The Artiste and the Wishing Tree

POWER, PRIVILEGE, BIAS- common words, eternal existence. Every one of us, irrespective of where in the power-privilege spectrum we fall, have been at the receiving end of power abuse at some point in time, if not many times over. From education to work spaces, hobby centres to academic circles, we all have dealt with unnecessary manipulations, biased decisions and subtle-to-overtly suppressive rules.  With the unstinting faith and support of people around us, let's assume that we dealt with the cruel world and managed to hold on to our passions. I did it by letting go of situations that were biased against me, staying clear of manipulative individuals and playing by the rules with bull-headed focus. How much of the world has changed as my own children step in to education, art and sport spaces? Between me and them, several intermediate generations seem to have encountered situations not different from mine.  POWER, PRIVILEGE, BIAS - eternal existence.  As I look around, I...

  A personal moment a few years ago led to a series of questions about my agency, identity, and conflicts. In parallel , I was also wondering why my dance was far removed from the rest of ME. So, one day, lost in the luxury of thought, I decided to find voice in creative work.  A short piece , all of 6 minutes was written, composed and choreographed but for reasons unknown to me, never saw the light of stage or screen. Maybe it wasn't meant to become a spectacle. Maybe I was supposed to mull over this 'incident' and introspect more before sharing that part of me. Maybe's were many but truth was that I never found the right time, space or creative urge to execute that piece.  A few months down the line, I figured I could incorporate this piece in a longer framework. I began writing a script, translating with the help of friends into Indian languages but that one piece remained at the core of this new script but was also continually the disturbance.    Every time ...

At a G20-Y20 event in Bangalore recently, I heard the who's-who of the AI industry talking of the promises that it holds and the challenges that one might encounter in the near future. That AI has begun to take over our lives is both a good thing and something to be wary of. Don't we all know that! But what stood out to me was one view that all these industry leaders agreed upon and kept reiterating. "In the face of AI, human-connect must be safeguarded and nurtured at all costs". As an artiste, I have been shouting from the rooftops that ART is our gateway to connectedness, as have so many of my colleagues and art-inclined individuals. Largely, the industrial world has looked upon art as just a means of entertainment for conference delegates, a way of adding colour to symposia, an hour of fun at the annual team-building event, or at the most a half hour session during health-awareness weeks. That art can impact industry, that art can impact the employee, that art can...

SONG AND STORY is a series of articles that stitches pieces of fiction writing with songs that have popularly been a part of dance repertoires. Born out of an exploration under the UNBOXED series, these articles aim at providing parallel, contra-indicative or juxtaposing contexts to popular poetry such as and not limited to Javalis, Padams and Devarnamas. With utmost respect for the poet/author and composer of the songs, the fiction writing that accompanies the songs is not meant in any way to disregard the original context. Should any reader choose to explore these pieces further, I urge you to access and understand the original contexts too.  As Meera tied the laces on her shoes, the fluorescent colour on the shoe sides triggered off that odd feeling in the pit of her stomach. She shook it off, quite literally shaking her head, picked up her keys and stepped out. Her walk to the Indian store was only 5 minutes but she preferred to use the chore as an excuse to walk around the nei...

SONG AND STORY is a series of articles that stitches pieces of fiction writing with songs that have popularly been a part of dance repertoires. Born out of an exploration under the UNBOXED series, these articles aim at providing parallel, contra-indicative or juxtaposing contexts to popular poetry such as and not limited to Javalis, Padams and Devarnamas. With utmost respect for the poet/author and composer of the songs, the fiction writing that accompanies the songs is not meant in any way to disregard the original context. Should any reader choose to explore these pieces further, I urge you to access and understand the original contexts too.   Rainbow in the dark, I have heard, lives atop the tallest peak, and beyond. Thorns and tentacles you must pass, There she lives, in splendour and warmth. Can rainbows be seen at night? Kamali thought she just saw one. Five years since the day she made her decision. Walking out of that house, that life, that marriage was as dramatic a...

SONG AND STORY is a series of articles that stitches pieces of fiction writing with songs that have popularly been a part of dance repertoires. Born out of an exploration under the UNBOXED series, these articles aim at providing parallel, contra-indicative or juxtaposing contexts to popular poetry such as and not limited to Javalis, Padams and Devarnamas. With utmost respect for the poet/author and composer of the songs, the fiction writing that accompanies the songs is not meant in any way to disregard the original context. Should any reader choose to explore these pieces further, I urge you to access and understand the original contexts too. My Name is Rathna. I am 9 years old. I live in the Village of Mangalam; my father says it is the most beautiful village in the entire world. My mother says that Mangalam is only second best to Harihalli. And Ajji … well Ajji usually sighs when I ask her what she thinks.“Huh… Mangalam is all I can remember and all I know. But I have heard that Kas...