Monthly Archives: December 2018
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Filmmaker Soumitra Ranade on how he captured the spirit of Varanasi through photographs
A group of teenage boys, donning skull caps, sit by the Ganges. The triptych, essentially a set of three panels, manoeuvers this particular frame from various angles and has a story to tell. “‘Hum toh Ganga ma to dekhne aaye hein.’ This is what the boys told me. This incident epitomises the spirit of Varanasi,” says Soumitra Ranade, filmmaker and photographer. The varied frames that he captured, which were later treated as collages, form the visual backdrop of Karadi Tales’ new book, Varsha’s Varanasi. Through his frames, and the way in which they are portrayed, the spiritual city’s many shades and layers come alive.
Varsha’s Varanasi tells the tale of a tour guide’s daughter who is in search of her father to give him the pair of spectacles that he had left behind. Through the narrow alleyways, busy streets filled with cows and the banks of the Ganges she goes, virtually inviting the readers to follow her lead. The story, written by Chitra Soundar, is backed by the photo collages treated extensively by Soumitra.
“When Shobha of Karadi Tales approached me to do this book it was supposed to be illustrated. But Varanasi being what it is, I thought it would be better if it was photographic,” says the artist, adding that he observed the city for the two months that he was there, and let it speak to him before arriving at the frames. As he got familiarised with the city, Soumitra realised that it is a place that “operates on so many levels”, leading him to stray away from plain photographs, towards collages that rightly capture the multiple, parallel narratives of Varanasi. “How does one remain truthful to the many movements, colours, textures and forms? I have used multiple frames to coincide, treated on photoshop by adding different colours and textures to it,” explains Soumitra. He believes that a single image cannot bring out the ambiguities, contradictions and contexts of a particular frame.
The city made him see and feel different emotions, he says. “Varanasi kind of grows on you. Everything that you see around you is mundane. All these routine activities operate on a very metaphysical way. Something that happens at a given time and point, is strangely linked to something else that’s happening somewhere else. Once you get into the rhythm of the city, it’s quite hypnotic.”
The faith the people have on the river is quite mesmerising, according to the filmmaker. The people in the city go about something as routine as washing their clothes in the river, in a spiritual way. “And, you always have to negotiate with the cows,” laughs Soumitra. To him, the tenor of the city lies in how different it is from an urban setting. Pointing to another triptych of his, which shows a man buying kachoris from the shopkeeper and having a candid conversation at the same time, he continues, “This old man, buys kachoris from the shopkeeper every day. They have a very interesting relationship. The customer advises him on his personal life and so on. In the urban setting, everyone is on their own trip.”
After working on this project, Soumitra had a lingering thought that he hadn’t experienced the city in a complete way. This paved the way for his triptychs to form an independent exhibition, titled Varanasi Walk. “My whole way of seeing things is compository — I see everything as a continuous shot. One single image can never capture what one has to say. I see it in motion. The past, the immediate future, all are a part of it.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainment> Art / by Gowri S / December 03rd, 2018
World’s biggest gene bank of medicinal plants to come up at CIMAP, Lucknow
Over 300 other spices and medicinal plants will have their genetic information profiled and saved at CSIR-CIMAP(Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants), Lucknow.
Indian mint, Iranian saffron, Sri Lankan black pepper and mace from Indonesia, along with over 300 other spices and medicinal plants will have their genetic information profiled and saved at CSIR-CIMAP(Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants), Lucknow. Once established, it will be the biggest gene bank of medicinal and aromatic plants in the world.
These plants are native to the 23 countries bordering the Indian Ocean. The countries are represented by their consortium Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).
The member countries have begun efforts to build the gene bank, with their first across the table training programme currently underway at the premier research institute located near Kukrail in the state capital.
Genetic bank refers to a collection of genetic information that is unique for all living species.
The programme titled, ‘Diversity, documentation, gene banking and database for medicinal plants’ is being attended by representatives of 11 IORA member countries.
“One of the primary objectives of the programme is to establish a detailed gene data bank of the medicinal plants that can be shared among the members countries,” said Prof Anil K Tripathi, Director, CSIR CIMAP.
The member countries have agreed to share their knowledge of medicinal and aromatic plants found in their respective countries. They have also agreed to submit genetic data of such plants, turning the endeavour into a one of its kind conservation effort by member countries. “The genetic data bank will not only help in conservation but also act as a source of information for future generations,” said Fereshteh Moradi, chief coordinator of the programme.
Dr Ajit K Shasany, head-convener of the programme said, “The gene data bank that can only be accessed by the member countries will also help to identify fake products sold in the black market.”
The programme is being organised by the science and technology transfer wing of IORA. The wing has chosen the CIMAP as one of its regional centres for science and technology transfer. The programme is being funded by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The members include countries of the gulf-Iran, Oman, UAE, Yemen- African sub continent, South Africa, Tanzania, Madagascar, Mozambique, Kenya- other south east Asian countries and Australia.
The programme also aims to make trade of these medicinal plants easier among the member countries. “Sharing knowledge and technology involved in harvest of these plants is also a part of the programme,” Shasany said. Elucidating further, he cited the example of the trade of saffron. “Iran is a leading exporter of safforn but the Iranian saffron in the Indian market comes via Europe where it is processed. This is set to change under this initiative,” he said.
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Education / by Chandan Kumar, Hindustan Times,Lucknow / November 30th, 2018
43 years on, Doordarshan Lucknow still going strong
Serials produced by Lucknow Doordarshan were considered to be the best. Our serials like ‘Neem Ka Ped’, ‘Bibi Natiyon Wali’, ‘Bandhuji’, ‘Akkad Bakkad’ and ‘Hatimtai’ won national awards. ‘Bibi Natiyon Wali’ was praised internationally as well.
It started with the beaming of Ustad Bismillah Khan’s shehnai recitation on November 27,1975. Doordarshan Lucknow begun operations at 22 Ashok Marg, with a temporary studio. Today, at 43, the television channel is going strong with programmes like ‘Namaste UP’, ‘Once more’ and ‘Krishi Darshan’ — all of which have good ratings.
“The building of Doordarshan studio at Ashok Marg is a witness to many historical programmes,” said senior programme executive and deputy director, Lucknow Doordarshan, AP Mishra.
“We can proudly say that serials produced by Lucknow Doordarshan were considered to be the best. Our serials like ‘Neem Ka Ped’, ‘Bibi Natiyon Wali’, ‘Bandhuji’, ‘Akkad Bakkad’ and ‘Hatimtai’ won national awards. ‘Bibi Natiyon Wali’ was praised internationally as well,” he said.
Recalling the talent nurtured by the channel, Mishra said, “The old faces of Lucknow Doordarshan, such as Shobhna Jagdish (news reader) and Nirmala Kumari were very good singers. In fact, they were trained classical singers!”
“The popularity of veteran journalist and news reader Mohammed Noor Baksh and Naresh Srivastava was no less than that of cine stars of the eighties. Both of them are no more, but their legacy continues,” he added.
Former director Vilayat Jafri, who has worked with Lucknow Doordarshan and written the serial ‘Neem Ka Ped’ for it, said, “I came from Delhi to Lucknow in 1986. In Delhi, I had made projects like ‘Bharat Ek Khoj’ (directed by Shyam Benegal) and ‘Tamas’ (by Govind Nihlani). In Lucknow, serials were notbeing made. I decided to do something for the city — something that could be remembered for long. I had written this story in 1956 (Neem Ka Ped), and decided to make a serial based on it.”
He said he contacted Dr Rahi Masoom Raza for working on the serial’s script and dialogues. “He (Raza) agreed. He wrote the dialogues without charging a single penny because the story was close to his heart — it was about a ‘zamindar’ (landowner) and his people . Dr Raza came from a family of zamindars of Ghazipur, so he was able to understand the subject better than others,” said Jafri.
However, Dr Raza died after writing 24 episodes of the serial. “After that, I decided to pen the dialogues for the next 34 episodes. Interestingly, no one noticed any difference in the writing style. People thought Dr Raza died after completing the serial,” he said.
Mishra said ‘Neem Ka Ped’ is a part of Doordarshan’s glorious past and is still one of the most watched serials ever. “All artists except two were from Lucknow. Doordarshan is still the best medium to promote local talent,” he said.
In the years gone by, Doordarshan went through its own journey of evolution. The channel, which started in black and white, became coloured on August 15, 1982, during the then Asian Games. The first coloured OB van, equipped with four coloured cameras, was introduced in 1987, during the Cricket World Cup (Reliance Cup).
“Today, despite stiff competition from private channels, ‘Namaste UP’ and ‘Once More’ by Lucknow Doordarshan are among top-rated programmes,” said Mishra, adding that DD had also succeeded in maintaining its unique identity, especially when it came to programmes that created awareness on culture, heritage, literature and knowledge.
“Programmes like ‘Vigyan Se Dhyan’ have recorded the highest number of hits on YouTube,” he said.
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Lucknow / by Anupam Srivastava / Hindustan Times,Lucknow / November 28th, 2018