Volume Soars at Christie’s Hong Kong Auctions

by Raj S. Rangarajan

NEW YORK—Fall sales of Asian contemporary art and Chinese 20th-century art in evening and day sales at Christie’s Hong Kong Nov. 27–30 brought in a total of HK$512.4 million ($65.9 million), up considerably from the HK$389.3 million ($50.2 million) total reported last fall. Southeast Asian modern and contemporary art brought in HK$56.7 million ($7.3 million) and Chinese modern paintings fetched HK$568 million ($73 million); Chinese classical paintings and calligraphy brought in HK$100.9 million ($13 million). In all, the fine-art sales totaled HK$1.13 billion ($146.5 million).
The evening sale of contemporary and 20th century Chinese art on Nov. 27 totaled HK$281.2 million ($36.2 million). It was 84 percent sold by lot, 78 percent by value. Among the records was a new auction high for a work by Sanyu (1901–66). His oil on masonite Potted Chrysanthemum in a Blue and White Jardinière, 1950s, sold for HK$53.3 million ($6.9 million) on an unpublished estimate of HK$35 million/55 million. A record was also set for a work by Mao Xuhui (b. 1956), when his triptych ’92 Paternalism, 1992(3), was bought by a private European collector for HK$11.9 million ($1.5 million), twice the estimate of $HK3 million/5 million.

Eric Chang, Christie’s international director of Asian contemporary art and Chinese 20th-century art, reported “solid demand for both categories of art with seven records achieved for works by artists across a broad spectrum of Chinese artists.” In addition to the artist records for Sanyu and Mao, new records were also set for work by Chinese artists Yee Bon, Wang Guangyi, Zhan Wang, and Japanese artists Aya Takano and Tatsuo Miyajima. Chang added, “The market for Chinese 20th-century and contemporary art continues to be steady and healthy and Asian buying remains strong.”

Leading the Asian contemporary and Chinese 20th century day sale was A Man in Melancholy, 1990, an oil by Zeng Fanzhi (b. 1964), which sold for HK$10.3 million ($1.3 million), four times the estimate of HK$1.6 million/2.4 million).

Works by Zao Wou-Ki (Zhao Wuji, b. 1920) remain among the most sought-after by collectors, with all of his works in this sale fetching prices above their high estimates. The Meeting Hall, 1993, a painting by Liu Dahong (b. 1962), set a new record of HK$2.8 million ($359,649), more than ten times the HK$180,000/260,000 estimate. Landscape, 2004, by Liu Wei (b. 1965) sold for HK$3.98 million ($514,893) against an estimate of HK$650,000/750,000.

The auction of Southeast Asian modern and contemporary art was 87 percent sold by lot, and 98 percent by value. The total was HK$56.7 million ($7.3 million). The top lot was Balinesische Legende (Balinese Legend), 1929, an oil on canvas by Walter Spies (1895–1942), which sold for HK$16.9 million ($2.17 million) against an unpublished estimate of HK$16 million. Another painting that brought a “significant market response” from both private collectors and institutions was Wounded Lion, an oil by Indonesian artist Raden Saleh (ca. 1807–80), which sold for HK$6.6 million ($852,624) on an estimate of HK$6 million/8 million and underscored the strong prices for historically important modern works.

Ruoh-Ling Keong, Christie’s head of Southeast Asian modern and contemporary art, said the sale total of HK$56.7 million represented “almost a 70 percent increase over the same sale last year. With average prices roughly in line with those seen at the height of the market, the market for the finest works of art from Southeast Asia is indeed healthy and robust.”

In the contemporary section, Trombone, 2010, a painting by I. Nyoman Masriadi (b. 1973), fetched HK$2.7 million ($344,207) on an estimate of HK$800,000/1.4 million, and Membayang (Imagining), 2006, a two-part acrylic on canvas by Handiwirman Saputra, (b. 1975) sold to an Asian private buyer for HK$1.22 million ($157,869) against an estimate of HK$800,000/1.2 million.

Keong added, “The contemporary section saw global collectors responding in earnest to not only works from the established rock stars of the category, including I. Nyoman Masriadi and Handiwirman Saputra, but also those from newer artists.”

Christie’s auction of Chinese modern paintings was 96 percent sold by lot, and 97 percent by value, realizing a total of HK$568 million ($73 million). Works by Fu Baoshi, Zhang Daqian, Xu Beihong and Qi Baishi were much sought after. The Song of the Pipa Player, 1945, a mounted and framed scroll by Fu (1904–65), sold for HK$70million ($9 million), a new auction record for the artist, on an estimate of HK$20 million/40 million. Temple at the Mountain Peak, a hanging scroll by Zhang (1899–1983), sold for HK$61.14 million ($7.9 million) against an estimate of HK$4 million/6 million.

Ben Kong, international specialist head of Chinese paintings at Christie’s Hong Kong, said the season’s “excellent results reflect a 92 percent increase from last year’s autumn sale, while the average lot value also increased by 42 percent compared to last year. Mainland Chinese buyers are a clear force driving this category, taking nine out of the top ten lots in our Chinese classical paintings sale.”

Sales of Chinese classical paintings and calligraphy totaled HK$100.9 million ($13 million). The top lot was Mynah, Poem in Running Script Calligraphy (a pair of album leaves mounted as a hanging scroll) by Bada Shanren (1626–1705), which sold for HK$11.3 million ($1.5 million) against an estimate of HK$1.2 million/1.5 million. A number of other artists, including Ni Yuanlu, Hua Yan and Lan Ying also brought strong prices that surpassed estimates.

Restored Tipu paintings fetch crores

Recalling history through restored paintings of a historic battle that fetched crores at a recent auction



Indian history books have recorded Tipu Sultan’s victorious battles in Southern India in the 18th century, and we now have documentation of those successes in the form of 24 “preparatory” paintings that were sold recently in London.

The paintings depicting the Battle of Pollilur, also known as Battle of Perambakam, that took place on 10th September 1780 near present-day Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu, were bought by an anonymous telephone bidder for INR 55,981,934 (£769,250 or US$1,224,184).

Tipu Sultan commanded the Kingdom of Mysore against Col. William Baille of the British East India Company, which history records, surrendered and suffered a high number of casualties. In a subsequent battle, Colonel Arthur Wellesley and the British defeated Tipu Sultan at the Battle of Seringapatam (now Srirangapatam) on 4th May 1799.



The 24 paintings, which were done on rice paper shortly after the battle were originally part of two long scrolls, each 7 ft. by 30 ft. The story goes that following the Pollilur battle, Tipu Sultan commissioned a mural to commemorate his father, Hyder Ali’s victory that was installed in the Daria Daulat Palace, Seringapatam in 1784. It is believed, the preparatory paintings were the work of an Indian artist.

The scrolls with the preparatory paintings were chopped up into 24 paintings which have survived in remarkably good condition. The paintings illustrate Hyder and Tipu, splendidly attired on their elephants, supported by their army and the French mercenaries. The restoration was done using the preparatory paintings for referencing and is attributed to one of the commanding officers who attended the siege in 1799 — Wellesley, later 1st Duke of Wellington, known for his military prowess.



History buffs will be interested in the paintings’ provenance: it was reportedly acquired around 1802 by Captain John William Freese, a member of the Madras Artillery, who played an important role in the siege of Seringapatam in 1799. The same year he was appointed by General Stuart as Commissary of Stores at Seringapatam. By descent the paintings went to 6th Earl of Lanesborough (grandson of Captain Freese) and remained in the family for a further 100 years until they were sold as part of a group lot in the Swithland Hall Estate Sale in 1978.

(A New York based independent trend writer, Raj S. Rangarajan reports on the art market and auto shows and reviews films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; and India.)

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RAJ S. RANGARAJAN

Continued Vibrancy Seen at NY Fall Auction

RAJ S. RANGARAJAN

At the contemporary art sale in New York in mid-September, works by Indian artists held center stage at Christie's and Sotheby's with two artists creating auction records for their work. Bhupen Khakhar's Muslims Around a Mosque II, 2001(180 cm x 120 cm - oil on canvas depicting a mosque's environs) sold for $650,000 at more than twice the high estimate and Arpita Singh's Munna Apa's Garden, 1989 (158.1 cm x 173.4 cm - oil on canvas that shows the artist's milder side) was bought by an Indian collector for $506,500 at three times the high estimate. Singh (73) was born in West Bengal and studied art in New Delhi. She painted Bengali folk paintings in the '80s and took up oils in the '90s.

Auctioneers, collectors and galleries are upbeat about the vibrancy in the art market in spite of a sluggish recovery in other areas of the economy. With provenances for quality art items being recognized and appreciated, newer clients are seen investing in art. Lately, international institutions have gotten into the act of collection.

S. H. Raza and F. N. Souza were the $1 million-plus artists this Fall season with younger artists, Rashid Rana and T.V. Santhosh (both 1968-born) also creating a buzz among art lovers. Rana's Red Carpet III, 2007 (chromogenic print and Diasec mounted: 133 cm x 183 cm), in pixels of thousands of tiny digitized images, initially tends to crowd one's thoughts but soon, with concentration, one comprehends vividly what the artist is trying to convey. An American bought it for $182,500. Santhosh's Untitled oil, 2008 (122 cm x 183 cm.) that sold for $110,500, depicts in his customary red-and-green a common subject such as war with contemplative imagery.

In keeping with his signature installations dealing with everyday images such as stainless steel pans in households, Subodh Gupta's Two Cows that shows bronze, aluminium and chrome milk cans was bought by an European bidder for $542,500 against a high estimate of $350,000. Says the artist, "The bicycle is like a mechanized cow in the city.?in the country if I wanted milk, I would go to the cows to get it; in the city it is delivered to you by bicycle."

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(A New York based independent trend writer, Raj S. Rangarajan reports on the art market and auto shows and reviews films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; and India.)

Vibrancy Returns to Autumn Asian Art Auctions

by Raj S. Rangarajan

NEW YORK—The fall Asian art sales in New York, held Sept. 14–17, realized $98.4 million, with Christie’s contributing $70.75 million while Sotheby’s total was $27.65 million. Last year’s total was $77 million, of which Christie’s sales accounted for $57.3 million and Sotheby’s contributed $19.3 million (ANL, 9/22/09).

Christie’s Asian art categories were: South Asian Modern and contemporary art ($7.54 million), Indian and Southeast Asian art ($3.98 million); Japanese and Korean art including arts of the Meiji period ($3.68 million); Chinese ceramics and works of art ($34.11 million); the Sze Yuan Tang archaic bronzes from the Anthony Hardy collection ($20.75 million); and Chinese works including objects from the Arthur M. Sackler collections ($686,000).

Theow Tow, deputy chairman of Christie’s Americas and honorary chairman of Christie’s Asia said, “This season’s sales have shown the market for Asian art . . . remains extremely vibrant, with clients from Asia continuing to participate strongly just as American and European buyers were equally active.”

Seven-Figure Sums for Raza, Souza

At the South Asian modern and contemporary sale, works by contemporary Indian artists such as Subodh Gupta, T.V. Santhosh, Rashid Rana, Atul Dodiya, and Anju Dodiya did well.

La Terre, 1985, an acrylic by Syed Haider Raza (b. 1922), sold for $1.93 million, (estimate: $2 million/2.5 million), and an oil, Untitled (Large Head) by Francis Newton Souza (1924–2002), 1962, was bought by a U.S. collector for $1.43 million (estimate: $1.2 million/1.8 million). Two Cows by Gupta (b. 1964), 2005, an installation made of bronze and aluminum with chrome, was bought for $542,500 (estimate: $280,000/350,000), and an oil on canvas, Untitled (Durga) by Manjit Bawa (1941–2008), was bought by a U.S. trade buyer for $314,500 (estimate: $200,000/250,000).

Hugo Weihe, international director of Asian art and international specialist head, South Asian modern and contemporary art in New York, said that new clients entered the market “at a very high level, demonstrating confidence in a category that is well established. The sale saw lively bidding by international buyers in the room, on the telephone, and online, with strong participation from international institutions.”

In the Indian and Southeast Asian art category, a Roman silver Kantharos, Gandhara, ca. late 1st century b.c., was bought by an unidentified Asian institution for $434,500 (estimate: $150,000/250,000), and a gilt bronze figure of Vajrasattva, Mongolia, Zanabazar School, 18th century sold for $314,500 (estimate: $200,000/300,000). Sandhya Jain Patel, Indian and southeast Asian art specialist, said that “the auction attracted U.S. and Asian institutions, who were among the buyers of the top ten lots and represent a diversity of interests throughout the sale.”

In the Japanese and Korean art sales, a Joseon Dynasty, 1901, eight-panel screen, ink and color on silk—Royal Banquet for the Celebration of the 50th Birthday of the Emperor Gojong—was sold for $842,500 (estimate: $300,000/350,000).
Sotheby’s $27.65 million total included sales of Chinese ceramics and works of art ($15.17 million), South Asian art ($7.54 million) and Chinese snuff bottles from the Joe Grimberg collection ($4.93 million).

At Sotheby’s South Asian art sale, work by Indian artists Bhupen Khakhar (1934–2003) and Arpita Singh (b. 1937) set new records. Khakhar’s Muslims Around a Mosque II, 2001, sold for $650,500 (estimate: $150,000/250,000) and Singh’s oil Munna Apa’s Garden, 1989, was bought by an Indian bidder for $506,500 (estimate: $100,000/150,000). Also attaining a record price was a miniature opaque watercolor heightened with gold on paper, an illustration to the Gita Govinda: Radha Proceeds to Her Tryst with Krishna, 1780, which fetched $290,500 (estimate: $150,000/250,000). Cinq Sens (Five Senses), 1958, by M.F. Husain (b. 1915), was bought by an Indian bidder for $782,500 exceeding the $500,000/700,000 estimate.

Citing the sale’s “exceptional results,” Zara Porter Hill, international head of Indian art at Sotheby’s, said, “Competitive international bidding resulted in more than half the lots sold achieving prices in excess of high estimates.”

My Name is Khan and “I am not a Terrorist.”

Ultimate Bollywood » Bollywood Features » 2010

The film My Name is Khan is particularly relevant this week on the occasion of the 9th anniversary of 9/11. It is particularly befitting with the recent release of the DVD of the film -- first Bollywood production to gross $4 million.

by Raj S. Rangarajan

How five months make a world of difference. When My Name is Khan was released early in Spring this year Bollywood-watchers were waiting with trepidation – if not suspense – whether this film which such an obvious title would make it big at the box office. Now, after 150 days the Shah Rukh Khan-Kajol starrer continues to raise eyebrows in terms of storyline and box office value.

The film from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is now available on DVD and on Amazon.com and is the top Bollywood film for 2010 with $4 million gross. According to Gitesh Pandya the film guru who monitors and reports on Bollywood films, My Name is Khan surpassed SRK’s earlier record of $3.6 million for Om Shanti Om, released in 2007. It is also director Karan Johar’s biggest film ever.

But, with the new controversy over the mosque to be built at Ground Zero in lower Manhattan hogging the headlines in some sections of the media with pro- and anti-Muslim adherents, its anybody’s guess as to how DVD sales will be affected.

SRK and Kajol deliver powerful performances in this romance that proves true love knows no boundaries. Shah Rukh Khan (Rizvan Khan), an Indian with a unique way of looking at his world and Kajol Devgan (Mandira Rathore), a vivacious single mother, are the main characters and their chemistry on the screen is well-known.

They form a special bond and fall in love against all odds, but fate and tragedy conspire to tear them apart. Just when it appears as though all hope is lost, Rizwan embarks on a remarkable journey across America to win back the love of his life.

Made with a sensitive touch, the movie carries a polarizing influence perhaps more because of the theme and title. The fact that Khan’s last name is Muslim is perhaps incidental but that’s not how some cinemagoers view the movie whether they live in downtown, New York or in downtown Murfreesboro, Tennessee where a mosque was recently vandalized.

The film is particularly relevant this week on the occasion of 9/11’s ninth anniversary. After September 11, 2001, more movies with a “terrorist” theme seem to sell better in the United States. Remember New York, the film, starring John Abraham and Katrina Kaif and Kurbaan 2009 with Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor.

After their mother’s passing in India, Rizvan’s younger brother, portrayed by Jimmy Shergill invites Rizvan to move to San Francisco. When Rizvan wants to marry Mandira who runs a successful hairdressing outfit, Jimmy’s character objects but never explains why. A major twist in the story occurs when Mandira’s son is beaten up in a playground by boys of Caucasian origin. Motives are attributed to the incident without adequate explanations even by the law enforcement authorities.

No investigation is conducted by anyone and soon the boy’s death is a closed chapter for the authorities. But, not for Mandira who has been personally affected. The racial profiling mindset in the movie is telling in that when Mandira declares, “if my son’s name was Rathore – not Khan – he would have been alive.”

People who experience overt discrimination in some degree or other can relate to this movie directly. Each parent and child in North America has his or her own defence mechanism to deal with such real-life situations and this movie drives close to home. One cannot judge whether the incident was racially-motivated or whether it was the effect of a smaller boy – a South Asian kid – taking on a bigger boy, who happened to be Caucasian.

While Rizvan Khan is constantly muttering that he is not a terrorist but wants to meet the American president it is never explained why he wishes to meet the leader. Is it because his mother had inculcated in him a desire to do so? Or is it because Mandira, in a fit of pique, challenges him to do so. Kajol sparkles as usual and SRK tends to overact.

The Director’'s and cameramen'’s subtle nuances are touching. Niranjan Iyengar'’s dialogue is pithy and cinematographer, Ravi K. Chandran has proven once again that he is a classy performer.

An uplifting story of understanding and tolerance, the movie is mostly shot in San Francisco and runs 185 minutes. The DVD is closed-captioned and carries subtitles in English, Spanish and French ideal for any weekend viewing.

[Raj S. Rangarajan is a New York based freelance writer. He covers trend stories on art, reviews books and films for media based in New York, Toronto, Republic of Korea and India.]

Seven crores for sperm elephant sculpture

Retail Plus Chennai














Continuing the bullish trend in contemporary art sales Sotheby’s London recorded yet another successful auction recently. Among the impressive results was Bharti Kher’s life-sized female Indian elephant sculpture – The Skin Speaks a Language not its Own – that established not only a record for the artist but also a new record for any work by a contemporary female Indian artist at an auction. The 142 x 456.2 x 195 cm masterpiece sold for INR 7.1 crores (£993,250 or USD 1.5 million).

In this work that took ten months to create in her Gurgaon studio, Bharti focused on every fold and recess of the sunken pachyderm form and meticulously contoured it in intricately arranged patterns of thousands of “bindis” that organically swarm across the beast in a second skin.

The interesting twist is that Bharti’s bindis are sperm-shaped and on close observation one sees millions of swimming images that constitute a tired elephant about to recline. The artist easily combines two recognised, but powerful symbols of India – the Indian bindi and the Indian elephant. Her other well-known colourful bindi arrangement on a painted board is “Untitled” and adorns a gallery in the UK.














Emphasizing the importance of this sculpture, Director and Head of Sotheby’s Indian Art Department, Zara Porter-Hill said, “Despite our familiarity with elephants, nothing prepares the viewer for the emotional experience of seeing Bharti Kher’s elephant – huge and incongruous in the gallery space. With her head resting on her front foot, she is brought down to our level and the glassy black eye entreats a communion and proximity rarely encountered in the wild.”

Forty-year-old, Bharti was born in London, England, studied at the Middlesex Polytechnic, Cat Hill, London and did her B.A. Honours in Fine Art and Painting at Newcastle Polytechnic. Interestingly, Bharti’s is a reverse case of the émigré moving to India from the UK at age 23. The Indian milieu of having been in Delhi since 1993 has undoubtedly helped Bharti excel in her chosen endeavour though admittedly, in today’s global art marketplace where one pitches one’s tent is perhaps irrelevant.

The fact that she is married to renowned artist Subodh Gupta, known for his unique stainless utensils art, is perhaps incidental.

(A New York based independent trend writer, Raj S. Rangarajan reports on the art market and auto shows and reviews films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; Seoul, Korea and India.)

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RAJ S RANGARAJAN

Tagore's art creates records in London

Continued confidence in the Indian market and the ever-growing appetite for contemporary art both in India and elsewhere were in evidence when lively bidding between art collectors and trade buyers helped boost sales of South Asian art at Sotheby's, London two weeks ago.

Twelve of Tagore's paintings, portraits and landscapes were sold for £1.6 million (Rs. 11.13 crores). First time to appear at an auction, these Tagore pieces were part of the Dartington Hall Trust, a charitable organization based in South Devon in the UK. Tagore's Untitled (Portrait of a Woman) a watercolor and colored ink on paper, signed 'Rabindra' and dated '38' in Bengali, that measures 49.5 x 40 cm. (19-1/2 x 15-3/4) created a record for the late artist and sold at seven times the high estimate for £313,250 (Rs. 21.54 crores). The previous auction record for a work by Tagore for his Death Scene was £144,500 at Sotheby's in May 2008.

Most Indians know Rabindranath Tagore as a poet, philosopher and songwriter and perhaps as the first Indian Nobel Prize winner for literature (1913). But, did you know that Tagore took to creating art when he was 70?

At the auction, yet another Indian artist Somnath Hore (1921-2006) also created a record with his The Khajani Player, 1995 that was bought by an Indian collector for £157,250 (10.81 crores). The bronze sculpture that measures 125 x 96 cm (49-1/4 x 37-3/4 ) graphically details the strains a musician has to endure. But the top seller was an acrylic on canvas, painted in 1979-81 - Rajasthan - by Syed Haider Raza (b. 1922) that sold at £517,250 (Rs. 35.57 crores). About 48 inches square Raza's vibrant splash of orange and pink reminds one of Jaipur, the pink city.

Englishman Leonard Elmhirst was a close friend of Tagore's in the United States and after graduating from Cornell University in 1921, traveled to India to become Tagore's secretary. He and his wife Dorothy purchased an estate in Dartington to promote Tagore's interest in art, education and social reconstruction, subjects very close to Leonard's heart as well.

Holly Brackenbury, Deputy Director of Indian Art at Sotheby's, said, proceeds from these sales will be part of an investment for developing art and sustainability initiatives. The trust will celebrate Tagore's 150th birth anniversary between May 1 and 7 next year.

(A New York based independent trend writer, Raj S. Rangarajan reports on the art market and auto shows and reviews films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; Seoul, Korea and India.)

Pictures courtesy: Sotheby's
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Raavan or Raavanan: Film Review, July 2010

Toronto, Canada

Raavan or Raavanan – The Film Makes one Think

Raj S. Rangarajan

NEW YORK: When one thinks of a Bollywood film one normally associates it with escapism, with fun or fantasy or both. So, when the film Raavan (Hindi) or Raavanan (Tamil) came along, one was forced to wear one’s thinking cap and wonder what exactly was director Mani Ratnam trying to convey.
In a first-of-its-kind, live experience with the actors and maker of Raavan, thanks to Cisco technology’s TelePresence – media from New York, Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi and Dubai could see and hear clearly, in real-time, face-to-face interactions between participants: Director Mani Ratnam and Tamil actor Vikram in Chennai and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan in Mumbai, thousands of miles away.

To a question Ratnam explained why he was not into sending messages to society at large. “I am not providing any message, I merely share an emotion, share a thought, share laughter, that’s what we do.” The director has stretched the 138-minute film a bit to live up to the title since the 14-year Ramayana analogy had to be adapted to 14 days for the movie. The allegory is clear. You have the forest, the intrigue, the 14 years, the name of the film, the locations and the usual connection between good and evil except that one is left wondering whether good really triumphs over evil or is it love that conquers.

Ratnam suggests, one should see Raavan or Raavanan from Ragini's (Aishwarya) point of view. (She plays the same role in both: Hindi and Tamil.) Wife of a police inspector, Ragini has clear views on right and wrong. In her journey there is the hunter and the hunted and with roles and characters constantly changing, one wonders if the hunted becomes the hunter. The battle between good and evil continues, and when the lines between them tend to blur one wonders whom to favor: the cops (Inspector Dev played by Prithviraj in Hindi and Vikram in Tamil) or a tribal chief Beera Munda (Abhishek in Hindi) or Veeraiya (Vikram in Tamil) who fancies Ragini.

Actor Govinda could have been used better in the Hindi version. He pops up suddenly (like Hanuman) specially when he has to help the inspector-husband, Dev, who sees himself as the law, the punisher and the righteous. The untamed but popular tribal leader kidnaps Ragini, (an epitome of conscience and beauty) to avenge abuse of his sister played by Priyamani (Jamuna in Hindi and Vennila in Tamil) by the inspector’s men. Aishwarya shows emotion in a few scenes and Abhishek's effort at emotional conflict is commendable.

Both, the Tamil and Hindi versions were above par though Vikram, the Tamil actor (as Dev) has performed better than Abhishek in the same role. Ratnam brushed aside Vikram’s initial hesitation about playing Dev in Hindi. Says Vikram, “The most difficult thing for me was the Hindi version, I didn’t want to do it, but “Mani-sir” said, “You can do it and boosted my confidence.” Added Vikram, “I found every location beautiful. Wherever we went, we had to drive down in a car for two hours, then get into a jeep for an hour and walk for another 15 minutes, and the beautiful sites [in North India and South India] were visual treats.” Overall, it’s a plus for Vikram in two combative roles in the same movie.

Cinematographers Santosh Sivan and V. Manikandan have done a terrific job with some of the footage literally breathtaking: the collapsing bridge, rivals hanging literally to the bridge in adverse weather and a romantic ambience showing love-birds about to sit down for wine and dinner while overlooking soothing waters.

To another journo query, Abhishek responded, “I feel the audience will question themselves after this film. I think whenever I saw the rushes or when dubbing the film or even while performing, I think Mani as a director, was asking the audience, “what is right, what is wrong and who is to decide? What is right for Beera in the film is completely wrong for Dev. Who is to decide that Dev is right and Beera is wrong? What is right and what is wrong and who are we to judge?”

Talking of their relationship as a "married couple" a question arose about their credibility and chemistry on screen specially since in Raavan, the roles are adversarial. Aishwarya responded: “We all work together as a team to commit and to deliver. We are creating cinema. At that point, its not about personal equations, or what kind of relationship you share outside the set. We are all actors, we are all committed to the craft. That’s what it is all about. Abhishek joked, “I am not chasing her in the film, I have already kidnapped her.”

On differences between Hindi and Tamil versions, Ratnam said, “the idea was to make people see both versions and compare…essentially the same film but I do not believe in imposing that this is how a scene should be done, in terms of content and spirit, its the same.” Which has indeed come through in both the versions.

Its not a straightforward story of good triumphing over evil, there are wheels within wheels, and one needs to really think as to what is happening in today’s world – the dances and the costumes (Sabyas Achi) and the music (A.R. Rahman) notwithstanding. Some of the scenes where gruesomely symbolic (cutting off a coward’s hand) or shooting a defenseless man point blank. One wondered who was the torturer: the tribal or the cop?
_____________________________

[Raj S. Rangarajan is a New York based freelance writer. He covers trend stories on art, reviews books and films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; Seoul, Republic of Korea; and India. He can be reached at raj.rangarajan@gmail.com]

Tagore Paintings Top $2 Million At South Asian Art Sale

by Raj S. Rangarajan

NEW YORK—Sotheby’s sale of South Asian art in London on June 15 realized a total of £5.5 million ($8.1 million), with 12 paintings by Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941) selling for £1.6 million ($2.36 million)—a remarkable event considering that the artist is known more for his literature than his art. The auction was 90 percent sold by value and 78 percent sold by lot.

The top ten lots all sold at prices above estimates, with Tagore’s watercolor and colored ink drawing Untitled (Portrait of a Woman), 1938, selling for an artist-record £313,250 ($461,229), seven times the estimate of £30,000/40,000.

Holly Brackenbury, deputy director of Islamic and Indian Art at Sotheby’s, said the 12 Tagore paintings had “distinguished provenance” and had never appeared before on the open market. They were consigned by the Dartington Hall Trust to raise money for investment in the arts, social justice and sustainability, “issues that were very close to Tagore’s own heart,” Brackenbury said.

The first Asian ever to win a Nobel Prize for Literature, Tagore has long been lauded in India as a poet, novelist and musician. Born in Calcutta (now Kolkata), Tagore started painting later in life.

The top lot of the sale, however, was Rajasthan, 1979–81, an acrylic on canvas by Syed Haider Raza (b. 1922), which took £517,250 ($761,599) on a £300,000/500,000 estimate, followed by Untitled (Nude), 1955, an oil on board by Francis Newton Souza (1924–2002), which brought £373,250 ($549,573) on a £60,000/80,000 estimate. A record was set for Somnath Hore (1921–2006) when the bronze The Khajani Player, 1995, was purchased by an Indian private collector for £157,250 ($231,535), topping the estimate of £130,000/150,000. Zara Porter-Hill, director and head of South Asian art at Sotheby’s, said the “results demonstrate the continued confidence in the Indian market and the ever-growing appetite both in India and around the world for South Asian art. Bidding came from a healthy mix of private collectors and trade buyers and their interest produced lively bidding battles.”

Upbeat Results at Christie’s Hong Kong Spring Auctions

by Raj S. Rangarajan

NEW YORK—The spring series of auctions at Christie’s in Hong Kong May 28–June 2 took in a total of HK$2.3 billion ($294 million). Sales of fine art totaled HK$994.6 million ($127.7 million), and records were set for works by Chinese, Japanese, Italian and Filipino artists. Last year’s sales of Asian art brought in a total of HK$401.2 million ($51.6 million) in comparison (ANL, 6/9/09).

The evening sale of Asian contemporary art and Chinese 20th-century art on May 29 was 100 percent sold both by lot and by value—a rare event. The 36-lot sale brought in a total of HK$303.4 million ($39 million). String Quartet, 1986, an oil on canvas by Chen Yifei (1946–2005), sold for ten times its estimate of HK$4 million/6 million, setting a new auction record for the artist. It was bought by an Asian trade buyer for HK$61.1 million ($7.9 million).

The second- and third-highest selling lots in the sale were both paintings by Sanyu: Vase of Lilies with Red Ground, 1940s (estimate: HK$12 million/18 million), and Pink Leopard, 1940s–’50s (estimate: HK$8 million/12 million), sold for above-estimate prices of HK$25.3 million ($3.25 million) and HK$21.9 million ($2.8 million), respectively. Three of the top ten lots were by Zao Wou-Ki (b. 1920). The oil 02-1-65, 1965, sold for HK$20.8 million ($2.7 million) on an HK$8 million/12 million estimate; 14-3-59, 1959, brought the same price against an estimate of HK$10 million/15 million. And 25-10-90, 1990, sold for HK$9.6 million ($1.2 million), within the estimate of HK$6.5 million/10 million.

Records were also set for Japanese artists Tomoko Konoike (b. 1960)—whose Chapter Three “Wreck,” 2005, a set of seven paintings, sold for HK$2.06 million ($266,000) on an estimate of HK$800,000/1.2 million—and Akira Yamaguchi (b. 1969), whose set of four paintings Shintenno (Jikokuten, Zochoten, Tamonten, Komokuten), 2006, was sold for HK$1.9 million ($239,096) against a HK$1.5 million/2.5 million estimate.

Eric Chang, Christie’s international director of Asian contemporary and Chinese 20th-century art, said, “With Asian buyers winning many of the lots among intensive international bidding, it is clear that collectors in the region are more sophisticated and diverse than ever before, and that the Hong Kong art market has now firmly established itself as a formidable hub in the contemporary art world.”

The day sale of Asian contemporary art yielded a total of HK$115 million ($14.76 million), with the top lot, Portrait of Andy Warhol, 2005, by Zeng Fanzhi (b. 1964), selling for HK$5.06 million ($649,704), three times the estimate of HK$1 million/1.5 million. A record was set for a work by Chinese artist Yu Youhan (b. 1943), whose Mao in an Easy Chair, 1992, sold for HK$4.2 million ($541,848), 14 times the HK$200,000/300,000 estimate. Records were also set for works by Ding Yi (b. 1962)—whose Appearance of Crosses, ca. 1990s, sold for HK$4.10 million ($526,440), six times the estimate of HK$400,000/600,000—and Guan Yong (b. 1975), whose Do You Know? We are so distressed, 2007, fetched HK$2.4 million ($310,728) on a HK$1.2 million/2.2 million estimate. Liu Wei’s Landscape, 2006, sold for HK$4.6 million ($588,700) on a HK$1.5 million/2 million estimate, and Zhang Xiaogang’s Bloodline Series, 1997, sold for HK$4.1 million ($526,000) against a HK$2.5 million/3.5 million estimate.

The day sale of Chinese 20th-century art on May 30 brought in a total of HK$105 million ($13.5 million), and was 80 percent sold by lot and 91 percent sold by value. Zao again dominated the high end of the sale, with six out of the top ten lots. All brought higher-than-expected prices, the highest being for La course de Chevaux (Horse Racing), 1952, which sold for HK$5.4 million ($695,928) on a HK$1.5 million/2 million estimate, followed by 3-1-61, 1961, which took HK$4.8 million ($618,888) on a HK$2.4 million/3.2 million estimate.

The sale of Chinese modern paintings on May 28 totaled HK$215.1 million ($27.6 million). Lady Holding Lotus, 1954, a scroll painting by Zhang Daqian (1899–1983), sold to a Chinese collector for HK$14.1 million ($1.81 million), more than four times the estimate of HK$2 million/3 million. Cormorants, 1935, a scroll painting by Xu Bei Hong (1895–1953), sold for HK$13.5 million ($1.74 million) against an identical estimate. Ben Kong, Christie’s international specialist head of Chinese paintings, said the “sales showed continuing strength with active bidding, with many lots going well over the high estimates.”

The sale of Southeast Asian modern and contemporary art on May 30 brought in a total of HK$44.5 million ($5.7 million). The top lot was Young Balinese Girl with Hibiscus, 1939, by Italian painter Romualdo Locatelli (1905–43), which set an artist record, selling to an Asian collector for HK$6 million ($773,000) against an estimate of HK$2.2 million/3.2 million. The oil on canvas was one of the first portraits the artist painted in Bali. Lavenderas, 1923, by Filipino painter Fernando Cueto Amorsolo (1892–1972), also set a record, selling for HK$3.4 million ($437,000) against an estimate of HK$300,000/500,000.

The sale of Chinese classical paintings and calligraphy on May 28 totaled HK$115.9 million ($14.9 million), led by Birds and Flowers, 1748, by Hua Yan (1682–1756) which sold for HK$19.1 million ($2.45 million), three times estimate. The Young Hercules, 1732, by Leng Mei (17th–18th century) sold for HK$16.9 million ($2.17 million), 11 times the high estimate.

The Songde Tang Collection of Chinese modern paintings took in HK$95.7 million ($12.3 million), and was 95 percent sold by lot, 99 percent by value. The top lot, Amaranth, Crickets, Persimmon and Peaches, a scroll by Qi Baishi (1863–1957), sold for HK$10.6 million ($1.36 million) on an estimate of HK$800,000/1 million.

Interviews of Mani Ratnam, Aishwarya, Abhishek, Vikram: Raavan, June 11, 2010

Ultimate Bollywood » Bollywood Features » 2010

Abhishek is wonderful to work with as an actor - Aishwarya

by Raj S. Rangarajan

In a first-of-its-kind, live experience with the actors and maker of the movie Raavan - being released all over the world, June 18, journalists from New York, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and Dubai were treated to rare, candid footage. The occasion was a promo for the 138-minute movie being released simultaneously in Hindi and Tamil. Thanks to Cisco technology's TelePresence - we could see and hear clearly, in real-time, face-to-face interactions between participants: Director Mani Ratnam and actor Vikram in Chennai and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan in Mumbai, thousands of miles away.

Marked by interesting discussions, the interviews were laced with free-flowing friendly banter, and camaraderie much of it unstructured but interesting and informative. For instance, did you know that Mani Ratnam was not into sending subtle messages to the public at large through his films, but primarily to entertain; or that as a couple Abhishek and Aishwarya are constantly complementing each other which is perhaps a great quality, or that Aishwarya tends to break into peels of laughter when completing a sentence thus preventing us from hearing the end of the sentence; or that for Aishwarya, it was a toss-up between pursuing her studies in architecture or joining the film industry. "If not for Mani Ratnam I would have been in architecture."

Did you know that "Mani-sir" as Mani Ratnam is affectionately known in the industry had to advise "AB" as he calls Abhishek, to loosen up and not be constantly "propah" all the time. Says Mani, "actually when I made the first film with Abhishek, I was very, very worried that he was a proper, straightforward guy, so I asked him to learn to use bad words; I didn't know (however) there was a "monster" inside!"

Mani Ratnam suggests, one should see Raavan from Ragini's (Aishwarya) point of view. An ordinary woman who has clear views on right and wrong. In her journey there is the hunter and the hunted and with roles constantly changing, characters keep changing, and the hunted becomes the hunter. The battle between good and evil continues, and when the lines between them tend to blur one wonders whom to favor: whether the cops or the residents of a jungle in North India, whether a police inspector, Dev or a tribal chief, Beera who fancies Ragini. And, love is the battle that nobody seems to win, but everyone fights for. Cinematographers Santosh Sivan and V. Manikandan and A.R. Rahman's music are exemplary, not to ignore the editing and dance scenes.

Literal Cliffhangers

To a question to the two men about the tough cliff-hanging scenes, Vikram said, "the worst was the Hindi dubbing, not the fights." But, Abhishek said, "I wasn't apprehensive at all. I was the complete opposite, I was looking forward to this stuff, because, if we are doing this active stuff like sliding down a cliff, we were not "doing the scene" though I regretted it for four days after that since I couldn't sit properly, but anything to get out of the scene was good enough for us. I was happy with no dialogues."

Journalist: You have been working with Abhishek for quite some time now. How do you actually see yourself as a couple on screen? How do you critique your performances with him?
Aishwarya: Wow, that's intense. I don't know, its suddenly making me want to say that we do.
Abhishek: We don't need to critique ourselves. We have other people to do it for us. (laughter). As a wife she has always been very supportive and has been equally supporting as a co-star; I have always said, she's one of the few co-stars who is very interactive; she's known to stand behind the camera and give off-camera dialogues."

Talking of their relationship as a "married couple" a question arose about their credibility and chemistry on screen specially since in Raavan, the roles are adversarial.
Aishwarya responded: We all work together as a team to commit and to deliver. We are creating cinema. At that point, its not about personal equations, or what kind of a relationship you share outside off the set. We are all actors, we are all here to commit to a craft. That's what it is all about. Abhishek joked, "I am not chasing her in the film, I have already kidnapped her."

In a related question, according to Abhishek, Ragini, in Raavan is Aishwarwa's best performance to date. Before that I felt, her performance in Guru was exceptional, and never got the due it deserved. In Guru, Mithun-da and she were by far the best in the film. My character was also tough but I got the easier part. But in Raavan, she has blown the Guru performance out of the water, pun fully intended. "I think, its amazing, despite physically going through whatever she does as a character in the film, hold on to your the dignity and still maintain her character as a strong person, its easy to become a whiner in such a situation."

Aishwarya returned the compliment soon with "Abhishek is wonderful to work with as an actor. I have always believed he is a very free actor, he is somebody who is ready to go out there, dive right in and accept roles and characters in a variety of genre, without limiting himself...what I like is, he works as a team member, working like all of us, under the guidance and fulfilling the director's vision, and that's what gives us absolute joy working together." Coming back to your basic question, "We don't rate each other...we enjoy working with each other as co-actors."

Rough Going As a Tribal

To a question as to what he discovered about himself, Abhishek in a lighter note said, "What I learnt was very scientific actually. I learnt that reverse osmosis can happen with the human skin. And we do prune up after 15 minutes in the water. There is no such thing as water retention, and that snakes can swim apart from sea-snakes, and rats may attack human beings, also that leeches are in the habit of getting into rather uncomfortable areas!"

But, on a serious note, Abhishek added: "I am not trying to be over-sentimental. When you have love and respect for someone like Mani, I would be willing to do whatever he said, and I stick to that. I know the three actors sitting in this room, and because of our love and respect for Mani - no matter what he told us to do - we would do it with a smile on our face, for love of the craft. Mani is never going to allow us to do anything that he is not 100% sure of in terms of our safety. We conveniently stood on dry land and I have photos of Mani standing in the waterfall while the entire unit was running for shelter. And, he would stand there the whole day."

Continuing the compliment, Abhishek says, "Mani leads by example. Nothing is impossible, nothing is a difficult task, Mani would be at the location way ahead of you. One would notice his very protective expression every time, we were doing these impossible tasks. Mani will be there, totally concerned, extremely protective, and that's what we were constantly reassured of, when we work with someone like him. There is the love, there is the caring, well-looked after personally and as actors. We feel honored to work with him, we do films because we believe in it, I believe in Mani Ratnam, I love his cinema, I love the work he gives me and have a great time working with him, I like to believe that in me, he sees an actor who can fulfill his vision. He's a story-teller, I am an actor, and we work for the audience and they are the most important. We are here for the audience, we are not here to satisfy our egos."

Iruvar to Raavan

When asked about her journey from her first Tamil film, Iruvar to Raavan, Aishwarya let it flow: "My journey has been a wonderful journey, and have been very grateful for the kind of work I have had and hopefully, learning something from Mani my first guru, my first teacher will really be the one to throw more light. After Iruvar, getting to working with a film titled Guru couldn't have been more apt."

Asked to rate Mani Ratnam's role in her career, Aishwarya said, "Even before I got to work with him, I was more than thankful, it was a godsend that he even called on me, I couldn't believe it because I was a fan. Across borders people absolutely love his cinema, It will not be fair to rate him at all in any kind of role. His cinema itself speaks volumes, as an audience to enjoy his creativity, and as actors, to have gotten the opportunity as creative people we thoroughly enjoy it and cherish it."

To a question whether the two actors, Abhishek and Vikram who played the same role compared notes, Abhishek responded, "I have always been the kind of actor who likes the villain. I am a team player, I like a collaborative effort, and "Kenny-sar" (Vikram's other name) is someone I have huge amount of respect for. I have seen all his films and he's somebody I look up to him to as an actor. I would be foolish if I didn't consult him and seek his guidance on the set.

Q to actors: What do you think the audience will take away from this movie?
Vikram: I agree. All of us have put in a lot of hard work, and it's a very inspired film. Even while working in the film I forgot that I was an actor, I just felt, I was part of the film, I wanted to watch every aspect of the movie, its making, I felt like I was like in a workshop, knowing so much more about cinema, something told me, I am not even thinking of the commercial viability of the film. I just saw it as a lovely experience, and I know that everyone watching the film is gonna take away that feeling, they are going to go home, thinking and wondering what this film is all about, the sounds, the visuals, the shots, it could be just the drama between the three of us, or the performances.
Aishwarya: It has been a work of passion by the entire team, we obviously make our films for the audience, not for private viewing, so you hope that you enjoy and cherish the experience of the entire film as much as we all did making it.
Abhishek: I also feel the audience will question themselves after this film. I think whenever I saw the rushes or when dubbing the film or even while performing, I think Mani, as a director, is asking the audience the question, and the question is, "what is right, what is wrong and who is to decide? What is right for Beera in the film is completely wrong for Dev. Who is to decide that Dev is right and Beera is wrong? Or, the other way around? What is right and what is wrong and who are we to judge? And, should we be judging? View a situation from a particular point of view before judging and then view it from another person's point of view before passing judgment on that. That's what I took away after performing in this film."

When Mani Ratnam Calls You Answer

Q for all 3 actors:
When Mani Ratnam calls, you never refuse. So, what does he do as a director to each of you? What happens on the set? You have all worked with so many other directors, but some of your best performances are with Mani. What does he find within you?
Aishwarya: Working with Mani firstly whets your appetite, your hunger as an actor, as a creative person, he feeds that hunger and then only builds your appetite. Each time you work with him, one feels, so much work, so much to learn, so much more to do and feeds that urge for creative satisfaction, he really encourages, it is demanding whether physically, creatively, whatever it is, but at the end of the day, one feels that you have done some good work. You come away giving a part of yourself to creativity and of course learning from him as an experience. But then it spoils you, and he only wants more. That's how it working with Mani Ratnam each time.
Abhishek: My answer is a lot simpler. The first time I worked with Mani, and the first time it was released, I saw Yuva, I said, really, I can do that? Did I really do that? Mani has always given me this huge boost in confidence as a creative person or as an artist, and I am convinced that Mani knows me better than I do myself. He knows my boundaries and my potential much better than myself. To be very honest, be it Lalit Singh of Yuva or Gurukant Desai of Guru, or Beera of Raavan, had anybody else offered me that role, I would have said, "No, way, I can't do that, nor would I have dared to perform that role."

Vikram: Since college I have always felt, if only I do a movie with Mr. Mani Ratnam, I can actually retire after that, but I take that back now. My priorities are very different I want to be with this master craftsman, this fantastic director, I want to do a film with him, take Nayakan or Agni Nakshatram or Mouna Raagam, and as I was growing up as an artiste and got into movies, I realized he had already sent up a benchmark, specially in Tamil cinema or even in Indian cinema. When working with him I realized, he is just not thinking of all that, he is always being innovative, he is always thinking on his feet, he kinda pushes the envelope every time, and when I watched the film being made, this man is a genius who doesn't know that. We have to constantly remind him of that. He doesn't want to hear that even now. Here's a man who is actually treating Raavan as his first film... like do-or-die, this film is going to make my career, is what he thinks. When I work with him I realize that it's just direction, it could be sound, an audio release, something that he does has to be different, think about him, everyone is looking up to him, and every time he has to do something different, and he does it, and even with Raavan, he has really done it this time. I think it was such a pleasure and honor working with him.
Aishwarya: Actually Mani Ratnam helped me make a decision to join films. I used to be very confused, I was getting offers, the day I knew there was a possibility of working with Mani Ratnam, the genius director that he is, kinda decided it for me. I didn't even think of pursuing my education in architecture. He's the reason why I am in movies today.

DVDs and Commentaries

Q to Mani Ratnam:
With so few scripts that come out published as books today, I mean, there's Kandukondain, Three Idiots recently, so few DVDs with directors' commentaries, e.g., Taare Zameen Par, Om Shanti Om, I am just wondering why do you think that both of these are lacking so much in Hindi, Tamil, basically most Indian cinema. Will you do a commentary track on the DVD for Raavan?
Mani Ratnam: I think, most of the time when you finish a film, you are so relieved to get out of the film, that you don?t want to get back there and work on the commentary on it again, one needs a little gap, a little distance before you do it. But, I think, it will start happening, things are changing and if scripts are getting published, commentaries are adding value, more and more people are seeing films on DVD, and its good to be able to share something more than just the drama that we see on screen. Eventually, all of us will have to do that to make the film wholesome.

Q: Any specific differences between the Tamil and Hindi versions?
Mani Ratnam:The idea was to make people see both versions, compare similarities and differences... there will be differences...and that too two different actors and with two different approaches. Essentially the same film but I do not believe in imposing that this is how a scene should be done...but if he they put themselves into the character, and get that out, which both of them actually have done, so, there will be that difference in language, also in the Tamil version, and some words will be different which is right for each of the languages, but essentially in terms of content, in terms of the spirit, it is the same.

Q: You have done several films with complex roles. How does this role compare to some of the other movies?
Abhishek: All previous roles put into one, and amplified by 100: that is Beera of Raavan, he is completely wild, crazy, unpredictable, I have run out of words to describe the man, definitely the most challenging film and character that I have ever done. And the wonderful thing is, I said the same thing when I did Guru, said the same thing when I did Yuva. I love that about Mani; he is always giving me career-defining work, he's always giving me work that I am still remembered by, and I really feel, Beera is bigger and hopefully, will be better than the previous two.

Aparajit to Raavan

Q to Vikram: From Aparajit to Raavan, what difference have you seen in Hindi films over the years? Do you think it?s a good experience, a pleasant one? Would we see you in more Hindi films after Raavan?
Vikram: Actually, Aparajit was a dubbed version of a Tamil film called Anniyan. There, I had to be very dramatic but underplayed but in Raavan I could show my dramatic talent. I didn't really direct contact with the Hindi film world then. Because of the variety of roles that are available now one has to look up to Hindi films, and we have started loving films such as Paa, and Cheeni Kum, which are so very different. I often wonder why we can't make a Laagan in South India? We have had people like Mani-sar who have always done great films. As regard the future I'll wait for another day, if another Raavan or a Aparajit happens, and if Mani-sar calls me I am always there.

Q to Abhishek and Vikram: What is one favorite quality of the character you play in Raavan?
Vikram: I would say, he is very volatile, which in the sense is not one quality, I love that. Most of the scenes, Mani-sar would say...Sometimes we'll be in a serious tone, sometimes very melodramatic, then Mani would say, why don't you try all the serious tones, since we may have to be high on emotion, or flat. Beera had to be a flat or a minor, but I liked that thing about him. Something I had never been able to do with any other characters I have done.
Abhishek: I would agree with Kenny-sar (read Vikram). The greatest quality about Beera was that he was directed by Mani Ratnam.

Q: What was the most challenging experience? What was the most beautiful experience?
Aishwarya: This movie will be the most beautiful experience which we all will treasure for ever. The most difficult part was we were challenged creatively, and submitting to what he is looking for creatively. The entire team, the crew, the setting guys, the lights guys, everybody is the true hero of this film.
Vikram: The most difficult thing for me was the Hindi version, I didn't want to do it, but Mani said, "You can do it." And gave me some confidence. I found every location beautiful. Wherever we went, we had to drive down into a car for two hours, then get into a jeep for an hour and walk for another 15 minutes, I have seen some of the most beautiful sites such as Malshei Ghats or Orchha or Arjunkali, and the movie itself was such a visual treat.

To a question if Mani Ratnam was tacking current issues and providing a message and providing entertainment, the director emphasized, "I am not providing a message, I merely share an emotion, share a thought, share laughter, that's what we do."

In relation to working with A.R. Rahman for the music composition of Raavan, Ratnam said, "it was just like working with him for Roja, no different, I think he was as brilliant then as he is now, and is as easy and as difficult to work with then and as he is now. He is more and more into it, and the more he wants to do, the more he is willing to experiment, try something lateral, something unconventional. His understanding of cinema is very good and every time he is able to do something different to push the envelope."

[Raj S. Rangarajan is a New York based independent writer. He covers trend stories on art, reviews books and films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; Seoul, Republic of Korea; and India. He can be reached at raj.rangarajan@gmail.com]

Contemporary art values upwardly mobile, The Hindu, May 30, 2010

Indian artists engender discussion in a market where 'buying' has been a positive index.


It's May, temperatures are warming up all over and contemporary Indian art is hot again. In art capitals - London, New York and Hong Kong - artists of Indian and Chinese origin have been performing exceedingly well on the "Buy" index from an art investor's standpoint.

The traditional and the modern are getting popular again and collectors and galleries are watching the art market with cautious optimism. At Aicon Gallery in New York an interesting art discussion examined the point of convergence and intellectual synergy between the Western Modernist avant-garde movement and Indian indigenous and tribal folk art.

Works from late artists Jamini Roy (1887-1972) and Jagdish Swaminathan (1928-1994) were among the displays. Originally from Bankura in West Bengal, Roy studied at Government School of Art in 1903 in what was then Calcutta. He was initially drawn to the Post-Impressionist genre of landscapes and portraits and when he was 38, Roy moved to pop bazaar art that was sold outside the Kalighat temple. He used to follow Van Gogh and Paul Cezanne before he went more individualistic. By 1930, he switched to indigenous materials using woven mats, cloth and wood coated with lime as his media.



Roy's Bengali folk paintings are well-known and among his favourite subjects were religious Hindu and Christian themes as also tribal Santhals in rural West Bengal. His St. Ann and the Blessed Virgin and Radha-Krishna themes were equally popular. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1955.

Simla-born Swaminathan was more multi-faceted initially in his career in that he tried to dabble in medicine, politics, writing and art till he settled down as an artist. He was with the Communist Party in 1948 and in 1966, published a magazine - Contra - with Mexican poet and Ambassador to India, Octavio Paz challenging then existent views of modernity through articles on art and aesthetics.

Marrying his wife Bhawani in 1955 was a steadying influence evidently for soon Swaminathan excelled as an artist and a writer of children's stories. Known for his simplistic imagery, Swaminathan's mastery of poignant space reflected an absence of clutter and a clinical portrayal of his thoughts. Swaminathan studied art in Delhi and at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Poland. During 1968-70, he was awarded the Nehru Fellowship for work on a project titled, The Significance of the Traditional Numen in Contemporary Art.

(A New York based independent trend writer, Raj S. Rangarajan reports on the art market and auto shows, reviews books and films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; Seoul and India.)

Kites: Soaring High This Week, South Asian Outlook, May 2010

Photo Courtesy: Kites - Official website


NEW YORK: It had all the trappings: the red carpet, the fawning crowds, popcorn and soda and the hero – Hrithik Roshan and heroine, Barbara Mori a Bollywood debutante. It was the premiere of Kites at a Times Square cinema hall last Sunday and after a late arrival for the event by an hour, the duo and Rakesh Roshan, producer and director Anurag Basu spoke briefly.

Said Hrithik, “After 2-1/2 years, this is it: we offer you Kites in 2 hours” – 130 minutes to be precise. Though earlier media reports speculated that Barbara may not be able to handle speaking in English she did so with panache.

Launched on Friday, May 21 on 1,800 cinema screens in India and over 500 screens overseas, the film produced by Rakesh Roshan and distributed by Reliance BIG Pictures (Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group) is reportedly the biggest ever global Indian release. Directed by Anurag Basu who made Gangster, the international cut was edited by Brett Ratner (Red Dragon).

A well-planned and executed film, Kites is fast-paced and delightfully unpredictable. One wonders if it’s a love story with action or an action film with amorous scenes featuring Hrithik, the handsome hunk and Barbara, the Uruguan-born, now Mexican-domiciled charmer.

Considered a conman who lives by his wits, Jai (Hrithik) marries girls who are “illegals” to make them legit. One of the girls he marries is Natasha (Barbara). Jai feels the pang of emotion and love when he suddenly notices Natasha in an under-water scene that qualifies as a “Eureka” moment. Regrettably she is already betrothed to Tony, son of a Las Vegas casino owner, played by Kabir Bedi. “Everyone in Vegas calls me Bob,” declares Bedi.

Tony (Australian Nick Brown) supplies the muscle for Kites and after he realizes that Barbara is actually interested in Jai, the chases and shootings begin, the toppling of vehicles from rigs when in motion and desperate, incredible acts of bravado follow. There is so much shooting that I wondered if I had wandered into an episode of the 1954 classic Vera Cruz with Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster.

In the interim, Gina (Kangana Ranaut) who has been learning the salsa dance from Jai is mad with him for spurning her and makes clear her intentions that what she wants she gets thanks to her powerful and influential dad who is capable of fixing anything including Jai’s future, and perhaps his face.

At one-on-one interviews, Rakesh Roshan was upbeat that for the first time, an international version of Kites is being released simultaneously. The International version runs for 90 minutes without songs or dance and this version is expected to be “racier, edgier and spunkier”.

To a query why he picked Anurag for directing Kites, Rakesh Roshan said, “I loved Anurag’s work in Gangster and was keen on his working on a larger project with Hrithik. “Why pick Barbara Mori” was the next question. Rakesh Roshan said: “I was inspired by her role in the 2005 Spanish film, La mujer de mi hermano (My Brother’s Wife) and interestingly, when Barbara first read the Kites script she hadn’t known how to speak English.”

About why she chose to work on the film, Barbara said, “the script and the story; I was touched by the beautiful story between two human beings who fall in love even though they don’t speak the same language; it touched my heart and it was honest.”

For a 36-year-old, Hrithik Roshan seemed to turn philosopher early. He waxed eloquent about why he took on certain roles even if the film industry thought he shouldn’t from an image standpoint. In a refreshingly candid response, Hrithik said, “my career is not about Hollywood or Bollywood. I am an actor. If that takes me to a Chinese film, I’ll do a Chinese film. I am looking for something that reflects that side of me. If I can find a vehicle where I can vent some emotion, something that has touched me in my life, and I want to give it expression, or if I identify with the sensitivity of the language of a film, I’ll take that up, and try to explore my talent and my work, my art.”

Basu explained how kites became the metaphor for the film: Kites fly high against but not with the wind, and higher the wind, higher the flight. “I normally use a metaphor when writing, and the more the obstacles the couple faced, their love became stronger.”

Shot completely on location in Las Vegas, Sante Fe, New Mexico and Los Angeles, Hrithik said, “both of us did 90% of the stunt scenes.” To a question on why he continued to do actual dangerous scenes when he was recovering after knee surgery, the star spoke glowingly about “being honest to one’s craft” and calling. “I consider myself a slave to the vision in the head. If I can see it in my head then I have to work to make it happen, and that’s what life is about.”

Rajesh Roshan composed the music and Nasir Faraaz and Asif Ali Beg wrote the lyrics.

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[Raj S. Rangarajan is a New York based freelance writer. He covers trend stories on art, reviews books and films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; Seoul, Republic of Korea; and India. He can be reached at raj.rangarajan@gmail.com]

The Indian Small Car

Wide small car choices for motorists

Choice galore can confuse the small car buyer, and here is our overview.

The Indian motorist has never had it better: with international choices - Volkswagen (German), Ford Figo and Chevrolet Beat (American), Fiat Punto (Italian), Skoda Fabia, Honda Jazz or Tata Nano and several others - he or she is confused and perhaps conflicted. Understandably so. Should fuel efficiency trump safety or should German reputation score over styling?

With chock-a-block traffic a daily occurrence in major cities, is owning a fancy Benz better than a cost-efficient Nano? Quite often, buying a car is an emotional decision, howsoever one tries to defend it as being practical. Should we be swayed by slick advertising, or by a satisfied user's recommendation or by a trusted mechanic?

While one's practical side(Mars) urges us to think of family first in the form of air bags and antilock braking system or the 6-year anti-corrosion warranties, the Venus in each of us (emotional) wants to play on the wild side while dreaming of a Bluetooth receiver, MP3 player, power windows, halogen headlights, electronic anti-theft immobilizer, et al.

Priced at Rs.4.34 lakhs, The New Polo offers keyless central locking and tilt-and-telescopic steering. It has trademark German looks but Ford Figo is distinctly American. New Polo is more rounded and gives the impression of being roomy. The Chevrolet Beat, at a starting price of Rs. 3.34 lakhs, looks boxy and utilitarian with high steel strength and would be a worthy foil to the old Ambassadors that never seem to give up.

Fiat India is now offering a 1.2-litre petrol option, evidently to use the excise advantage as also the 1.3-litre Multi-jet (diesel) and the 1.4-litre Fire (petrol). The Active trim model will sell at Rs. 3.99 lakhs plus and the Fire Petrol at Rs. 4.66 lakhs. However, Ford's Chennai plant offers the 1.2-litre petrol engine and the 1.4-litre diesel and prices range from Rs. 3.49 to 4.48 lakhs depending on amount of extra bells and whistles (read frills).

In spite of recent complaints about fire hazards in some Nanos, the new entrant is bound to succeed as a lower-end vehicle, price-wise specially if the aspiring first-time car owner wishes to graduate from a two-wheeler to a four-wheeler or as a second car for the family.

With several modes of transport continuing to vie for attention on India's national highways and side streets, is the small car in India now the norm, specially with 70 percent of cars sold in the country being small cars? Or, are they a nuisance?

What is trickier however for the motorist in major cities is the challenge he or she faces when irresponsible drivers come straight at you: the larger the vehicle the greater the intimidation and when a small Nano challenges the Innova on a busy street it's virtually poetry in motion with its accompanying after-effects.

With so many small cars on the roads, isn't it time infrastructure improvement for arterial roads is put on the fast track with overnight shifts working to meet deadlines? Or is it too much to ask?

talktoretailplus@yahoo.com

(A New York based independent trend writer, Raj S. Rangarajan reports on the art market and car shows, and reviews films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; Seoul, Korea and India.)
RAJ S. RANGARAJAN

Desiclub.com Exclusive: Hrithik Roshan and Barbara Mori Interviews, May 14, 2010

Ultimate Bollywood » Bollywood Features » 2010

Kites, a Tribute to Honesty and Love: “Feel the Breeze on Your Face” says Hrithik. Throughout (shooting of) Kites, my dad has never been on the sets - Hrithik Roshan

Desiclub.com spoke with lead actors of Kites. For a 36-year-old, Hrithik Roshan, had a lot of "philosophical takes" on being an actor. Articulate, candid and serious-minded he reiterated his conviction that one should be honest to oneself in one's craft.

Barbara Mori worked as a model before studying acting at El Centro de Estudios de Formación Actoral, Mexico. Her acting debut was in the telenovela, "Al Norte del Corazón".? While there was initial speculation in the press and on blogs that Barbara didn't speak English, she turned out to be quite fluent.

Here is what they said:

Desiclub.com: Kites, being a different kind of film, how did you approach the script?
Hrithik: I had some unlearning to do. Training my mind to switch off - to let go; in my past films, I have done a lot of work where I knew was right - the right chord to hit and the reaction that it would evoke. There was this whole circle of this craft that was going off, but, sporadically in the middle, somewhere in Koi Mil Gaya and in Laksh I touched upon another area to this art.
I truly ventured out and enjoyed the flight of an actor, where there was no mind and I was creating something for the moment. I came out and didn't know what I had done because I had not planned that. It was something that came out of my mind spontaneously. And, I loved that. I said (to myself), what is that? There is something more to this art than earlier. All the work that I did, I kept being attracted to that, tried to relive that. Over time, I think, I was preparing myself to finally being ready for a film like Kites, where I had to completely just let go. Perform from the heart.
(Director of Kites), Anurag Basu's vision was demanding that. He wanted it to be a completely honest film, he did not want to see a star in it. He didn't want to see dialogues said perfectly. I just knew then that there was a destiny to this film.
Referring to his female lead, Barbara Mori, Hrithik added, "Then we had someone like her who entered our team, who provided the right kind of push and impetus toward the right direction, because she comes from the same school of thought. She's a very honest person. Whatever you create is only a reflection of the person you are inside. Her films have all been honest and convincing, the person she truly is.

Desiclub.com: How difficult was it for you to work with your dad?
Hrithik: Difficult? It wasn't difficult at all. In fact, I have been quite comfortable. My dad and I have a system in place, where we work without any egos. I can tell him anything that comes to my mind, about camera placement, about my lines and we connect as professionals. Either he convinces me or I convince him. We are both tied into equal loads of passion.
When we asked his dad, Rakesh Roshan the same question, Rakesh responded, "Not difficult at all. He's one person who just listens to the director. We call him at 6 a.m. and he'll show up on time. Also, he does one film at a time so his inputs are very valuable. He is constantly thinking of the film, and while we are thinking of other aspects he is focused on his job, getting prepared for his "character." He gives us a chance to improvise with the director.

Desiclub.com: You work very closely with your father. Coming from our Indian way of life, how did you manage the love scene with your dad watching?
Hrithik: As easy or as difficult as jumping off a 50-storey building. Barbara intercepted: he wasn't watching, he was not on the set. Throughout (shooting of) Kites, my dad has never been on the sets. He did not want to influence Anurag's vision. The only scenes he was present for were the action sequences, and even there he was like an assistant director running around to make sure that Anurag had whatever he needs. If Anurag wants a chopper, he had to make an urgent call to make a chopper happen. Because Anurag is so forgetful. He'll come to the set, and then he'll say, "wait a minute, I need a helicopter." My dad is like, "How the hell am I going to get a helicopter, we have this location for one day?" He was a father to all of us. He just made the children make the film, and he was supervising, he was there for all of us.

Desiclub.com: When playing a developmentally-disabled young man in Koi Mil Gaya weren't you taking a risk with your career since you are perceived as a dynamic action hero?
Hrithik: There's a lot of mental conditioning that my industry succumbs to - here its all about trying to fit into the mould, as to who eventually becomes a hero. Its all evolving; slowly we have transcended this and we are becoming more real. Films are about a slice of life, its something you need to identify with and live a journey that will inspire you and help you vent your emotions in your own life. I have been a movie star but it's a consequence of being an honest actor. What came first, the chicken or the egg? You'll never know.
I have been taking risks, which appear as risks from somebody else's perspective, but its not a risk for me because I have my passion there. For Koi Mil Kaya I was passionate about it, and I knew that. How can this be a risk? It's a risk if I am afraid but I was completely convinced about Koi Mil Haya.

Desiclub.com: How do you manage to stay so honest to yourself, so grounded?
Hrithik: I think I have become aware of my journey. We have to come to terms with one's perspective of the world, and finally realize that we are all basically the same, you and I are the same - all of us here are the same - basically at the core of things, we just have these little walls built around us that we need to build so that we feel protected. We are in our little boxes trying to connect with the walls afraid to show each other what we are truly about.
So, from God's point of view, we look pretty stupid. We are in boxes, all the time, still trying to show our good side, and hide the other aspects, which are part of all of us. I think that's a thought that grounds me. I am not a star - I am me - and you are you - and we are the same, there's no reason to feel fear. I have lost the need to rely on my own judgment of other people, everyone has their own point of view, and that is the truth, so all's well.

Desiclub.com: What do you expect out of Kites?
Hrithik: My 2-1/2 years of effort and my heart, it's a different kind of film, its something I am very proud of. I can promise you that it's a good picture and I hope you'll come to watch.

Desiclub.com: After all that you have done, do you feel you have finally reached your goals in Kites?
Hrithik: Yes, that's what life is about. In my earlier years, I was looking at a Finish Line. It was a race for me and there is a dog behind me, coming at me, and I am running and he is gonna get me - and I have to reach that Finish Line or he's going to bite, and I have to reach my goal; that's how I was working before. I had to get there, there was fear, there was anxiety, and all that. Now when I work, I realize, there is no Finish Line, there is no dog and I am running because I like the breeze on my face.
We are always trying to get somewhere, and if we feel fear that if we don't, somebody will pull us down and life will attack you and you'll fail and you'll lose. Life is not about that. There are no bad experiences. Everything is good if you can just enjoy the breeze on your face, no matter what.

Desiclub.com: Would you say Kites is a Bollywood movie?
Hrithik: No, it's not fair to put labels on any kind of creative work. I don't think Kites is a Bollywood love story, it's a human love story. A film about human beings, that's supposed to touch your heart - a film that is honest and made from the heart. Whether from China or Hollywood or Bollywood, it will find its audience. It could be identifiable on an international platform. The Indian version is being distributed all over the globe. The U.S. release has Brett Ratner's interpretation that will cater to a select western audience.

Desiclub.com to Barbara Mori: How did you prepare for this role?
Barbara: I read the script, saw a bit of the movie shooting, took salsa classes in Mexico for the movie, went to New Mexico on rehearsals, discovering things about car chases.

Desiclub.com: How did you get to talk in English?
Hrithik answered for her. It was basically a translation of the English that Anurag had written, so Barbara gave it heart. She just interpreted it in the right way. She was basically the writer of all her lines.

Desiclub.com: Is acting in different languages different?
Hrithik answered again: It definitely changes things in that when I speak in Hindi and in English, there is a shift in stance. For her it must have been more than that, she was acting the entire film in English, which is not her first language.
Barbara added, Of course, its a bit different. Acting in your language and being directed in another language. For instance Anurag speaks English, but he sounded like he was speaking in Hindi, because he speaks so fast. Too many times I said, Anurag "I am not Indian, speak in English, and he would say, "I am speaking in English"." It was a bit difficult initially but once I applied myself it became easy. I went to New Mexico, and started shooting and was scared. But soon realized the fears are in my mind.

Desiclub.com: This was your first Hindi film. What made you decide to work in this film?
Barbara: Well the script, the story. I read the script and I was touched by the story, beautiful love story between two human beings who fall in love even if they don't speak the same language, and I found that beautiful. It touched my heart and I said, I want to be part of this. True love and honest.

Desiclub.com: How different is it from the kind of work you have been doing?
Barbara: Its completely different. Its my first English movie, my first action movie, my first Bollywood movie and big budget movie. So, there's a lot of difference between this movie and what I have done before. But, I think, they will love it, because, in Mexico, we love all this action also. Kites has this bit of everything, humor, we also love stories, drama and laughter and everyone will feel like they want to fall in love again. Because love is universal.

[Raj S. Rangarajan is a New York based independent writer. He covers trend stories on art, reviews books and films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; Seoul, Republic of Korea; and India. He can be reached at raj.rangarajan@gmail.com]