes about it? “I do change things based on the city and the kind of audience. It involves months of preparation and rehearsals.” Monali, recipient of several awards, including a National Film Award for the song Moh Moh Ke Dhaage from Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015) and a Filmfare Award for Sawaar Loon from Lootera (2013), says the music scene has evolved over the years and so has she. “One has to keep up with the times. As music has evolved, so have I. Sometimes the whole process sur- prises me, but it is great learning. Also, while one needs to evolve the essence of music remains eternal,” she believes. Monali, who was a judge of Zee TV’s singing reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L ’il Champs 2014 and an expert on Colors TV’s Rising Star for two consecutive seasons, has been a playback singer who is now about to start with independent music. So what does she enjoy more? “Music is music. I am just performing as a vocalist, but in my independent stuff I am a singer as well as songwriter, who is involved in the whole creative process. It is my thoughts getting expressed. It’s my creative call and journey. Of course, I like independent music more because I get to express myself and that is more exciting. However, if I get to sing a beautiful melody, it is also equally exciting,” she says. As for the song Haan Ke Haan, she counts it among her personal favourites, “I was going through a very difficult phase in life at that time, but with this song my innocence came out and that makes me very happy.” Monali is inspired by quite a few music legends and says, “Bade Ghulam Ali Khan sahib and Jagdish Prasad ji, his student and my guru; Lata ji and Asha ji have also been great influences in my life. My father has deeply inspired me too. Among the international stars, I love how Doja Cat performs; Bruno Mars, Rosalia and many more are good too.” Moving along as she is on the crest of music, Monali draws inspiration from her own self, “I am grateful that I’m an intense person. My emotional intelligence is what is going to allow me to express intelligently, so I think I seek inspiration from my emotional intelligence.” Inspiring! c m y b he went on the sets and thundered, “You have murdered my book.” Is that why he decided to write the screenplay? He laughs, “I decided to murder my own book.” On a serious note, he promises sans aids like artificial intelligence Amrita will come alive like never before and viewers would be transfixed by, ‘oh we didn’t know this’ feeling of elation. Ready by early next year, he may profess to be non-judgemental, but his empathy for Amrita, who he believes struggled with identity at many levels, including her artistic choices, is more than palpable. Art meets life meets love… are we likely to fall in love with Amrita then? “The idea is not to make viewers fall in love, but to truly appreciate this woman who created so much space for herself.” Clearly, if Amrita was not one-dimensional her documentary possibly can’t and shouldn’t be! PHOTO: MUSEO CAMERA, ADITYA ARYA