An evening with The Lunchbox.

I do not know why, but I always find movies intriguing or I could say, I get the urge to watch them only after a year or two of its release. Meanwhile, the first day-first show-first ticket hype somehow is a big turn off. I wait, wait until all the hype settles down, wait until people are done with updating about the movie on Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp. And then, I wait to forget all about it. I wait for the slipping away of even the slightest memory about the movie. Finally, one fine day, I just can't wait to watch it. One such day was, today.

After completing two brilliant novels, all I wanted to do this evening was watch the movie, 'The Lunchbox.' Calm, composed, tranquil and yet leaves a deep impression on the audience. Thought provoking, spurring a plethora of stories in the deep ocean of imagination. In my opinion, this is how a movie should be. It shouldn't impose itself on you, it shouldn't be vehement or clamorous. Rather; gently, compassionately and effortlessly win you over. The protagonist,  Saajan (Irrfan Khan) captivates the audience with his irritable nature as required by the storyline, so much so that, I longed to catch a glimpse of him smiling or in the least, grinning.
It's beautiful how the movie unfolds, little by little, adorning expanding brilliance with each passing moment. The icing on the cake? The incomplete ending: one that spurs our imagination.

Writing in itself is a beauty. Letters have an enigmatic charisma that can never lose to a million accurate emoticons or text messages. To write to a person is to leave behind a piece of yourself in the writing. How can I not like a movie in which writing has brought about all the difference? Go ahead and watch the movie, those who haven't. And those who have, watch it again. Not much of a harm.

As I watched the movie, I realized how brilliant sounds are. Yes, sounds. Just sounds. The sound of the boots on a rain-drenched road that is on its verge of drying up. The sound of the first crunch of a toast freshly done, golden-brown and waiting to be embraced. The sound of the keys on the keyboard as I type. The sound of an auditorium full of people who clap their hands in chorus. The sound of rain dripping on the window pane. The sound of laughter echoing through a distance.The sound of tapping feet. The sound of silence.Yes, the sound of silence as well. Likewise, the sound of voices. The voice of Irrfan Khan in this case. The voice that is down with cold, the voice that is struggling through the lump in the throat, the voice that is squeaky with overwhelming happiness: Enchanting! Most of all, the voice in your head that is reading this post. Beautiful, isn't it? The smile that adorns the face now. Beautiful too. How lucky are we to experience sound. How lucky!



© Deekshita Srinivas. 

Chitra Santhe 2015, Bangalore.

When you're in Bangalore, visiting the Annual 'Chitra Santhe' is one among the top ten things to do. The Chitra Santhe is an annual event organized by the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath with a motive to attract artists from all over the country to exhibit their artistic brilliance and bid a price for it as well. As for the audiences, it's a win-win; not only do they get to envision the alluring paintings, portraits, sculptures and many more art works but also purchase their favorites. The whole stretch of Kumara Krupa Road, where the santhe is held, was bustling with art lovers and sidelined with beautiful paintings. The vehicles were zeroed in for the day. The santhe hosted over 1400 artists from across the country.

Toddlers in the arms of their parents, kids, college students, senior citizens were all present with overwhelming zest to encounter the artworks. The santhe not only exhibited the works of the students of Chitrakala Parishath but also, an artists' work who wished to unveil his works and sell them.
The organizers arranged for exclusive gallery space for senior and physically-challenged artists in the premises.  Young artists were out in full throttle, being a first for many of them.

Naina Nandakumar

My pen friend, Naina Nandakumar, also a student of Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, was more than overwhelmed to be able to showcase her beautiful artworks and experience Bangalore and its people at this event, since she's just beginning to get to know Bangalore. In her own words, "My first CHITRA SANTHE! Frankly speaking, the best art fest I have been to in my life. What the audiences saw in the santhe was the hard work and dedication of 200 students from the fine arts college, which they did for their satisfaction as evolving artists of tomorrow." Her eyes lit up with exhilarating happiness about the grand success of the event. She also added, "A great experience, a world full of mesmerizing works, creative and innovative minds." On being questioned about he
r favorite part of the santhe, she said, "The beauty and colors that flash every time you blink. The art, artists and art-oholics, all united, at one place." This year's Chitra Santhe was easily her first success story.

Little kids flocked to the artists, who stood gracefully with their boards, paper and pencils; to get their portrait sketched at the moment. Days and weeks of hard work seemed to finally pay off the artists. As and when an art work was sold, a satisfactory smile adorned their lips and the smile served the purpose of welcoming the art lovers with utmost admiralty.







The art works ranged from depiction of modernization, nature, dance forms, abstract paintings to the portraits of some of the most influential people of the world. Such was the magnitude of the artistic brilliance that one could go on capturing every single art work only to fall short of the camera battery. The Chitra Santhe '15 was a colossal victory. Who said Bangalore is swarming only with software engineers, traffic and corporate life? Visit the Chitra Santhe once, and you're sure to change your opinion. As Leo Tolstoy says, " Art is not a handicraft, it is the transmission of feeling what the artist has experienced." and Bangaloreans would never miss an opportunity to get a glimpse of what the artist experienced and transferred that experience in the form of his works.

I couldn't help myself but gaze and wonder at the bustling crowd, smiling and striding towards the art works that fascinated them, the artists who couldn't have asked for a better opportunity and myself, to be present among the rows of prepossessing paintings and art works, so much so that, impatience crept into me unwilling to leave me at peace until and unless I had penned down all about the event.
I guess, that is what art is all about: No matter what form of art, it always fills one with astonishment and brings out the best in one; to experience one art form and vent out the experience in another art form. In this case, the art works gave me a beautiful experience and I could (re)present it in the form of writing (read: another art form).

Long live art
Long live artists
Long live art-lovers!

© Deekshita Srinivas 2015