Titled ‘Anam’, Saumitra’s upcoming film is about a 21-year old girl who does stunts as a sport. The film is inspired by the life of Anam Hashim, a female bike stunt performer and rider.
The tagline of the film reads ‘a bike doesn’t know your gender’. The story is conceptualized by Anam and penned by Namneesh Sharma.
Director Saumitra Singh, who had earlier helmed the award-winning short films The Wallet and Painful Pride, is gearing up for his feature debut.
Titled Anam, Saumitra’s upcoming film is about a 21-year old girl who does stunts as a sport. The film is inspired by the life of Anam Hashim, a female bike stunt performer and rider.
The tagline of the film reads ‘a bike doesn’t know your gender’. The story is conceptualized by Anam and penned by Namneesh Sharma. While the cast is yet to be locked, an A-list actor will be a part of it, the makers shared.
“I have been working on this idea for quite some time now. However, I was busy making and promoting my two short films but been working on Anam simultaneously. The script has come out well and I can’t wait to start making it,” Saumitra says.
In 2015, Anam became the youngest woman to ride to Khardung La mountain pass on a TVS scooty for the Himalayan Highs initiative. Her achievement was included in the India Book of Records.Speaking about her journey, Anam shares, “While growing up as a kid, I always was someone who was inclined towards cycles, bikes and cars. Eventually, I discovered my love for bikes and stunts through the internet.
My journey began by trying to learn how to do wheelies on others bike and it gave me enough confidence to even get my own bike. While I was finishing my 12th, I was very sure of what I wanted to do in life, stunt riding/street bike freestyle.”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Entertainment> Hindi / by Express News Service / May 29th, 2020
The Bollywood lyricist and poet says freedom of expression means staying within prescribed limits
People try to be politically correct, but that’s the problem. I have never tried to be: Irshad Kamil
For a lyricist, Irshad Kamil sure has a sense of irony. His caller tune is a song from the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Rockstar, sung by Mohit Chauhan. It goes: “Jo bhi main kehna chahun, barbaad kare alfaaz mere… Whatever I want to say is ruined by my words.”
Perhaps even more ironic: these words belong to Kamil himself.
I meet Kamil at a five-star hotel in east Calcutta. The 48-year-old is in town to talk about his book — Kaali Aurat Ka Khwab. It is about his first Filmfare Award and the journey to it. He is wearing a T-shirt and ripped jeans, and a jacket with shiny buttons. Perched on his nose are rimless glasses and there is a string of sweat beads on his forehead.
This is the man who has written songs such as Nadaan Parindey, Agar Tum Saath Ho, Patakha Guddi and Baby Ko Bass Pasand Hai. Life. Melancholy. Woman power. Dhinchak. As we get past the exchange of pleasantries and into small talk about how his lyrics are the stuff of social media posts, the soft-spoken Kamil orders another black coffee — his third in an hour.
If moved by his songs you have ever tried or are planning to google the man, know this: you are not getting to know much beyond his work. Discreet, I ask. He replies, “I am not an advertisement.”
But that does not make him reticent either. He is happy to talk about his poetry — turns out he wrote his first one in the late 1980s. He says without sounding the least bit pompous, “The reason people like my poems and lyrics is because I don’t talk about fake emotions. I put myself in the shoes of the audience. And I talk about the real life. Aap samajh rahe hain na? Yeh reality ke zameen se nikle hue shabd hain…”
It seems no one in Kamil’s family had an ear for music. His father was a chemistry teacher at Government College, Malerkotla, and he pushed all his children to study science. Kamil, alas, was an arts enthusiast. He wrote poetry and acted in school plays. In college, he tells me with some pride, he was the prolific writer of love letters for self as well as others. He quotes Urdu poet Bashir Badr as if in a toast to those days, “Jis par hamari aankh ne moti bichhaaye raat bhar, bheja wahi kaagaz usse, humne likha kuch bhi nahin.”
Eventually, our conversation shifts to political correctness in the creative arts, in day-to-day life. “People try to be politically correct, but that’s the problem. I have never tried to be,” he waves his hands animatedly to make his point.
I nudge Kamil towards specifics before he floats away on another rivulet of verse. As a lyricist, does he have freedom of expression? He unleashes a torrent of thoughts, “Of course, there is pabandi [restriction]. What the sarkar calls unrest is basically kranti [revolution] and kranti comes through the pen, through words and writings. People know there are particular forms of art and culture where it all comes from. And this is not new. It has been there since Safdar Hashmi’s times. We have expression of freedom but there are limits too. Till you praise them or agree with them, you have the freedom…”
Kamil wrote a song called Mere Achchhe Din Kab Aayenge for the 2018 film, Fanney Khan — Do roti aur ek langoti/Ek langoti aur woh bhi chhoti/ Isme kya badan chhupayenge/Mere achchhe din kab aayenge. “Just because of this song, the movie was put on hold by the Central Board of Film Certification,” he says. The song was tweaked and later released as Achchhe Din.
Kamil talks about how he dropped out of engineering. He fled to Shimla from his hometown in Punjab. Decided not to return for the next nine months. Joined theatre and earned Rs 45 a show. On returning, he decided to pursue Hindi for his graduation. The writer Irshad Kamil was in the making. His dimples nearly swallow his cheeks as he says, “Some people say I am a closed-door rebel.”
I tell Kamil that for someone who goes by that epithet, he is surprisingly controversy-free and he furrows his brows. “Do you know about Pahal patrika,” he asks. Seeing my expression, he starts to talk about how he is the only “filmi geetkar” to have poetry published in this Hindi literary magazine. He takes out his phone from his jacket pocket and reads out loud a poem titled Jootey — a journey of the shoes by the shoes.
His poem Tum Mujhe Tanaav Do talks about problems of the increasing population and the government and ends with an altered version of the famous line by Subhas Chandra Bose. It reads, “...tum mujhe tanaav do, main tumhe khadi dunga. Tum mujhe khoon do, main tumhe abadi dunga.”
source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph, online edition / Home> People / by Manasi Shah / May 30th, 2020
Mohammed Abdul Mannan’s ‘Behind the Mask’ details the origin and spread of the coronavirus and how it has made the world sick, panicky and topsy-turvy.
Mohammed Abdul Mannan
The novel coronavirus has infected over 5.5 million people across the world. As countries grapple to contain the Covid-19 crisis, it’s important to discuss the socio-economic fallout of the pandemic.
Mohammed Abdul Mannan’s Behind the Mask answers these questions. The book details the origin and spread of the coronavirus and how it has made the world sick, panicky and topsy-turvy.
How a virus one billionth of a metre size could trigger the 21st century’s second pandemic and why the 15th largest pandemic since the 14th century is massively disruptive on all-fronts. Can the world handle a ‘biblical proportions’ famine and will the world recoup from the US$9 trillion economic impact? The book discusses every aspect of socio-economic impacts of the global pandemic.
This is the eighth book by Mannan who has worked for Deccan Chronicle, Indian Express and India Today, Doordarshan and Zee TV in the past. He also worked as the launch News Editor of Qatar’s second English broadsheet daily, The Peninsula, and later joined Khaleej Times in Dubai. He took a plunge into PR and Corporate Communications with Dubai and Abu Dhabi tourism regulatory bodies. Winner of the first Qatar Tourism Award, his best-seller book had been Dubai – A City Making History.
Behind the Mask is available in print and digital format on Amazon.
source: http://www.outlookindia.com / Outlook / Home> Website / May 27th, 2020
Musical journey: Tauseef Akhtar, who released the album Aamad ( The Arrival ) in November last year, is all geared up for his show this evening
Tauseef Akhtar will pay fulsome tribute to his mentor and teacher, Jagjit Singh this evening
Ghazal singer Tauseef Akhtar says he is lucky to be born in a poetic and musical environment. His father Akhtar Azad is a renowned Urdu authority, qawwal and poet. And his mentor has been none other than the late Jagjit Singh. Akhtar, who released the album Aamad (The Arrival) in November last year, is all geared up for his show this evening. “Besides my original compositions, I shall do a special segment focussing on Jagjitji’s favourite tunes. His birth anniversary is on February 8, so this will be an ideal tribute,” he says. The concert, Sham-e-Ghazal, will also feature a recital by Sadhana Rahatgaonkar
Containing eight songs, Aamad has been written by London-based poet Roop Sagar, and also features singers Sunil Sajal and Vidhi Sharma. The video of ‘Woh Chilman Se;, sung by Akhtar, was released at the time of the launch. The album is available both in compact disc format and on digital platforms. Akhtar has earlier released the albums Ishq Karo and Ghazalaw. The former is a solo collection featuring songs written by Waali Aasi, Shamim Karbani, Paayam Saeedi, Rahat Indori, Shakila Bano Bhopali and Qateel Shifai, with one ghazal by his father Akhtar Azad.
Ghazalaw, in contrast, is a fresh experiment, where Akhtar has collaborated with Welsh folk singer Gwyneth Glyn to combine the two cultures. “We figured both genres had much in common, and thus used the harmonium, guitar, Celtic harp and violin,” says the singer. The album was nominated for the BBC Radio 2 and Songlines music awards last year.
The conversation then shifts to his association with Singh. Akhtar recalls, “Many musicians like Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Mehdi Hassan Saab, Parveen Sultanaji and Jagjitji visited our place to meet my father. When I heard Jagjitji on the album The Unforgettables, I was hooked.”
Akhtar was initially taught by Pandit Govind Prasad Jaipurwale, but after he passed away, needed to find another guru. When Akhtar was 12, Singh visited their home for a private mehfil. Hearing the boy sing, he was impressed. Soon, the lessons began. “Jagjitji taught me a lot in terms of singing technique, recording and stage presence,” says Akhtar. However, the youngster also got involved with film music, and soon took a break from ghazals.
In 2011, he was planning to meet Singh again when he heard his mentor had been hospitalised. The ghazal legend’s death on October 10, 2011, came as a huge shock. “Since then, I have decided to focus completely on ghazals. Somehow, I feel this genre is totally meant for me,” he says.
What’s next? Akhtar says, “I plan to render the entire Bhagavad Gita in Urdu. I have already recorded four shloks translated by poet Anwar Jalalpuri.”
Tauseef Akhtar will perform with Sadhana Rahatgaonkar for
Sham-e-Ghazal at Experimental Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point at 6.30 p.m this evening; details at bookmyshow.com
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainment> Music / by Narendra Kusnur / February 02nd, 2018
“My biographer has written the book so well I almost did not recognise myself. In order to be a big poet, the poet has to be a crazy lover. I could not become a big poet because I could not reach that stage.” – Rahat Indori, Poet
Celebrated poet Rahat Indori at Sahitya Aaj Tak on Sunday
Apne haakim kee fakiri par taras aata hai, jo gareebon se paseene kee kamaee maange, Saara din jel ki deevaar uthaate rahiye, aisee aajaadee ki har shakhs rihaee maange.
This was just one of the couplets recited during the unveiling of the biography of iconic poet and lyricist, Dr Rahat Indori, on the final day of Sahitya Aaj Tak on Sunday. The biography, Rahat Sahab: Mujhe Sunte Rahe Log Waqiya Mere has been written by Dr Deepak Ruhani. The author discussed the making of the biography with his subject, as well as singer-turned politician Hans Raj Hans.
Commenting on the association between Indori and Ruhani, Hans complimented Ruhani on his speed. “You have finished this biography in two years, when many writers take their time writing the and cannot complete them in one decade.”
Ruhani said his association with Indori goes back 17 years. While researching the book, one of the fringe benefits was listening to unforgettable shayari from Indori, he said. “I used to wait for a long time to come and hear him and sat on the grass while he recited the couplets.” Rahat Sahab will be officially released on November 10.
source: http://www.indiatoday.in / India Today / Home> News> Mail Today / by Mail Today Bureau / November 04th, 2019
Eid ul Fitr celebrations take a multitude of forms in our society. As the holy month of Ramzan nears the end, markets all across the country glitter with Eid paraphernalia: confectionery, clothes, bangles, mehendi, objects typically associated with this festive occasion.
But one object is usually missing: Eid cards, because the practice of sending them out has dwindled over the years. It was once routine for most families to spend time selecting, writing and posting Eid greeting cards to friends and families.
“Eid Mubarak,” an Eid card showing two girls on a swing. The printed message starts with a salutation of a young girl to her elder sister: Muhtarma aapa saheba… (Dear respected sister, my salutations. Despite the distance between us, your favours and love still provide tranquillity to my heart. While extending the Eid greetings to you, I request you to remember me forever in your prayers). Printed by Eastern Commercial Agency, Bombay. Unused, circa 1930. From the Priya Paul Collection, New Delhi. Courtesy: Tasveer Ghar
In the digital age, people prefer to take a faster route to greeting one another. On the eve and day of Eid, they send out a vast number of mobile text messages.
But what were those cards like? Wouldn’t it be interesting to look at some of the old ones, especially when the practice began in this country?
Here are samples from the collections of Yousuf Saeed, a filmmaker, author and archivist based in Delhi, who runs the Tasveer Ghar archive, Ally Adnan, a Dallas, US-based engineer, writer and antique collector, and Omar Khan, who runs Imagesofasia.com, a collection of vintage postcards and lithographs.
“Eid Mubarak,” a floral Eid postcard, published by Hafiz Qamruddin & Sons, Lahore (probably printed in Bombay), and posted from Lahore (sender’s name undecipherable) on 24 December 1935 and arrived at Delhi’s General Post Office on 29 December the same year for the addressee Mr Noor Elahi. The season of Eid-ul fitr or Eid-ul Zuha coinciding with Christmas in these years might have had a bearing on the use of early Eid cards. The sender’s message in Urdu is mostly damaged due to a torn corner of the card. But it basically starts with a salaam and asks about the addressee’s good health etc. Note the British India postage stamps worth half anna and three pies used on the card. From the Priya Paul Collection, New Delhi. Courtesy: Tasveer Ghar
On the Indian subcontinent, the tradition of sending greeting cards on Eid started in the late 19th century, when mass-printed cards started becoming available off the shelf, although some well-off Muslim families continued to sent their own hand-produced cards, sometimes with calligraphy and artistically decorated greeting message.
The trend of sending cards was probably fuelled by the expansion of the railway network, which had increased to 25,000 km in 1880 from just 34 km in 1853, when the first passenger train service was inaugurated in India. With the expansion of railway, people began travelling far away from their homes, for employment and business. It also improved the postal service. In addition, advanced printing facilities improved the quality of cards.
“Eid Mubarak, Hamari Eid to jab hai…” Eid greetings and an Urdu couplet likening the eyebrows of the beloved to Eid’s crescent, featuring Indian actress and singer Kajjan Begum, Unused, circa 1930. Distributed by Sultan Husen Bookseller, Bombay. From the collection of Reena Mohan. Courtesy: Tasveer Ghar
We can see that the early cards resembled European-made Christmas cards, albeit modified for Eid.
In the early years of the 20th century, Eid cards began being printed with India-specific images and illustrations. Hafiz Qammaruddin & Sons, H Ghulam Muhammad & Sons and Muhammad Hussain & Brothers in Lahore, Mahboob Al Matabah in Delhi, and Eastern Commercial Agency, Shabbar T Corporation and Bolton Fine Art Lithographers in Bombay were amongst the earliest companies that came into the business of printing Eid cards in India. Postcards with Indian Muslim architecture, produced by Raphael Tuck in London, were also used for Eid.
No discussion of these vintage Eid cards would be complete without mentioning the Urdu poetry on them written for the occasion.
“Guldasta-e Eid” (a bouquet for eid) title of the chapbook published by Rashid-ul Khairi in 1927, Delhi. Although the chapbook is not a part of greeting correspondence, such literature was produced and circulated in Muslim homes for general reading and reform in late 19th/early 20th century. From the Yousuf Saeed collection. Courtesy: Tasveer Ghar
میرے یاروں کو مبارک عید ہو غمگساروں کو مبارک عید ہو عاشق و معشوق رندو پارسا آج چاروں کو مبارک عید ہو
Eid greetings to my friends, Eid greetings to my sympathisers, Eid greetings to the lovers and the beloveds, the drunks and the pious, Eid greetings to all four of them today.
ہماری عید تو جب ہے کہ دیکھیں تیرے آبرو کو ہلال عید کو اے مہ جبیں دیکھا تو کیا دیکھا
Eid is when I see your eyebrows Just seeing the crescent, my dear, is no Eid.
سب لوگ تو دیکھتے ہیں کھڑے چاند عید کا مشتاق ہوں میں رشک قمر تیری دید کا
While everyone is interested in sighting the moon, I only desire to see your face.
یہ شام عید ہے اے میرے ناقہ محمل چمک کے چل کہ دیار حبیب تک پہنچیں
It is the eve of Eid, oh my camel, Run fast and take me to the city of my beloved.
The tradition of Eid cards continued till the end of the 20th century, diminishing with the surge of mobile and online communication.
Yet those of us who have experienced the joy of handpicking, writing, sending and receiving Eid cards cannot find a substitute in the click of buttons.
This article was originally published on Dawn.com
source: http://www.scroll.in / Scroll.in / Home> Holy Month / by Aown Ali / July 18th, 2015
Actor-turned-producer Sanjay Khan speaks about his second book ‘Assalamualaikum Watan’ and what he is doing during the lockdown
Actor-turned-producer Sanjay Khan’s second book Assalamualaikum Watan dwells on Islam’s history in India’s multicultural society, the role Muslims have played in nation-building and the issues they face. In the book, Khan emphatically declares that he “considers himself an Indian first and then a person of the faith”. In a conversation with Lachmi Deb Roy, he talks about the book and what he is doing during the lockdown.
What is Assalamualaikum Watan about?
Muslims in India number around 200 million. They contribute significantly to the cultural vitality and vibrancy of India. This number represents the second-largest mass of Muslims in any nation in the world. As Indian Muslims, we should feel tremendous pride, a sense of empowerment and responsibility because we contribute to the achievements of Muslims in the world. The age-old saying is ‘safety in numbers’, but there is also ‘inspiration in numbers’. Our social responsibilities should serve as the spark for the guiding light that Indian Muslims can provide. Through the power of education, I would like all Muslims to illuminate their path and contribute to the exchequer by joining the mainstream as involved citizens. This vast human resource can certainly propel the country’s economic growth.
How is your second book different from your first?
They are poles apart. Assalamualaikum Watan deals with the need for education in the Indian Muslim community, while my autobiography The Best Mistakes Of My Life is just my story.
You have had a successful career as an actor. How does it feel to be a writer?
God’s greatest gift to mankind is the art of writing. I feel fortunate to have authored two books.
What are your favourite films?
My favourite film is Raj Kapoor’s Awara, David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago. Among recent films, I liked Aamir Khan’s Dangal.
What do you like about world cinema?
The professional finesse, technical excellence, remarkable performances and extraordinary scripts. James Cameron’s Avatar is one of my favourite films.
Which directors do you like?
David Lean, Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott and James Cameron.
Any plans of returning to acting?
In the past couple of years, I have been offered quite a few roles, but I am waiting for roles that excite me. In the meantime, I have just finished writing the script of a major biopic that I will direct and produce.
What are you doing during the lockdown?
I am keeping myself busy by reading, exercising and talking to friends and relatives. I am trying to reach out to the people working with me and those who are in need. I love watching Hollywood classics. I am also studying new technologies in filmmaking. I listen to Mohammed Rafi, who sang a total of 48 numbers for my films, and Lata Mangeshkar.
source: http://www.outlookindia.com / Outlook / Home> Magazine> Arts & Entertainment> Interview / by Lakshmi Deb Roy interviews Sanjay Khan / May 08th, 2020
Born on February 5, 1936 at Devanahalli on the city’s northern outskirts, Ahmed was a prolific writer in Kannada and penned poems, plays, short stories and novels.
KS Nissar Ahmed
Bengaluru :
Eminent Kannada poet and writer K.S. Nissar Ahmed passed away here after prolonged illness, an official said on Sunday. He was 84.
“Ahmed died at his residence in the city’s south-west suburb after prolonged illness due to age-related complications,” a state information department official told IANS here.
Born on February 5, 1936 at Devanahalli on the city’s northern outskirts, Ahmed was a prolific writer in Kannada and penned poems, plays, short stories and novels.
A post-graduate in geology, Ahmed worked in the mines and geology department of the state government at Gulbarga in the state’s northern region in the 1950s-60s before moving to Bengaluru to teach the subject (geology) at the state-run central college in the city centre and later at Chitradurga and Shimoga in the state’s Malnad region during the 1970s.
“Ahmed is a recipient of several awards and honours, including Padma Sri and Sahitya Academy award in 2008 and state awards like Pampa in 2017, Nadoja in 2003 and Rajyotsava in 1981,” the official recalled.
Kuvempu University at Shimoga awarded honorary doctorate to Ahmed in 2010.
Ahmed is well known for his poems “Nityotsava” and other popular works such as “Manasu Gandhi Bazaru”, “Sanje Aidara Male” and “Manadondige Mathukathe”.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by IANS / May 03rd, 2020
M. Abdul Jaffar, sanitary inspector in Avadi Municipal Corporation spreads awareness on nCOVID-19 through songs set to popular film tunes | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
M. Abdul Jaffar has created five songs so far, on how COVID-19 spreads and the need for physical distancing, among other aspects
A sanitary inspector’s penchant for singing and poetry has come in handy now, to create awareness on critical social issues. M. Abdul Jaffar, a sanitary inspector with the Avadi Municipal Corporation has recently penned lyrics and sung songs set to popular film tunes, to raise awareness about COVID-19.
It all started two years ago, when he decided to use his hobby of amateur singing on social media to convey messages about environmental and health issues.
Amidst his work schedule during the pandemic, Mr. Jaffar finds time to create awareness songs on COVID-19. He pens lyrics in simple words and sets them to popular Tamil film tunes to reach out to residents on precautionary measures to be taken. In one of the songs released on social media, he cautioned people against violating section 144 and urged them to stay at home and keep COVID-19 at bay.
“I have created five awareness songs so far on how COVID-19 spreads, the need for physical distancing and how to protect ourselves from the pandemic. I usually share it among the officials and the Tamil Nadu sanitary inspectors association,” said Mr. Jaffar.
He now sings the songs as part of the awareness campaign against COVID-19 in Avadi. “Singing helps to attract people’s attention towards the issue along with public announcements,” he said.
Mr. Jaffar has earlier penned lyrics to spread awareness on source segregation, dengue and against the use of plastics. Mr. Jaffar has won accolades for his earlier efforts to raise awareness from the Tiruvallur Collectorate and the Commissionerate of Municipal Administration. He will soon release his sixth song on the pandemic and also plans to release a compilation of 200 poems that he has written since his college days.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by K. Lakshmi / Chennai- April 28th, 2020
On April 25, the Indian-born American artist passed away at age 83 in London after a prolonged illness.
Artist Zarina Hashmi
In her complete oeuvre that stemmed from her lived experiences in Aligarh, Bangkok, Paris, New York and London, artist Zarina Hashmi constantly questioned the idea of home and belonging.
Her abstract geometric collages, floorplans and maps in printmaking techniques (largely in intaglio, lithography, silkscreen and woodblock), handmade paper and sculpture, and often accompanied with Urdu calligraphy, reflect her Islamic roots, formal degree in mathematics, an interest in architecture, ponderings over rigid geo-political boundaries and tragic memories of the 1947 Partition. The Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum in London, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Hammer Museum Guggenheim Museum in New York…have featured her works in their public collections.
On April 25, the Indian-born American artist passed away at age 83 in London after a prolonged illness.
Poet and culture theorist Ranjit Hoskote, who curated ‘Everyone Agrees: It’s About to Explode’ – India’s first national pavilion at the Venice Biennale (2011) – in which he displayed Hashmi’s prints, was among the first ones to tweet of her demise. “Heartbroken to hear that Zarina Hashmi has passed away in London. She was magnificent: full of wit and shrewd wisdom, her work imbued with a tragic vision…” he wrote, and proceeded to tweet snapshots of her prints being installed and the final display at the 2011 edition.
Zarina Hashmi’s prints (top) Letters I Called Home/Bangkok series; and Bangkok 1958-1961
In fact, a major retrospective ‘Zarina: A Life in Nine Lines’ at The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), New Delhi that opened on January 30 during the annual India Art Fair was ongoing till the nationwide lockdown commenced. But Kiran Nadar, Founder-Chairperson of KNMA, is determined the show must go on. “We will be showcasing this show on our virtual platforms for everyone to enjoy. It is quite a coincidence that we are having her show at this time, and we lost her at this moment. It’s a huge loss to the art world.” Nadar remembers meeting Zarina a few times, when she first acquired her work some years ago. “Zarina was much more active and younger at that time. Over the years whenever she came to India, I would get an opportunity to interact with her. Zarina’s art is very subliminal, very basic at one level. She deals with lines and distance that she has abstracted in many ways. When you see her work, it looks emotional.”
For Renu Modi, Founder-Director of Gallery Espace, Hashmi was a dear friend of the gallery. “The passing of Zarina is a deep personal loss. She was a friend as well as an artist Gallery Espace represented. She was a very special person, exceedingly compassionate and lived her life gracefully, on her own terms.”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Delhi / by Ornello D’Souza / Express News Service / April 27th, 2020
