Saturday, March 23, 2019
Bombay
Discovering Foy Nissen's Bombay, Brunch at the Yacht Club and Another Interview
Namaste from Bombay!
I had such a lovely Saturday! It was the perfect combination of leisure and work and it filled me with a sense of accomplishment. I am also beginning to feel that sense of urgency to accomplish work when the knowledge that time is fleeting hits you--the fact that soon I will not have access to all these people here in Bombay is starting to worry me... I have miles to go before I sleep.
That said, I had much to accomplish today. I awoke very early--about 3.00 am (if you can believe it!) and since I could not get back to sleep, I got to work and transcribed another interview as I am still trying to catch up. Then a quick breakfast of muesli and coffee later, I dressed comfortably, carried a bottle of water and my camera, and was off. I was headed to the city for my 9.00 am appointment on the steps of the Town Hall at Fort for my guided historic walk to discover Foy Nissen's Bombay.
I took a bus and a train (sadly, I had to change trains as the one in which I jumped terminated at Dadar--I had to change platforms before getting into one that ran all the way to Churchgate). There, I found a cab and made it to the appointed spot at the appointed hour with time to spare.
Who was Foy Nissen And Why Was the Tour Named After Him?
So who was this man with the strange name and why was the tour named after him? At the outset, let me say that I knew Foy. His last name is a result of the fact that his grandfather was Danish. At some point, marriage with an Englishwoman brought the family in contact with England where, I believe, Foy's father was born. He was a British civil servant at the time of the Raj and his work brought him to India. Foy was born in Poona. The family moved to Bombay when he was a child. He studied at the Cathedral and John Connon School where his mother was a teacher. He then left for England for University. He earned his Bachelors and Master's degrees at the University of Cambridge after which he returned to Bombay, his first love, where he began working at the Times of India and developed his hobby as an amateur photographer and amateur historian. Later, he took on a full-time job at the British Council (which is where I got to know him, about thirty years ago, when I was being given a British Council Scholarship to go to Oxford).
Foy lived in the same building called Olympus on Altamount Road in Bombay, for most of his life, the neighbor of two spinster sisters called the Mehra Sisters who looked after him as the years went by and especially through the dementia that plagued him and eventually took his life. He made them executors of his will and his estate and they turned over the bulk of his books to the Asiatic Library and the bulk of his photographs to the Jehangir Nicholson Foundation that was named after a Parsi collector who had amassed a vast modern art collection that is now in the possession of the foundation that is named after him.
The Jehangir Nicholson Foundation and the Prince of Wales Museum (now called the Shivaji Museum) are running an exhibition, for the first time, on the photographic work of Foy Nissen, who passed away last August. The walk was organized by a company called Bombaywalla which is headed by an Oxford-educated historian called Simin Patel (whose father is Jehangir Patel, Editor of the magazine, Parisana, that I had interviewed a few days ago). Simin did her Ph.D. at Balliol College, Oxford, under the guidance of historian Polly O'Hanlon, the subject of her thesis being 'Colonial Bombay and the Parsis of Colonial Bombay'. She is currently working on a book on the Irani Restaurants of Bombay. I have followed her on Twitter for a long time and have gotten to know quite a lot about Bombay's older monuments through her writing and her passion for the city, which I share. Meeting her was a real delight as she turned out to be a very sweet and very knowledgeable person. I must also state that I was put on to her by my friend Murali Menon who is based in London and who is an avid reader of my blog and her's! These global Twitter and blog contacts are also very interesting to me.
A Walking Tour of Foy Nissen's Bombay:
The tour cost Rs. 300 per head and Simin was on the steps of the Town Hall collecting money from participants when I got there at just before 9.00 am. It was not long before we started the tour with a short introduction to Foy Nissen whose English relatives were actually on the tour with us--they were visiting Bombay from the UK and were able to add some tidbits to the commentary that Simin offered.
Following an introduction to Foy Nissen, we entered the Town Hall where the Bombay Asiatic Society is based. I had done an extensive self-guided tour myself of this space last October--but it was nice to be told about Lord Malcolm, former Governor of Bombay, whose marble sculpture dominates the vestibule upstairs. Foy adored books and adored libraries and he spent a great deal of time at the Asiatic Society Library pouring for hours over the records to be found here. We were able to see a facsimile copy of his library card (which I thought was a very thoughtful addition to our tour) before Simin told us a little bit about the marble worthies scattered about the place: Frere, Carnac, Sir Jamshedji Jijibhoy, Bombay's first baronet, etc. Sadly, we did not enter the Reading Room which rather surprised me! What is a library without its Reading Room? To see just the foyer was most disappointing to me: luckily, I had spent a lot of time here about six months ago and clearly remembered its gorgeous Corinthian columns with their freshly refurbished gilding, the grand chandeliers and the gorgeous round teak tables that accommodate modern-day readers just as they once did colonial ones.
Past the Asiatic Society, we walked along the arcades of Horniman Circle, past the swanky showrooms of Hermes and Christian Louboutin to pause outside the Bombay Samachar Building and take a picture of the vintage Roller (Rolls-Royce) parked outside it--apparently belonging to the Editor, one Mr. Cama (according to Simin). We took a group picture there...I have to state that we were about 25 participants on this walk from different walks of life--there were lawyers, historians, journalists and simply people, like me, with a passion for Bombay and its colonial monuments. I met a cheese-maker named Mansi who was a former student of NYU--she did her Master's there and was quite delighted to meet me.
Simin spoke about the garden at Horniman Circle especially the decorative, tall wrought iron gates and railings--these features had also caught my eye and reminded me very much of the gates of London's parks. I was especially reminded of Victoria Park in the East End that I had toured with my friend, the same Murali Menon mentioned above--also an amateur historian and lover of old buildings and local history. I have taken many an interesting walk in London in his company and I would dearly wish to meet someone else who shares my passion for these colonial parts of Bombay with whom I could stroll around at leisure.
Just past Horniman Circle, we paused right opposite the premises of St. Thomas' Cathedral, Bombay's premier Anglican Church, and one of my very favorite places in the city. Although we stopped to take in the facade and Simin commented on the clock that dominates the tower stating that Foy would have been disappointed to see its black hands (as he always believed they ought to be gilded), again, I was disappointed that we did not go inside the church to admire examples of the most outstanding Victorian mortuary sculpture in the city. But then I realized that since Foy photographed mainly the exteriors of these buildings that was where we were being led and what we were being shown.
From here, we walked along Sir Pherozeshaha Mehta Road towards Flora Fountain which has been recently refurbished and unveiled. The fountain was actually playing and we had a chance to see it up close and personal and to take in the name of the sculptor, one R.N. Shaw. carved into the top tier of the monument that features Flora, Roman Goddess of flowers with the four accompanying female icons that represent various aspects of agriculture--fruits, flowers, grain and foliage.
Past the Fountain, we continued our walk along D.N. (Dadabhai Naoroji Road) in the direction of the Museum and arrived at Kala Ghoda where we stopped outside the Army and Navy Building which is one of the trinity of grand colonial buildings in that spot--the other two being the David Sassoon Library and Reading Room and, of course, my own alma mater, glorious Elphinstone College.
Simin paused to tell us something of Foy's association with the Army and Navy Building which is named for the Army and Navy Stores which was one of the three department stores of which the city of Bombay could boast prior to Independence. The other two were Whiteway and Laidlaws (where my Aunt Alice, my Dad's sister, once use to work)and Evans-Fraser which is where The Bombay Store is now located (on Sir P.M. Road). As the Army and Navy stores was the most expensive of the three, Foy's parents only shopped there on rare occasions and he could only afford the rare cup of tea there. Simin dropped a nugget of fascinating information when she told us that the former colonial restaurant known as The Wayside Inn, in which, in my college days, I had often enjoyed fish and chips and where I had eaten Colman's mustard for the first time, had closed a few years ago. Apparently, its counter was purchased by the David Sassoon Library and is used now as its main Reception Desk. I love these stories of the recycling of old furniture. A few days ago, the actor Vijaya Mehta had told me, in an interview, that when the Bhulabhai Desai Institute on Warden Road was being closed down, Bhulabhai Desai, the lawyer who had fought so many legal cases against the colonial British Government from his desk, had asked her if there was anything she would like from the premises. She opted for his desk--not only because it would always remind her of him but because it was a part of the Indian Freedom Struggle. I love stories like these that the people I am interviewing are sharing with me.
Once we got to know what this part of Bombay meant to Foy, we were marched past the Jehangir Art Gallery into the compound of the Shivaji Museum where tickets were obtained on our behalf and we were led inside to see the actual Exhibition itself.
Viewing the Exhibition Called 'Foy Nissen's Bombay':
I have now become very familiar with the Shivaji Museum and its layout, thanks to the many visits I have paid during the last six months as I have examined and studied its entire collection. This exhibition is on the second floor near the Textile Gallery. One is greeted by a large-scale black and white photograph of Horniman Circle that we had just traipsed through. Inside, there are only black and white photographs that are grouped thematically: still lives of the various sculptures of colonial men and women who had played a role in the development of the city--some are headless and all are in the Sculpture Graveyard at the Victoria Garden (the Bombay Zoo) where Foy made many visits just to photograph these remnants of our city's colonial past. There was a Religious grouping which features mosques, temples, churches, synagogues, even a Parsi Fire Temple. The architectural splendor of the monument groups around the Fort got pride of place on the main wall with a map graphically presenting their locations. There were also pictures taken outside Bombay as in places like Bhuj. I think the exhibition gave a very good idea of the obsession of this man with history, photography, architecture and the past. All lovers of Bombay ought to go and see this lovely little exhibition.
What was also quite wonderful about this exhibition and could easily be ignored was the vitrine containing Foy's own actual cameras, cases, lenses, and other equipment with a couple of the rolls of negatives and his own hand-written instructions and cataloguing system that he had in place. It is these gems that add to the overall quality of an exhibition--so it is not just the photos alone that ought to have been pointed out to us but the equipment that he used (that he actually handled himself) through which these wonderful works were produced that any visitor ought not to miss.
I have to say that I am glad to find what they call "walk-throughs" of art galleries (but what we call 'docent tours' in the West) now being given in Bombay. This one was given by Kamna, an employee of the Jehangir Nicholson Foundation. It left me wanting to know more about the Foundation and its work.
Brunch with my Friend Kamal at the Yacht Club:
I was done with the Walk and Museum Visit at exactly 11.30 am when I was just in time to make it to my next appointment--brunch at the Yacht Club to which my friend Kamal Mulla had invited me. I walked to the venue and then met her at the elevator as she was riding upstairs with two other ladies. She introduced me to her friends Shireen and Meher and at the top, we ran into the guest of honor of the afternoon, a lady named Linda White, who was visiting Bombay from Montreal, Canada, before attending a conference in Delhi. There was one more person expected to join us later, Meenal Kshirsagar who is a retired French Professor at the University of Bombay and had graduated also from Elphinstone College in his heyday. Her husband has a senior position at the Shivaji Museum and she had attended the opening of the Foy Nissen Exhibition last week.
The two other ladies (Shireen and Meher) happened to be visiting from London and I soon discovered that Meher is a good friend of my friend Firdaus (Dr. G) and the niece of my former professor of English (and good friend), the late Homai Shroff. I asked Meher if her surname was Toorkey and when she said Yes, I told her that her name has been in my phone book for thirty years--although I had never met her. The reason she exists in my phone book is because, thirty years ago, when Firdaus and I were at Oxford, he had left to spend a weekend in London and would be staying at her place. Before he left, I had asked him for a contact number and he had given me Meher's! She is a concert pianist and music teacher in London and we had a lot to talk about as the afternoon went on.
Most of us had the Mulligatawny Soup (most delectable!) and a sandwich (though I had the Chicken Lemon Pepper Salad) as I am staying high-protein in my diet. I had a diet Coke too and all of us passed on dessert. There was never a dull moment as many of these ladies present had attended Queen Mary School and had stories to swap about their classmates and friends. I enjoyed the happy camaraderie around the table and even though I was meeting all these ladies (except Kamal) for the first time, there was so much to keep me stimulated that I wasn't left at a loose end for a minute. What a lovey afternoon it was!
Back Home for Another Interview:
We were all done by 2.15pm when I said my thanks and goodbyes and hopped into a bus from across the Museum that took me to Churchgate Station. I picked up a Waldorf Salad from Gaylords and took it home on the train to Bandra. A bus then took me to the Bandra Gymkhana where I had an appointment at 3.30pm with Danesh Khambata--only to discover the the gym is closed in the afternoon from 3.15 till 4.30 pm. So we made our way to Candies's, a teenage hangout which is a tad too noisy for me and not conducive to the conducting of an interview. We found a quiet corner away from the noise but in a non-air-conditioned part of the place where I was very uncomfortable as there was not even a fan there.
My interview with Danesh went well, however, and I learned so much about the very interesting work that he and his partners are doing through a theater group called Silly Point Productions. He was kind enough to pick up a Chocolate Mousse for me and a coffee for himself although I told him I was on a strict diet and would not have anything to eat or drink as I had just finished lunch. I ended up having the mousse but I carried the cheesecake back home for Russel and Dad who enjoyed it. Danesh was wonderful to chat to--again, he is very unassuming and casual about what he and his mates have accomplished. I am realizing that a lot of Bombay's performers work with a group--this is the sort of group that offers camaraderie, lasting friendships and the support that actors need on the long struggle to get work, funding, etc. Unlike writers or actors in the States who seem to go for long periods of time with no work, these folks create their own working opportunities by writing their own material, then going out to find corporate sponsors who will fund their ventures, give them work and make them money. It is quite an amazing example of entrepreneurship and I am quite impressed by their efforts and their output.
By the time I finished with Danesh, I was quite exhausted and decided to spend the evening with Dad and Russel. I was there for over an hour when I said bye to them. Dad was not going for the 7.00 pm Mass as he decided to go for the 9.15 Mass tomorrow which is to be followed by a Parish Quiz on the Bible (that both he and I are interested in attending).
Back home, I finally had a chance to kick back and relax and I marked the arrival of the warm days by pouring myself a wonderful G and T which I enjoyed with a few nuts on which I nibbled as I watched a movie called Wild Oats with Jessica Lange and Shirley McLaine. It was not too bad actually and worth a few good laughs. I loved the role of the con man played by Billy Connolly.
What is really amazing to me is that true to all predictions, it turned warm and humid the very day after Holi! So I guess the lovely weather of the past three months is a thing of the past and I will need to steel myself for the uncomfortable months ahead of me. Thank goodness for my air-conditioned studio!
Having accomplished so much today, I was ready to call it a day at 10.30 but after a long chat with Llew on the phone, it took me a very long time actually to fall asleep--during which time I watched a few episodes of Grace and Frankie.
Until tomorrow...
Showing posts with label Prince of Wales Museum Bombay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prince of Wales Museum Bombay. Show all posts
Sunday, March 24, 2019
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Two Interviews, Lunch with Firdaus and Concluding My Study of the Shivaji Museum
Tues, March 12, 2019
Bombay
Two Interviews, Lunch with Firdaus and Concluding My Study of the Shivaji Museum
Namaste from Bombay!
The Show Must Go On...Laptop or No Laptop! So although I still feel sick inside and heartbroken in a way that is hard to describe, I am trying hard to quell my low spirits and keep my momentum going. I am barely responding to email as the use of my little keyboard on my Ipad (which serves me well to draft blog posts when I am traveling—and now at thus time), is not my preferred mode for corresponding with people. Still, I can only hope I will get my laptop back and be able to start afresh. There will be much lost...I have reconciled myself to that. But, hopefully, I can still go on with my life.
Awaking at 5.30 am on what was going to be a busy day, I blogged, made my muesli and coffee breakfast, showered, dressed and hastened off to Dad’s to be present when Valerian got to Russel for his physiotherapy session. He ended by insisting that we consider knee replacement surgery as he is convinced that Russel would be a good candidate for it and that he can take over his post-surgery physiotherapy to ensure that Russel walks well again. He is worried about his current lack of stability that does not make it possible for him to walk independently. He feels that only through knee replacement will he be able to come back to normal again. I felt greatly disturbed by this diagnosis, to be frank, and feel that I need to pray very earnestly on this issue so that we might have the right discernment.
I had to leave at 9.30 am, however, as I had an interview meeting at 11.00 am in the city for which I needed to take a bus and a train to get there.
An Interview with Jehangir Patel:
Jehangir Patel brings out a bi-weekly magazine called Parsiana that has documented the lives of the Indian Parsi community for decades. I thought it would be worth chatting with him as he would be able to throw some light for me on the Parsis as audience and consumers of Western performing arts. But I think he was more interested in focusing on the Parsi contribution to Medicine, Law, industry, philanthropy, etc. than the questions I was directing at him. Still, overall, I got some really valuable statistical data from him—he was able to rattle off facts and figures on Parsis and their (dwindling) presence and numbers in India—all of which is steadily impacting their patronage of the performing Arts and their contribution to it.
We also realized that we have many friends in common. He has invited me to lunch with him next Monday at the Rippon Club when my Oxford friend Firdaus (whom I affectionately refer to as “Dr. G”) will be present too. I did not realize, until Jehangir told me so, that Firdaus reviews books (mainly non-fiction) for his magazine almost every fortnight (and I brilliant job I am sure he does of it too as I have yet to find someone better read that Dr. G).
Lunch with Dr. G:
As it happens, I was scheduled to have lunch with Dr. G at 1.30 pm at the Yacht Club, but since I finished early with Jehangir, I texted to find out if Firdaus could be there earlier! And he could! So, by 12.30 pm, we were seated at a table and sipping something cold to drink—a Diet Coke for me (as I am still watching carb intake) and a coconut water for him. I told him my computer woes and he was so relieved to find out that I had kept all my Fulbright Interview notes! He too soothed me and told me that at the most, I would have to repeat about six months worth of work, but that it would be a good way for me to refresh and review what I had gathered over the past few months. Yes, I suppose that was a very positive way of looking at it and I would do so.
We had such a wonderful chinwag! Over Fish Arabiata and grilled beans and peas for me and Mulligatawny Soup and Cousous Salad for Firdaus, we talked about everything. And I mean everything. There is never ever a dull second as we catch up on so many things.
At the end of our long chat. Firdaus and I walked behind the Taj Hotel to his apartment so that I could finally see it. He had moved into this gorgeous sprawling 2-bedroom apartment a few years ago but I had never had a chance to visit him there as there were always guests staying with him. Firdaus has a really cozy arrangement with a number of friends in Europe which allows him to offer them accommodation when they come to India and to stay with them when he is in the varied European cities that he adores such as London and Berlin—as an opera buff, he travels to these cities to catch particular performances.
And what a beautiful apartment it is—and in such an enviable location too! Indeed he is fortunate...but he also deserves every bit of that good fortune. For a nicer chap would be hard to find. Before I left, he presented me with a book that he thought I would love—-Belonging by his friend Urmi Sinha who received a lot of very positive notice for it. I feel sorry that my heavy work schedule makes it almost impossible for me to devote any time to reading...but I did accept the gift graciously and will read it sometime...
Finishing my Survey of the Shivaji Museum:
As I was at Colaba and it was still only 3.00 pm, it made sense for me to return to the Museum to finish off those galleries on the ground floor that I had still to peruse. I was not sure how long they would take, but this is what I saw today:
1. The Sculpture Gallery: Filled with wonderful sandstone and granite sculpture, it features deities from three Indian religions—Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Some of them were gigantic monoliths (I would suspect from rock cut cave-temples). Done in stone, there was basalt, slate and other media used to carve seated, standing and reclining bas-reliefs and free-standing figures from as close by as Elephanta Caves and as far away as Peshawar. Really striking.
2. Gandhara Sculpture: These wonderful sandstone works, featuring the Buddha and Bodhisatavas, are executed in the Greco-Roman tradition in the Indo-Gangetic plain and came to be called Gandhara Sculpture. I am familiar with the tradition through the Standing Gupta Buddha that I show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on my Highlights tour—so I really enjoyed taking in the minute details of these pieces. There was also a Jain altar in here that was very special.
3. The Assyrian Palace Reliefs: Who would ever know that Bombay has a fabulous collection of Assyrian bas-reliefs in alabaster derived from the Palace of Ashurnisirpal II of the 9th to 8th centuries BC? There have a gallery dedicated exclusively to them and are beautifully lit to emphasize their features. Given that one of the highlights of the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum’s Near Eastern sections are similar reliefs from the Palace of Ashurbanipal, these are treasures that I was simply astounded to find in Bombay. The British Museum’s series of bas-relief sculptures called The Hunt is one of its great collections upon which I have lavished many an idle hour in contemplation. So to see these here in Bombay—albeit in a much smaller size but no less detailed and superbly executed—was a singular treat.
4. The Indus Valley Civilization: Wonderful collections of jewelry, pottery, sculpture, etc. in this section take us back to the 5th or 6th century and the discovery of a thriving civilization in the Indus Valley that reaches its culmination in the excavations at Mohenjo-Daro (now in Pakistan), Harappa and Lothal. They have a wonderful clay replica of the Great Bath at Mohenjo-Daro and a lot of other artifacts (many of which are plaster replicas). I believe the bulk of these treasures as in the National Museum of Pakistan.
This is the section that every Indian school girl and school boy ought to visit—so I am saddened to see that despite having made so many trips to the Shivaji Museum over the past few months as I have studied the collection, I have never come across a school group on a field trip to this place. It is a dreadful waste of a top-rate resource in the city.
5. The Natural History section: I cannot walk through the corridors of the Natural History section of this museum without being taken back sharply and with a pang to my childhood when my super-enlightened parents took us on weekend visits to this space and introduced us to the joys of museum-visiting when we were so young. I have little doubt that my passion for museums was nurtured through these wonderful Saturday evening visits and I have vivid memories of my mother pointing out and explaining things to us as kids. How very blessed we were in our parents! Truly!
That said, the Natural History section was always our favorite when we were little and I can remember being mesmerized by the dioramas that house Indian fauna—they could easily rival anything found in the Natural History Museum at Kensington in London—but then it was the same Victorians who built that wonderful temple to Natural History who built this sterling place here in their colony that they considered the jewel in their crown. So the same vision and the same mindset is responsible for this terrific taxidermied collection that is beautifully labeled and displayed. I adored my time in this space as a child and I adored it this afternoon. I went through it rapidly, however, taking in the vignettes that featured tigers at a waterhole, a splendid Kashmiri stag in the mountains, a rhino in the wetlands...that sort of thing. Just brilliant!
So with that I have finished my study of the former Prince of Wales Museum in Bombay (now called the Shivaji Museum). It was on my Bombay To-Do List and now it has been ticked off. I have enjoyed my solitary forays into this space where I have learned so much about Indian art and craftsmanship. But my favorite part of this museum is the top floor featuring the collection of European paintings and decorative arts by Dorab Tata. Someday it would be nice to see the museum offering highlights tours in English and Hindi to the public. I understand, from Firdaus, that the current Director of the Museum, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, is a really wonderful person and I can only hope that after having spent so much money refurbishing the building—interior and exterior—they will now pour in some more resources to make it a living educational institution. So many visitors come in, day after day, but I would like to see them really take something way in the same way that visitors to the British Museum or the Metropolitan Museum go away awed—because indeed there is a lot to feel awed about in this space. I am exceeding proud of my Indian heritage when I am in this place.
Brief Rest and then Another Interview:
I then took a bus that brought me to Churchgate Station from where I hopped into a train and then another bus to get home within an hour. I relaxed with a hot lemony cuppa and a quarter guava and then got ready for my next official appointment of the day—yet another interview: yes, I did two in one day!
This time I was interviewing Naresh Fernandes, a journalist who has published a historical book on Jazz in Bombay called Taj Mahal Fox Trot. I have started reading the book in the library of the NCPA and am about half way through it. It is incredible to me how rich is the material he has gathered and how beautifully he has collated it chronologically to create a thorough work for which posterity will be grateful.
Naresh lives on quiet St. Cyril’s Road in Bandra in a building lyrically named Chez Nous. He arrived about five minutes after I got to his home and had thoughtfully purchased ribbon sandwiches and sponge cup cakes for me—of course, I ate nothing as I am trying to curb my food intake for the moment.
When we got down to talking, I found the breath of his knowledge amazing although he does not agree with my thesis that the mainstreaming of Western Performing Arts in Bombay in a fairly new phenomenon. He kept insisting (and offered examples to substantiate his claim) that it has been going on for at least 150 years. I, on the other hand, cling on to the belief that the examples he provides, while valid, are far too isolated to be able to claim that it was always a cosmopolitan world. We shall see as I continue with my research exactly to what conclusions I shall come. What stand I can take as I turn my research into chapters will determine everything. Naresh is also extremely personable and made a very interesting subject to interview—not merely because he has a true grip on the subject and has conducted detailed research himself into the matter but because he is able to seize on facts and bring them into the argument quite effectively indeed.
I was done with Naresh at about 9.00 pm at which point, I strolled back home on a beautiful late winter’s evening, and got down to my dinner—mince, dal and ground spinach with corn. I watched snatches of Comic Relief’s special skits on The Vicar of Dibley on You Tube and loved them. But soon my eyes were closing and I was ready to drop off.
No news yet on the fate of my laptop—Himanshu tells me that the second (deeper) scan (using his software, Deep Drill) is still going on and will only be done tomorrow afternoon. I hope to hear something tomorrow evening.
Until tomorrow.
Thursday, February 7, 2019
Another Interview, A Documentary Film and Visit to the Museum
Monday, February 4, 2019
Bombay
Another Interview, A Documentary Film and Visit to the Museum
Namaste from India!
Anther eventful day rolled around! And by the end of it, I was so drained that I actually missed my visit to Dad and Russel and missed Mass as well. So here is how full it was.
Up at 6.00 am, I blogged, read rapidly through Twitter (I am engrossed right now in a controversy that is raging about the blackface minstrelsy of Mary Poppins Returns that has been initiated by my friend Daniel Pollack-Peltzner's article on the remake and his critique on her powdering her face with black soot). I then called the bread man up for my two broons which I ate with spreads and swallowed with coffee.
By 10.00am, I was out the door and heading to the bus stop for a bus to Bandra Station followed by a train ride to Churchgate and a walk across the Oval Maidan to the Yacht Club near the Gateway of India where I had an 11.15 am appointment with the great Coomi Wadia, conductor of the Paranjoti Orchestra for the past 50 years. I cannot even begin to tell you how fulfilling an experience it was.
Interviewing Coomi Wadia:
I have been seeing Coomi Wadia at all the HGLive operatic performances I have been going to at the NCPA where she is something of a fixture. I also had the privilege of listening to the Paranjoti Choir a few weeks ago when they gave their Christmas concert at the Afghan Church. I found her an absolute delight to chat with--in fact, her account of her early life and her entry into music was so moving that I actually had to excuse myself because I began to tear up! Indeed, her story is so full of poignancy and inspiration that I simply could not get enough of our conversation. Occasionally, she lapsed into Gujarati (but since I understand Gujarati, I had no problem with understanding her at all). Her English is impeccable, but it is interesting to me how in the midst of speaking perfect English with a Westernized accent one still clutches at the language of our mothers when we need to convey information about which we care deeply. Over a lemon soda for me and an iced tea for her, I procured so much valuable information. Plus she is the only interviewee I have met so far who came equipped with programs of her 35th and 50th anniversary brochures for me to take home plus pictures of herself (through the years) and of her choir at their various international concert tours. It was simply amazing. Before I knew it, it was almost 1.00 pm and I had to bid her goodbye--but seriously I could have chatted with her forever.
Off for Lunch to Copper Chimney:
The entire Kala Ghoda area is still closed to traffic and is still hopping as the Festival continues. I could have eaten the street food but I was really keen to sit down in a cool quiet place and have a good meal and I opted for what has become my favorite lunch in the area--the lunch at Copper Chimney. For the Festival days, they have a specially priced buffet--Rs. 500 all you can eat. But they are not having their Rs. 200 soup and salad buffet (which is my preference). Still, I had chicken soup followed by Mince Biryani and Raita, a chicken curry, a delicious lamb (goat) curry, a mixed vegetable dish and two types of paneer (Paneer Badami and Paneer Hariyali). For dessert, I had gulab jamuns and rasgullas--all quite amazing and very good value for money. I did not overeat as I still have the rest of the day to get through.
Watching a Documentary Film on Guru Dutt:
Next, I walked right through the Festival (not as crowed today, being a weekday, as it was yesterday) and made my way to the Museum where I bought a ticket and entered so that I could take in the attractions of the first floor (I have finished covering the second floor in detail).
Only it turned out that the Cinema part of the Festival was being held in the screening room of the Museum and I noticed that there was a documentary film on the great Guru Dutt that was being screened. Now I have not seen Hindi films in a very long time but when I was a kid, we saw a lot of films on TV (as that was the only fare available) and a lot of song sequences during the Chaya Geet shows that were screened once a week. So I am very familiar with the great classic films of Guru Dutt (Sahib, Bibi Aur Gulaam, Pyaasa, Kagaz ke Phool, Chaudvin ka Chand, etc), and I am certainly familiar with the great sound track of those movies composed by the great S.D. Burma using the voice of his wife Geeta Dutt. So you can imagine with what joy I sat through the documentary and how much I enjoyed remembering my teenage self and the pleasure I had taken in such stirring music. It was just fantastic! Also, to hear about how immensely talented Guru Dutt was and yet what a lost soul he was! To hear about his affair with Waheeda Rehman, his failed marriage, the depression that dogged him for years, and his ultimate suicide that he committee at age 39 from an overdose of sleeping pills and alcohol--all of that was utterly heartbreaking. I was so happy that I saw clips again from some of his finest work and took such great joy in them. In fact, I have now decided that when I go back home to Connecticut, I shall try to see all these films in chronological sequence, one after the other, and become reacquainted with his immortal oeuvre.
A Visit to the Museum:
When the film ended, I walked out with dozens of lovers of classical Bollywood cinema and entered the Museum. I noticed that a new special exhibition entitled, "Indian Life and People in the Nineteenth Century" was on and so I headed to the second floor. I found it to be an exhibition of what is called "Company Paintings"--these were watercolors that depict Indians in the throes of their daily lives and occupations in pieces that were commissioned by British officials of the time. They are beautifully exhibited and curated and include items in the collection of the museum that date from that century. A lovely small exhibition that I would urge anyone with an interest in sociology and cultural studies to see.
Next, I wandered into a small exhibition on 'The Mummy'--which brings emphasis to the actual Egyptian Mummy that is in the possession of the Bombay Museum--who knew?? Although the wooden sarcophagus is not in a very good state of preservation, for those visitors to the museum who will never have the opportunity to go to say the British Museum or to the Cairo Museum to take in their treasured mummies, this is a good example of the kind of burial customs and rituals associated with the ancient Egyptians.
The Mummy happened to be in the room that houses the Karl Khandalawala Collection which was also interesting. Khandalawala, a London-trained barrister who did his undergraduate studies from my college (Elphinstone) developed a love for Indian art early in life and began an assiduous process of collecting works of his liking. His small collection comprise small terra-cotta busts, stone carvings from Indian temples, sculptural works in bronze plus larger pieces such as a full-sized wooden altar from Rajasthan for housing an Indian Hindu deity. Accompanying the exhibition of these works are black and white pictures from his life--from childhood to his ultimate acceptance of a position on the Board of Directors of the Museum and his very final position as its Director. I found the entire capsule of his life and its times quite fascinating indeed and in looking at it juxtaposed against the art works he collected, it was even more fascinating to me.
My perusal of the Museum's first floor collection continued with a look at its lovely Prints section where I saw colonial architecture wonderfully immortalized through engravings that results in the mass production of prints. Unbelievably, these are still available for sale by the connoisseur and a few years ago, I had picked up a set of four prints that make up a pack depicting the 'Battle of Mooltan (now in Pakistan) from one of my favorite shops in Bombay, Phillips Antiques. I got them framed in Bombay and they proudly adorn by dining room back in Southport. They are museum-quality and standard and looking at the softly tinted prints in this collection, I felt so proud that I had the foresight to buy these woks while they were still pretty affordable.
Next, I wandered into the Indian Miniature Section which was wonderfully curated. Sets of miniature paintings were displayed according to their style and chronology and by the end of an hour, I learned about the difference in Mughal Miniatures as opposed to Rajasthani Ministaures, about the differences between Kangra Schools of Painting Miniatures as opposed to others,such as Amber. There were actual differences even within the grand Mogul period with miniatures produced during the reign of Akbar (who started the trend of posing for portraitists) differing from those of his descendants (Jehangir, Shah Jehan and Aurangzeb). Really and truly fabulous stuff because it was not just the scene that was incredible, it was the back drop against which they were painted that really caught my eye.
On my way downstairs, I took in the photographs of Old Bombay on the walls in the main concourse and the few small sculpted items in the vitrines on the ground floor.
But all this close examination of Indian miniature paintings exhausted me deeply and I was ready to get home and get some rest by this stage in the day. So off I went in a No. 133 bus from the bus-stop just across from the museum to Churchgate station from where I took a seat in a practically empty first class general compartment to get home. At Bandra station, I got a bus almost immediately and was home within the hour for a hot shower.
When I felt human again, I sat down to a nice pot of tea, wafers and part of my chocolate eclair. I was so relaxed that I simply could not face the thought of getting up and going over to Dad's. So I called and asked him to excuse me as I simply wanted to have a quiet evening at home by myself today. I told him to go to Mass on his own. All as well at home anyway and I was happy. In the morning, I contacted Dr. Derrick D'Lima to get Russel's plaster cast removed. That has been set for this coming Saturday at 10.30 am. Please keep Russel in your prayers. It will be such a relief for him to have the plaster removed after 4 long months--but the rehab will then begin and we can only hope that with the arthritis still problematic in his knee, it will not be too challenging.
I ate my dinner--yes!! Valerie began delivering her tiffin to me again today although I have now told her to send no fried foods and only to supply on Monday and Thursday as I do want to cut down my portion size and calories. I am amazed how much weight I have put on in four months and how tight all my clothes are! Real shame on me!
I watched another episode of Agatha Raisin and quite liked it. Then it was time to take a look at email and respond to very urgent ones before I took stock of my work for the next week--I am feeling overwhelmed!--before I went off to sleep feeling completely drained.
Until tomorrow...
Bombay
Another Interview, A Documentary Film and Visit to the Museum
Namaste from India!
Anther eventful day rolled around! And by the end of it, I was so drained that I actually missed my visit to Dad and Russel and missed Mass as well. So here is how full it was.
Up at 6.00 am, I blogged, read rapidly through Twitter (I am engrossed right now in a controversy that is raging about the blackface minstrelsy of Mary Poppins Returns that has been initiated by my friend Daniel Pollack-Peltzner's article on the remake and his critique on her powdering her face with black soot). I then called the bread man up for my two broons which I ate with spreads and swallowed with coffee.
By 10.00am, I was out the door and heading to the bus stop for a bus to Bandra Station followed by a train ride to Churchgate and a walk across the Oval Maidan to the Yacht Club near the Gateway of India where I had an 11.15 am appointment with the great Coomi Wadia, conductor of the Paranjoti Orchestra for the past 50 years. I cannot even begin to tell you how fulfilling an experience it was.
Interviewing Coomi Wadia:
I have been seeing Coomi Wadia at all the HGLive operatic performances I have been going to at the NCPA where she is something of a fixture. I also had the privilege of listening to the Paranjoti Choir a few weeks ago when they gave their Christmas concert at the Afghan Church. I found her an absolute delight to chat with--in fact, her account of her early life and her entry into music was so moving that I actually had to excuse myself because I began to tear up! Indeed, her story is so full of poignancy and inspiration that I simply could not get enough of our conversation. Occasionally, she lapsed into Gujarati (but since I understand Gujarati, I had no problem with understanding her at all). Her English is impeccable, but it is interesting to me how in the midst of speaking perfect English with a Westernized accent one still clutches at the language of our mothers when we need to convey information about which we care deeply. Over a lemon soda for me and an iced tea for her, I procured so much valuable information. Plus she is the only interviewee I have met so far who came equipped with programs of her 35th and 50th anniversary brochures for me to take home plus pictures of herself (through the years) and of her choir at their various international concert tours. It was simply amazing. Before I knew it, it was almost 1.00 pm and I had to bid her goodbye--but seriously I could have chatted with her forever.
Off for Lunch to Copper Chimney:
The entire Kala Ghoda area is still closed to traffic and is still hopping as the Festival continues. I could have eaten the street food but I was really keen to sit down in a cool quiet place and have a good meal and I opted for what has become my favorite lunch in the area--the lunch at Copper Chimney. For the Festival days, they have a specially priced buffet--Rs. 500 all you can eat. But they are not having their Rs. 200 soup and salad buffet (which is my preference). Still, I had chicken soup followed by Mince Biryani and Raita, a chicken curry, a delicious lamb (goat) curry, a mixed vegetable dish and two types of paneer (Paneer Badami and Paneer Hariyali). For dessert, I had gulab jamuns and rasgullas--all quite amazing and very good value for money. I did not overeat as I still have the rest of the day to get through.
Watching a Documentary Film on Guru Dutt:
Next, I walked right through the Festival (not as crowed today, being a weekday, as it was yesterday) and made my way to the Museum where I bought a ticket and entered so that I could take in the attractions of the first floor (I have finished covering the second floor in detail).
Only it turned out that the Cinema part of the Festival was being held in the screening room of the Museum and I noticed that there was a documentary film on the great Guru Dutt that was being screened. Now I have not seen Hindi films in a very long time but when I was a kid, we saw a lot of films on TV (as that was the only fare available) and a lot of song sequences during the Chaya Geet shows that were screened once a week. So I am very familiar with the great classic films of Guru Dutt (Sahib, Bibi Aur Gulaam, Pyaasa, Kagaz ke Phool, Chaudvin ka Chand, etc), and I am certainly familiar with the great sound track of those movies composed by the great S.D. Burma using the voice of his wife Geeta Dutt. So you can imagine with what joy I sat through the documentary and how much I enjoyed remembering my teenage self and the pleasure I had taken in such stirring music. It was just fantastic! Also, to hear about how immensely talented Guru Dutt was and yet what a lost soul he was! To hear about his affair with Waheeda Rehman, his failed marriage, the depression that dogged him for years, and his ultimate suicide that he committee at age 39 from an overdose of sleeping pills and alcohol--all of that was utterly heartbreaking. I was so happy that I saw clips again from some of his finest work and took such great joy in them. In fact, I have now decided that when I go back home to Connecticut, I shall try to see all these films in chronological sequence, one after the other, and become reacquainted with his immortal oeuvre.
A Visit to the Museum:
When the film ended, I walked out with dozens of lovers of classical Bollywood cinema and entered the Museum. I noticed that a new special exhibition entitled, "Indian Life and People in the Nineteenth Century" was on and so I headed to the second floor. I found it to be an exhibition of what is called "Company Paintings"--these were watercolors that depict Indians in the throes of their daily lives and occupations in pieces that were commissioned by British officials of the time. They are beautifully exhibited and curated and include items in the collection of the museum that date from that century. A lovely small exhibition that I would urge anyone with an interest in sociology and cultural studies to see.
Next, I wandered into a small exhibition on 'The Mummy'--which brings emphasis to the actual Egyptian Mummy that is in the possession of the Bombay Museum--who knew?? Although the wooden sarcophagus is not in a very good state of preservation, for those visitors to the museum who will never have the opportunity to go to say the British Museum or to the Cairo Museum to take in their treasured mummies, this is a good example of the kind of burial customs and rituals associated with the ancient Egyptians.
The Mummy happened to be in the room that houses the Karl Khandalawala Collection which was also interesting. Khandalawala, a London-trained barrister who did his undergraduate studies from my college (Elphinstone) developed a love for Indian art early in life and began an assiduous process of collecting works of his liking. His small collection comprise small terra-cotta busts, stone carvings from Indian temples, sculptural works in bronze plus larger pieces such as a full-sized wooden altar from Rajasthan for housing an Indian Hindu deity. Accompanying the exhibition of these works are black and white pictures from his life--from childhood to his ultimate acceptance of a position on the Board of Directors of the Museum and his very final position as its Director. I found the entire capsule of his life and its times quite fascinating indeed and in looking at it juxtaposed against the art works he collected, it was even more fascinating to me.
My perusal of the Museum's first floor collection continued with a look at its lovely Prints section where I saw colonial architecture wonderfully immortalized through engravings that results in the mass production of prints. Unbelievably, these are still available for sale by the connoisseur and a few years ago, I had picked up a set of four prints that make up a pack depicting the 'Battle of Mooltan (now in Pakistan) from one of my favorite shops in Bombay, Phillips Antiques. I got them framed in Bombay and they proudly adorn by dining room back in Southport. They are museum-quality and standard and looking at the softly tinted prints in this collection, I felt so proud that I had the foresight to buy these woks while they were still pretty affordable.
Next, I wandered into the Indian Miniature Section which was wonderfully curated. Sets of miniature paintings were displayed according to their style and chronology and by the end of an hour, I learned about the difference in Mughal Miniatures as opposed to Rajasthani Ministaures, about the differences between Kangra Schools of Painting Miniatures as opposed to others,such as Amber. There were actual differences even within the grand Mogul period with miniatures produced during the reign of Akbar (who started the trend of posing for portraitists) differing from those of his descendants (Jehangir, Shah Jehan and Aurangzeb). Really and truly fabulous stuff because it was not just the scene that was incredible, it was the back drop against which they were painted that really caught my eye.
On my way downstairs, I took in the photographs of Old Bombay on the walls in the main concourse and the few small sculpted items in the vitrines on the ground floor.
But all this close examination of Indian miniature paintings exhausted me deeply and I was ready to get home and get some rest by this stage in the day. So off I went in a No. 133 bus from the bus-stop just across from the museum to Churchgate station from where I took a seat in a practically empty first class general compartment to get home. At Bandra station, I got a bus almost immediately and was home within the hour for a hot shower.
When I felt human again, I sat down to a nice pot of tea, wafers and part of my chocolate eclair. I was so relaxed that I simply could not face the thought of getting up and going over to Dad's. So I called and asked him to excuse me as I simply wanted to have a quiet evening at home by myself today. I told him to go to Mass on his own. All as well at home anyway and I was happy. In the morning, I contacted Dr. Derrick D'Lima to get Russel's plaster cast removed. That has been set for this coming Saturday at 10.30 am. Please keep Russel in your prayers. It will be such a relief for him to have the plaster removed after 4 long months--but the rehab will then begin and we can only hope that with the arthritis still problematic in his knee, it will not be too challenging.
I ate my dinner--yes!! Valerie began delivering her tiffin to me again today although I have now told her to send no fried foods and only to supply on Monday and Thursday as I do want to cut down my portion size and calories. I am amazed how much weight I have put on in four months and how tight all my clothes are! Real shame on me!
I watched another episode of Agatha Raisin and quite liked it. Then it was time to take a look at email and respond to very urgent ones before I took stock of my work for the next week--I am feeling overwhelmed!--before I went off to sleep feeling completely drained.
Until tomorrow...
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
An Interview with Shyam Benegal, Visit to the Museum and Drinks with Fulbright Friends
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
Bombay
An Interview with Shyam Benegal, Visit to the Museum, and Drinks with Fulbright Friends
Namaste from Bombay!
Waking Up on Pali Hill:
I awoke at 6.00 am at Shahnaz's place--felt odd to wake up with windows wide open overlooking the other rooftops and terraces of Pali Hill apartment buildings and the wide open Arabian Sea in the distance--though shrouded in smog at this hour of the morning. The air is lovely and cool at dawn and dusk in Bombay now and there is no humidity at all. In the afternoons, it can still feel a tad too warm, but I am enjoying it all the same.
A Wedding Next Door:
Shahnaz dropped me off at my place at 7.10 as she had her aqua class at Otter's Club at 7.30 am--as she does every day. I reached home to the realization that today was D-Day for my neighbor Forum next door. It is her Wedding Day and I could sense the calm before the storm. What are the odds that I would arrive in India on a Fulbright Fellowship and be witness to a real live-7-night long Hindu wedding occurring next door!!! I mean, what are the odds? Sadly, the reception is too far away--so although I would have loved to have attended it, I had to bow out.
I blogged and made myself my breakfast of muesli and coffee. Then, I showered and left my home just a wee bit earlier than usual. I had an interview with India's best living film-maker Shyam Benegal scheduled at his office at Tardeo at 11.00am--which meant that I could catch a later train as Tardeo is half way to my usual destination of Nariman Point.
I stopped at the florist before I caught my bus to the station and I ordered a large basket of red roses to be delivered to Forum's place with a card that I signed--for her wedding! I believe it would be the first of any floral tributes she would receive.
Drowning in Nostalgia:
Then, I jumped into a bus and then a train (I took a slow train--not a Bandra local today) and that too was a very pleasant experience. When I hopped off at Bombay Central, I was taken sharply back about forty-two years ago to the time I used this station frequently. It used to be my regular station when I lived in the Reserve Bank Colony in Bombay Central where my Dad had a flat allotted to him and where I grew up. So very much had changed in the intervening years--it was unbelievable. The spot from where we booked tickets for the local train had changed--there is a the Belasis Cafe there now--the road outside is still known as Belasis Road! I can clearly remember my Dad putting his hand into his pocket to get out his wallet to buy us tickets and finding that his pocket had been slit and that his wallet had been picked--this was in 1986!
Anyway, I was headed on foot to Tardeo to find Everest Building right opposite the BEST Bus Depot where Shyam Benegal has his office. And who should I run into??? But my friend Nafisa, heading into the station to get to her dentist in Ville Parle (I still have to understand why this station is called The Town Speaks--in French!). Anyway, she had wanted to join me in the afternoon at the museum and told me that she would still text me if she could make it. I rather doubted this would happen as she was headed in the opposite direction.
An Interview with Shyam Benegal:
A swift ten minute walk later (during which I marveled as I took in all the changes that have occurred in Tardeo since my college days), I was at Everest building and at 11.00am, Shyam Benegal walked in. We had a lovely chat together as he reminisced about the days when he did backstage props and make up for all the English language theater plays produced by Theater Group. This was long before he began making independent feature films and became the country's most decorated film-maker. I spent my college years watching his films such as Ankur and Manthan and Trikaal--films that introduced us to such brilliant actors as Shabana Azmi, Naseerudin Shah and Neena Gupta. There was not a bit of self-promotion of his work as he spoke. In fact, we did not even mention his work as a film-maker. He stuck with my subject--which was the contribution of minorities to Western performing arts--and he was simply brilliant. His responses were thoughtful and entirely sound and he offered me perspectives that no other respondent has done so far. I was simply thrilled by the quality of the interview and the data it unearthed for me.
Bus Ride Downtown:
I then found out what bus would take me from Tardeo to Kala Ghoda as I wanted to get to the museum to continue my exploration of the second floor. I loved every second of my bus ride on the No. 133 bus. It is amazing how much one sees of Bombay on the buses. It wound its leisurely way through Haji Ali, then Peddar Road, Warden Road, Kemps Corner and then on to Opera House where it took me into the bylanes of some of the oldest parts of colonial Bombay with their old tenement buildings and crowded bazaars. It was amazing and I loved it--so sensual; so full of visual and aural delight. Throughout the bus ride, I was talking on the phone to Dolly Thakore who so kindly called to find out how I was getting along with my work and if there was anything more she could do to help me. I told her about the many people to whom I had spoken and the amount of invaluable information I have been receiving. In a little while, the bus arrived at Kala Ghoda past Marine Lines and Churchgate.
Lunch at Copper Chimney:
I was really hungry by then so I went to what has become one of my favorite places in Bombay for a quick, delicious and very reasonably priced lunch--the Soup and Salad Buffet at Copper Chimney. And I realize that I have completely conquered my reservations about sitting and eating alone in a restaurant. It simply does not bother me at all--especially not if it is a nice place. So there I was seated at a table and tucking into Tomato Soup, green salad with a coriander dressing, sprouted bean salad, a Greek salad and the most delicious pepper Chicken Salad--yummie!!! Then feeling fully sated, I crossed the street past the Kala Ghoda statue and arrived at the Museum.
Visit to the former Prince of Wales Museum:
This time, before I bought my ticket, I actually visited the Museum shop. I found it filled with very interesting merchandise--some of which I shall definitely be buying before I leave. I found delightful coasters depicting my gorgeous Elphinstone College with the adjoining CJ Hall where we used to have our college socials--right next door. There were also old photographs depicting Bombay's landmark buildings. There were lots of stoles and Indian scarves in cotton and silk and really nice jewelry. It is amazing how well these shops are now run--we have learned so much from our counterparts in the West and are incorporating their ideas of marketing so brilliantly.
Once I bought my ticket (Rs. 60), I walked into the museum and took the elevator straight to the second floor. I skipped the first European Paintings Gallery (as I had studied it on a previous visit) and went into the one opposite--which contains works that were collected by Sir Ratan Tata. I do not believe that the second floor of the Museum could possibly exist without the collection of Sirs Dorab and Ratan Tata.
Of particular note on the second floor was a painting by John Quincy Adams, the grandson of the sixth American President who was named after his erstwhile forebear. It is a ratter maudlin painting in dark colors that depicts mourning customs in early America. There is also a set of four beautiful landscapes by John Constable of the Stour Valley and of Dedham Vale in particular which bears careful examination. As someone who had once led students on a field trip to Suffolk just so that we could walk in the footsteps of Constable and his brilliant landscape paintings as well as see Flatford Mill which he depicted in his most famous painting The Haywain, I was particularly thrilled that we, in Bombay, can boast a set of landscapes by Constable. Who knew????!!!! There was also a large landscape of the Scottish Highlands depicting the spot where Bonnie Price Charlie began his revolution. It is entitled "Waes Me for Prince Charlie" and is by Charles Edward Johnson. The curatorial notes that accompany each painting are available on laminated sheets and using those, I found a great deal of information about the collection. It is amazingly good! Small, but so good!
Next I wandered into the huge hall that contains Chinese and Japanese Ceramics that were collected by Ratan Tata. Now this collection is enormous and almost as huge as that of Jalar Jung III in Hyderabad. Every conceivable sort of Far Eastern porcelain and china ceramic craft is on diplay--from the common blue and white pottery that was traded vastly across the planet to rare gold lacquerware. I feasted my eyes on such a huge variety of Asian porcelain that it was hard to drag myself away. There was celadon porcelain as well that has a delicate green color. In addition, there was jade and rock crystal and rose quartz--semi-precious stones that are all intricately carved and beautiful polished. It was just such a breathtaking collection that I realized why they have whole books on the subject for sale in the museum shop--all splendidly reproduced.
When I'd finished with the jade, I spent some more time examining the snuff bottles collection really closely. Next, I descended one floor below and walked around the periphery of the hall on the first floor to take in the very succinct collection of work by Bombay painters from the turn of the twentieth century starting with the time of M.V. Dhurandhar right up to the Progressive Artists' Movement represented by Raza, Ara, Souza, Bakhre and Hussain. All brilliant. I had seen a lot of Souza and Bakhre's work in London, of course, two years ago, during the retrospective that had been organized by Marcia Ribeiro, daughter of Lancelot Ribeiro, half-brother of F.N. Souza, at Burgh House in Hampstead. But to see these works in the company of those by their friends and contemporaries was deeply moving and I loved every second of my visit--whether I was looking at a charcoal drawing, a pen and ink work, a pastel, a water color or an oil painting. There were also tributes to the earliest founders of the J.J. School of Arts in Bombay that nurtured these indigenous Indian artists by recognizing their talent and bringing it to fruition. The name of Principal Solomon was prominent among these--M.V. Dhurandhar replaced him after Independence. Such a lovely historic walk down Memory Lane in a permanent exhibition that is curated by Suhas Bahulkar for whom I have great (new) respect as an artist and a scholar.
By 4.15, I was tired and decided that I would continue my forays into the museum another time. I love that I am able to spend about two hours quietly and peacefully by myself contemplating these works and learning so much about Indian art.
Across the street was the bus stop and as soon as a 133 came again, I jumped into it and got to Churchagte station in a jiffy. A quick train ride and I was home for a cuppa and a slice of cake. I have to tell you how blissful it was to have the entire floor of my building to myself for the first time since I moved in here as the noisy family next-door were at the wedding reception. In fact, I do wish I had simply stayed home to savor the peace and quiet and to get some work done without having to listen to the constant shrillness of Forum's voice. But I had to go...so I left for Dad's and spent most of the evening chatting with Russel before Dad and I left for the 7.00 pm Mass.
Drinks with Fulbright Friends:
My day continued as I had evening plans with Fulbright friends. I had enough time to go home and relax a bit for about 20 minutes and then walk to Bandra Gym where my Bandra-based Fulbright friends were scheduled to meet at 8.00 pm for drinks. Michelle, Meghan, and Petra were already there and soon Hailey (whom I was meeting for the first time) and Monica followed. We spent the next couple of hours in the bar upstairs where they were stunned at the low low prices for drinks and eats. We had Planters Punch, Tom Collins, Bloody Marys and bar food that included Veg Manchurian, Paneer Achari and Chicken Lassooni with crostini--in case anything got too spicy. Everything was super delicious and we really had a blast as we got to know each other better. At the end of the evening, when the bill came, we were astounded to find that that it was only Rs. 265 each--that is a little over $3! Unbelievable!
I walked back home and got there in five minutes. I had some dessert (Pralines and Cream ice-cream) while I watched Come Dine With Me. I was still savoring every second of the quiet next door--believe me, you don't realize how precious that is to me having put up with so much yelling and screaming all the time from next door because my neighbor does not speak--she yells!
It was about 12 midnight when I went off to sleep, dreading to think that I would, no doubt, be awoken by the noise, in the middle of the night, from the return of the wedding party!
Until tomorrow...
Bombay
An Interview with Shyam Benegal, Visit to the Museum, and Drinks with Fulbright Friends
Namaste from Bombay!
Waking Up on Pali Hill:
I awoke at 6.00 am at Shahnaz's place--felt odd to wake up with windows wide open overlooking the other rooftops and terraces of Pali Hill apartment buildings and the wide open Arabian Sea in the distance--though shrouded in smog at this hour of the morning. The air is lovely and cool at dawn and dusk in Bombay now and there is no humidity at all. In the afternoons, it can still feel a tad too warm, but I am enjoying it all the same.
A Wedding Next Door:
Shahnaz dropped me off at my place at 7.10 as she had her aqua class at Otter's Club at 7.30 am--as she does every day. I reached home to the realization that today was D-Day for my neighbor Forum next door. It is her Wedding Day and I could sense the calm before the storm. What are the odds that I would arrive in India on a Fulbright Fellowship and be witness to a real live-7-night long Hindu wedding occurring next door!!! I mean, what are the odds? Sadly, the reception is too far away--so although I would have loved to have attended it, I had to bow out.
I blogged and made myself my breakfast of muesli and coffee. Then, I showered and left my home just a wee bit earlier than usual. I had an interview with India's best living film-maker Shyam Benegal scheduled at his office at Tardeo at 11.00am--which meant that I could catch a later train as Tardeo is half way to my usual destination of Nariman Point.
I stopped at the florist before I caught my bus to the station and I ordered a large basket of red roses to be delivered to Forum's place with a card that I signed--for her wedding! I believe it would be the first of any floral tributes she would receive.
Drowning in Nostalgia:
Then, I jumped into a bus and then a train (I took a slow train--not a Bandra local today) and that too was a very pleasant experience. When I hopped off at Bombay Central, I was taken sharply back about forty-two years ago to the time I used this station frequently. It used to be my regular station when I lived in the Reserve Bank Colony in Bombay Central where my Dad had a flat allotted to him and where I grew up. So very much had changed in the intervening years--it was unbelievable. The spot from where we booked tickets for the local train had changed--there is a the Belasis Cafe there now--the road outside is still known as Belasis Road! I can clearly remember my Dad putting his hand into his pocket to get out his wallet to buy us tickets and finding that his pocket had been slit and that his wallet had been picked--this was in 1986!
Anyway, I was headed on foot to Tardeo to find Everest Building right opposite the BEST Bus Depot where Shyam Benegal has his office. And who should I run into??? But my friend Nafisa, heading into the station to get to her dentist in Ville Parle (I still have to understand why this station is called The Town Speaks--in French!). Anyway, she had wanted to join me in the afternoon at the museum and told me that she would still text me if she could make it. I rather doubted this would happen as she was headed in the opposite direction.
An Interview with Shyam Benegal:
A swift ten minute walk later (during which I marveled as I took in all the changes that have occurred in Tardeo since my college days), I was at Everest building and at 11.00am, Shyam Benegal walked in. We had a lovely chat together as he reminisced about the days when he did backstage props and make up for all the English language theater plays produced by Theater Group. This was long before he began making independent feature films and became the country's most decorated film-maker. I spent my college years watching his films such as Ankur and Manthan and Trikaal--films that introduced us to such brilliant actors as Shabana Azmi, Naseerudin Shah and Neena Gupta. There was not a bit of self-promotion of his work as he spoke. In fact, we did not even mention his work as a film-maker. He stuck with my subject--which was the contribution of minorities to Western performing arts--and he was simply brilliant. His responses were thoughtful and entirely sound and he offered me perspectives that no other respondent has done so far. I was simply thrilled by the quality of the interview and the data it unearthed for me.
Bus Ride Downtown:
I then found out what bus would take me from Tardeo to Kala Ghoda as I wanted to get to the museum to continue my exploration of the second floor. I loved every second of my bus ride on the No. 133 bus. It is amazing how much one sees of Bombay on the buses. It wound its leisurely way through Haji Ali, then Peddar Road, Warden Road, Kemps Corner and then on to Opera House where it took me into the bylanes of some of the oldest parts of colonial Bombay with their old tenement buildings and crowded bazaars. It was amazing and I loved it--so sensual; so full of visual and aural delight. Throughout the bus ride, I was talking on the phone to Dolly Thakore who so kindly called to find out how I was getting along with my work and if there was anything more she could do to help me. I told her about the many people to whom I had spoken and the amount of invaluable information I have been receiving. In a little while, the bus arrived at Kala Ghoda past Marine Lines and Churchgate.
Lunch at Copper Chimney:
I was really hungry by then so I went to what has become one of my favorite places in Bombay for a quick, delicious and very reasonably priced lunch--the Soup and Salad Buffet at Copper Chimney. And I realize that I have completely conquered my reservations about sitting and eating alone in a restaurant. It simply does not bother me at all--especially not if it is a nice place. So there I was seated at a table and tucking into Tomato Soup, green salad with a coriander dressing, sprouted bean salad, a Greek salad and the most delicious pepper Chicken Salad--yummie!!! Then feeling fully sated, I crossed the street past the Kala Ghoda statue and arrived at the Museum.
Visit to the former Prince of Wales Museum:
This time, before I bought my ticket, I actually visited the Museum shop. I found it filled with very interesting merchandise--some of which I shall definitely be buying before I leave. I found delightful coasters depicting my gorgeous Elphinstone College with the adjoining CJ Hall where we used to have our college socials--right next door. There were also old photographs depicting Bombay's landmark buildings. There were lots of stoles and Indian scarves in cotton and silk and really nice jewelry. It is amazing how well these shops are now run--we have learned so much from our counterparts in the West and are incorporating their ideas of marketing so brilliantly.
Once I bought my ticket (Rs. 60), I walked into the museum and took the elevator straight to the second floor. I skipped the first European Paintings Gallery (as I had studied it on a previous visit) and went into the one opposite--which contains works that were collected by Sir Ratan Tata. I do not believe that the second floor of the Museum could possibly exist without the collection of Sirs Dorab and Ratan Tata.
Of particular note on the second floor was a painting by John Quincy Adams, the grandson of the sixth American President who was named after his erstwhile forebear. It is a ratter maudlin painting in dark colors that depicts mourning customs in early America. There is also a set of four beautiful landscapes by John Constable of the Stour Valley and of Dedham Vale in particular which bears careful examination. As someone who had once led students on a field trip to Suffolk just so that we could walk in the footsteps of Constable and his brilliant landscape paintings as well as see Flatford Mill which he depicted in his most famous painting The Haywain, I was particularly thrilled that we, in Bombay, can boast a set of landscapes by Constable. Who knew????!!!! There was also a large landscape of the Scottish Highlands depicting the spot where Bonnie Price Charlie began his revolution. It is entitled "Waes Me for Prince Charlie" and is by Charles Edward Johnson. The curatorial notes that accompany each painting are available on laminated sheets and using those, I found a great deal of information about the collection. It is amazingly good! Small, but so good!
Next I wandered into the huge hall that contains Chinese and Japanese Ceramics that were collected by Ratan Tata. Now this collection is enormous and almost as huge as that of Jalar Jung III in Hyderabad. Every conceivable sort of Far Eastern porcelain and china ceramic craft is on diplay--from the common blue and white pottery that was traded vastly across the planet to rare gold lacquerware. I feasted my eyes on such a huge variety of Asian porcelain that it was hard to drag myself away. There was celadon porcelain as well that has a delicate green color. In addition, there was jade and rock crystal and rose quartz--semi-precious stones that are all intricately carved and beautiful polished. It was just such a breathtaking collection that I realized why they have whole books on the subject for sale in the museum shop--all splendidly reproduced.
When I'd finished with the jade, I spent some more time examining the snuff bottles collection really closely. Next, I descended one floor below and walked around the periphery of the hall on the first floor to take in the very succinct collection of work by Bombay painters from the turn of the twentieth century starting with the time of M.V. Dhurandhar right up to the Progressive Artists' Movement represented by Raza, Ara, Souza, Bakhre and Hussain. All brilliant. I had seen a lot of Souza and Bakhre's work in London, of course, two years ago, during the retrospective that had been organized by Marcia Ribeiro, daughter of Lancelot Ribeiro, half-brother of F.N. Souza, at Burgh House in Hampstead. But to see these works in the company of those by their friends and contemporaries was deeply moving and I loved every second of my visit--whether I was looking at a charcoal drawing, a pen and ink work, a pastel, a water color or an oil painting. There were also tributes to the earliest founders of the J.J. School of Arts in Bombay that nurtured these indigenous Indian artists by recognizing their talent and bringing it to fruition. The name of Principal Solomon was prominent among these--M.V. Dhurandhar replaced him after Independence. Such a lovely historic walk down Memory Lane in a permanent exhibition that is curated by Suhas Bahulkar for whom I have great (new) respect as an artist and a scholar.
By 4.15, I was tired and decided that I would continue my forays into the museum another time. I love that I am able to spend about two hours quietly and peacefully by myself contemplating these works and learning so much about Indian art.
Across the street was the bus stop and as soon as a 133 came again, I jumped into it and got to Churchagte station in a jiffy. A quick train ride and I was home for a cuppa and a slice of cake. I have to tell you how blissful it was to have the entire floor of my building to myself for the first time since I moved in here as the noisy family next-door were at the wedding reception. In fact, I do wish I had simply stayed home to savor the peace and quiet and to get some work done without having to listen to the constant shrillness of Forum's voice. But I had to go...so I left for Dad's and spent most of the evening chatting with Russel before Dad and I left for the 7.00 pm Mass.
Drinks with Fulbright Friends:
My day continued as I had evening plans with Fulbright friends. I had enough time to go home and relax a bit for about 20 minutes and then walk to Bandra Gym where my Bandra-based Fulbright friends were scheduled to meet at 8.00 pm for drinks. Michelle, Meghan, and Petra were already there and soon Hailey (whom I was meeting for the first time) and Monica followed. We spent the next couple of hours in the bar upstairs where they were stunned at the low low prices for drinks and eats. We had Planters Punch, Tom Collins, Bloody Marys and bar food that included Veg Manchurian, Paneer Achari and Chicken Lassooni with crostini--in case anything got too spicy. Everything was super delicious and we really had a blast as we got to know each other better. At the end of the evening, when the bill came, we were astounded to find that that it was only Rs. 265 each--that is a little over $3! Unbelievable!
I walked back home and got there in five minutes. I had some dessert (Pralines and Cream ice-cream) while I watched Come Dine With Me. I was still savoring every second of the quiet next door--believe me, you don't realize how precious that is to me having put up with so much yelling and screaming all the time from next door because my neighbor does not speak--she yells!
It was about 12 midnight when I went off to sleep, dreading to think that I would, no doubt, be awoken by the noise, in the middle of the night, from the return of the wedding party!
Until tomorrow...
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
Beginning an Exploration of the Museum and Samson and Delilah at the NCPA
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Bombay
Beginning an Exploration of the Bombay Museum and Samson and Delilah at the NCPA
Namaste from Bombay!
I am dashing off my blog post at the end of the day today instead of first thing in the morning as my routine went a bit haywire (since today is Diwali)
But, I awoke at 6. 30 am and cranked out a blog post that took me all of 20 minutes. I then gulped down a quick cup of coffee and dressed for the gym where I spent the next hour. Right after it, I came home and spent a while on the phone with Shahnaz with whom I had plans for the evening--we would be seeing the HDLive screening of Samson and Delilah at the NCPA at the 6.30 pm show from New York's Metropolitan Opera House. However, since I was going to be in the city, I prefer to go there early and make a sight-seeing detour of sorts. Shahnaz had an appointment with her lawyer and told me to wait until 1.30 pm by which time she would join me too.
I figured I would spend the morning working on my conference paper for Calcutta and would give her a chance to finish her meeting and then travel to the city with me. Accordingly, I showered, then got my own food organized and took it in a Tupperware container to Dad's house with the idea of eating lunch with him and Russel. I carried my own food there as I did not want to be saddled with another lot of leftovers. Despite the fact that my tiffin comes in only once in two days, I find myself eating out so much that I invariably have a load of leftovers in my fridge.
Dad was hugely suprized to see me but when I explained why I had shown up he was more than happy to have me eat lunch with him and Russel. Russel too was delighted to see me because he knew that I would not be back in the evening to spend time with him.
I was just finishing lunch when Shahnaz called to tell me that she was leaving her place and would be at my Dad's gate in five minutes. She decided to drive to the city in her car (as opposed to taking the train) as Diwali festivities have already begun in Bombay and the roads have much less traffic on them. She expected that we would speed into the city.
And she was right. It took us exactly an hour from door to door. Shahnaz was sweet enough to take an interesting detour that led us to places with which I am not really familiar such as the posh south Bombay locations of Warden Road, Peddar Road, Napean Sea Road, Malabar Hill and Walkeshwar. In fact, we took a wrong turn at Teen Bhatti and ended up on a dead end road which brought us to the gate of Raj Bhavan, the estate of the Governor of Maharashtra, where my friend Michelle, who now lives in London, had grown up as her father used to be Head of Security for the Governor of Maharashtra. In fact, I have lovely memories of traipsing to Raj Bhavan when we were classmates at Elphinstone College to attend one of the very classy sit-down tea parties that her mother used to host to celebrate occasions such as her birthday. I remember (long before I had made my first trip to the UK myself) being charmed by the wafer-thin porcelain tea cups and saucers in which her mother had served us tea in proper grown-up fashion with the prettiest pastries and daintiest finger sandwiches that she had passed around on three-tiered stands! It was the most exciting of exposures to the English way of life that I can remember!
Anyway, I took pictures at the gate of Raj Bhavan while Shahnaz asked the havaldar on duty for directions. I wanted to send them off to Michelle so that she could wax nostalgic about her growing years.
When we were back on track again, we raced down the Walkeshwar Hill alongside the glorious shimmering Arabian Sea at the Chowpatty Beach and then sailed all the way down Marine Drive on a day when Bombay reminded me of my childhood--traffic was sparse and the number of people on the roads was equally thin. What a joy it can be to have the city practically to yourself!
As we approached Nariman Point, Shahnaz had the brainwave that we park in the parking lot of the NCPA, use the rest rooms there and then take a cab to the Museum where we intended to spend a couple of hours. And that was precisely what we did. Five minutes later, our car safely stashed away, we used rest rooms and took a taxi to the Museum.
Exploring the Prince of Wales Museum (now the Shivaji Museum):
We bought our tickets and entered the gorgeous marble central circular hall of the museum whose building was designed in Indo-Sarcenic style by the British architect Wittets. The more I explore the fabulous heritage buildings of Bombay, they more I am getting acquainted with this genius architect who has left his mark so lovingly upon the city. It is ornamental in the extreme with its imposing facade that includes a huge dome and twin flanking ones and all sorts of carvings. Inside, the marble flooring gives the entire place a majestic ambience--we could well be in a maharaja's palace.
Picking up a floor plan (and resolving that the next time I come on my own I will do the audio tour of all the highlights which are beautifully printed on a glossy flyer), Shahnaz and I decided to start at the top most floor (the second floor) and make our way down. We took the elevator up and following the floor map entered a smallish gallery devoted to the last works of the Parsi painter Jehangir Sabavala that have been donated to the museum by his widow. He painted these works in 2010 and died in 2011. He was truly a gentleman painter and his own black and white portrait, done in Germany, in the 1940s, presents a prim Parsi man with a prim mustache and earnest eyes. A much later portrait presents a much older man, who had balded but had retained his classy demeanor.
The next gallery brought us directly into 'European Paintings', most of which were the personal collection of Sir Ratan Tata who was one of the two sons (together with Dorab Tata) of Sir Jamshedji Nuuserwanji Tata. Sir Ratan, who has a lovely bronze sculpture of himself on the same floor, amassed a fine collection of Victorian and Edwardian paintings that are in beautiful shape, in grand gilded frames. Although they do not comprise the work of Old Masters, one or two of them are by world-famous artists, such as David Tenniers and another by the portraitist Sir Thomas Lawrence (of the diamond merchant Henry Phillip Hope who is associated with the famous Hope Diamond). I loved a painting entitled 'At the Crossroads (The World and the Cloister)" by Emil Rau which featured a tearful young girl being coaxed by two 19th century nuns as her internal debate rages as to whether to join the convent or to give herself up to married life. I was stunned by the variety of works in this gallery--there are Tudor portraits, Flemish animal studies and Dutch landscapes, even a small portrait of Madame Pompadour by Francois Boucher! Who knew??? Right here, in the city of my birth are these fine examples of European paintings squirreled away far from wide spread publicity.
We spent so much time admiring the paintings and reading all the curatorial cards with their helpful notes that we only had time to peruse the fabulous Victorian vitrines that contained a nice representative collection of glass (by Emile Galle, cameo glass, Venetian blown specimens, cut crystal), porcelain (I recognized Meissen and Coalport), pottery (there was Josiah Wedgwood's Portland Vase and some of his famed jasperware), some really amazing Mogul glassware (all of which were collected by Ratan Tata and bequeathed to the museum) and my favorite segment of the museum--his own personal collection of snuff bottles--he has hundreds of them, most Asian in origin but many made in Europe as well.
Lunch at Jamie Oliver's Pizzeria at Nariman Point:
It was close to 5 pm and Shahnaz said that she was starving as she had not eaten lunch! She wanted to eat at Woodside Restaurant where we had eaten a few nights ago; but I felt safer eating closer to the NCPA. It was Jamie Oliver's Pizzeria to which we adjourned by cab from the museum. There we split a Mushroom Pizza studded with wild mushrooms and pickled onions over a white mushroom sauce that was only just Okay--no great shakes. With a Coke, it was a good meal.
Off to the Opera--Samson Et Dalila:
We were at the Godrej Little Theater by 6.15 where I ran into my friend Firdaus who was accompanying some Parsi friends who were visiting from Canada. He introduced us to them before we disappeared to use rest rooms. The opera Samson et Dalila by Camille Saint-Saens was in French and starred Roberto Alagna (whom I have seen umpteen times on stage) as Samson and Elina Garanca as Delilah. Costumes and sets were spectacular and Act II was outstanding. It was a very enjoyable opera and although not much hyped, I actually found that I liked it a lot more than I expected. Shahnaz slept through most of it--so it probably was not as enthralling for her.
It was about 9.30 when it ended and we got back in Shahnaz's car for a lovely drive back to Bandra. Once again, lack of traffic on the streets along Marine Lines made the drive purely pleasurable and I recalled similar drives taken in my childhood days in my Aunt Anne's car--when Bombay had been nothing but a huge pleasure and living it in had seemed like the greatest privilege in the world.
Shahnaz dropped me back to my flat before getting back to her's. It was about 11.00 pm and I was ready to hit the sack after a most adventuresome day!
Until tomorrow...
Bombay
Beginning an Exploration of the Bombay Museum and Samson and Delilah at the NCPA
Namaste from Bombay!
I am dashing off my blog post at the end of the day today instead of first thing in the morning as my routine went a bit haywire (since today is Diwali)
But, I awoke at 6. 30 am and cranked out a blog post that took me all of 20 minutes. I then gulped down a quick cup of coffee and dressed for the gym where I spent the next hour. Right after it, I came home and spent a while on the phone with Shahnaz with whom I had plans for the evening--we would be seeing the HDLive screening of Samson and Delilah at the NCPA at the 6.30 pm show from New York's Metropolitan Opera House. However, since I was going to be in the city, I prefer to go there early and make a sight-seeing detour of sorts. Shahnaz had an appointment with her lawyer and told me to wait until 1.30 pm by which time she would join me too.
I figured I would spend the morning working on my conference paper for Calcutta and would give her a chance to finish her meeting and then travel to the city with me. Accordingly, I showered, then got my own food organized and took it in a Tupperware container to Dad's house with the idea of eating lunch with him and Russel. I carried my own food there as I did not want to be saddled with another lot of leftovers. Despite the fact that my tiffin comes in only once in two days, I find myself eating out so much that I invariably have a load of leftovers in my fridge.
Dad was hugely suprized to see me but when I explained why I had shown up he was more than happy to have me eat lunch with him and Russel. Russel too was delighted to see me because he knew that I would not be back in the evening to spend time with him.
I was just finishing lunch when Shahnaz called to tell me that she was leaving her place and would be at my Dad's gate in five minutes. She decided to drive to the city in her car (as opposed to taking the train) as Diwali festivities have already begun in Bombay and the roads have much less traffic on them. She expected that we would speed into the city.
And she was right. It took us exactly an hour from door to door. Shahnaz was sweet enough to take an interesting detour that led us to places with which I am not really familiar such as the posh south Bombay locations of Warden Road, Peddar Road, Napean Sea Road, Malabar Hill and Walkeshwar. In fact, we took a wrong turn at Teen Bhatti and ended up on a dead end road which brought us to the gate of Raj Bhavan, the estate of the Governor of Maharashtra, where my friend Michelle, who now lives in London, had grown up as her father used to be Head of Security for the Governor of Maharashtra. In fact, I have lovely memories of traipsing to Raj Bhavan when we were classmates at Elphinstone College to attend one of the very classy sit-down tea parties that her mother used to host to celebrate occasions such as her birthday. I remember (long before I had made my first trip to the UK myself) being charmed by the wafer-thin porcelain tea cups and saucers in which her mother had served us tea in proper grown-up fashion with the prettiest pastries and daintiest finger sandwiches that she had passed around on three-tiered stands! It was the most exciting of exposures to the English way of life that I can remember!
Anyway, I took pictures at the gate of Raj Bhavan while Shahnaz asked the havaldar on duty for directions. I wanted to send them off to Michelle so that she could wax nostalgic about her growing years.
When we were back on track again, we raced down the Walkeshwar Hill alongside the glorious shimmering Arabian Sea at the Chowpatty Beach and then sailed all the way down Marine Drive on a day when Bombay reminded me of my childhood--traffic was sparse and the number of people on the roads was equally thin. What a joy it can be to have the city practically to yourself!
As we approached Nariman Point, Shahnaz had the brainwave that we park in the parking lot of the NCPA, use the rest rooms there and then take a cab to the Museum where we intended to spend a couple of hours. And that was precisely what we did. Five minutes later, our car safely stashed away, we used rest rooms and took a taxi to the Museum.
Exploring the Prince of Wales Museum (now the Shivaji Museum):
We bought our tickets and entered the gorgeous marble central circular hall of the museum whose building was designed in Indo-Sarcenic style by the British architect Wittets. The more I explore the fabulous heritage buildings of Bombay, they more I am getting acquainted with this genius architect who has left his mark so lovingly upon the city. It is ornamental in the extreme with its imposing facade that includes a huge dome and twin flanking ones and all sorts of carvings. Inside, the marble flooring gives the entire place a majestic ambience--we could well be in a maharaja's palace.
Picking up a floor plan (and resolving that the next time I come on my own I will do the audio tour of all the highlights which are beautifully printed on a glossy flyer), Shahnaz and I decided to start at the top most floor (the second floor) and make our way down. We took the elevator up and following the floor map entered a smallish gallery devoted to the last works of the Parsi painter Jehangir Sabavala that have been donated to the museum by his widow. He painted these works in 2010 and died in 2011. He was truly a gentleman painter and his own black and white portrait, done in Germany, in the 1940s, presents a prim Parsi man with a prim mustache and earnest eyes. A much later portrait presents a much older man, who had balded but had retained his classy demeanor.
The next gallery brought us directly into 'European Paintings', most of which were the personal collection of Sir Ratan Tata who was one of the two sons (together with Dorab Tata) of Sir Jamshedji Nuuserwanji Tata. Sir Ratan, who has a lovely bronze sculpture of himself on the same floor, amassed a fine collection of Victorian and Edwardian paintings that are in beautiful shape, in grand gilded frames. Although they do not comprise the work of Old Masters, one or two of them are by world-famous artists, such as David Tenniers and another by the portraitist Sir Thomas Lawrence (of the diamond merchant Henry Phillip Hope who is associated with the famous Hope Diamond). I loved a painting entitled 'At the Crossroads (The World and the Cloister)" by Emil Rau which featured a tearful young girl being coaxed by two 19th century nuns as her internal debate rages as to whether to join the convent or to give herself up to married life. I was stunned by the variety of works in this gallery--there are Tudor portraits, Flemish animal studies and Dutch landscapes, even a small portrait of Madame Pompadour by Francois Boucher! Who knew??? Right here, in the city of my birth are these fine examples of European paintings squirreled away far from wide spread publicity.
We spent so much time admiring the paintings and reading all the curatorial cards with their helpful notes that we only had time to peruse the fabulous Victorian vitrines that contained a nice representative collection of glass (by Emile Galle, cameo glass, Venetian blown specimens, cut crystal), porcelain (I recognized Meissen and Coalport), pottery (there was Josiah Wedgwood's Portland Vase and some of his famed jasperware), some really amazing Mogul glassware (all of which were collected by Ratan Tata and bequeathed to the museum) and my favorite segment of the museum--his own personal collection of snuff bottles--he has hundreds of them, most Asian in origin but many made in Europe as well.
Lunch at Jamie Oliver's Pizzeria at Nariman Point:
It was close to 5 pm and Shahnaz said that she was starving as she had not eaten lunch! She wanted to eat at Woodside Restaurant where we had eaten a few nights ago; but I felt safer eating closer to the NCPA. It was Jamie Oliver's Pizzeria to which we adjourned by cab from the museum. There we split a Mushroom Pizza studded with wild mushrooms and pickled onions over a white mushroom sauce that was only just Okay--no great shakes. With a Coke, it was a good meal.
Off to the Opera--Samson Et Dalila:
We were at the Godrej Little Theater by 6.15 where I ran into my friend Firdaus who was accompanying some Parsi friends who were visiting from Canada. He introduced us to them before we disappeared to use rest rooms. The opera Samson et Dalila by Camille Saint-Saens was in French and starred Roberto Alagna (whom I have seen umpteen times on stage) as Samson and Elina Garanca as Delilah. Costumes and sets were spectacular and Act II was outstanding. It was a very enjoyable opera and although not much hyped, I actually found that I liked it a lot more than I expected. Shahnaz slept through most of it--so it probably was not as enthralling for her.
It was about 9.30 when it ended and we got back in Shahnaz's car for a lovely drive back to Bandra. Once again, lack of traffic on the streets along Marine Lines made the drive purely pleasurable and I recalled similar drives taken in my childhood days in my Aunt Anne's car--when Bombay had been nothing but a huge pleasure and living it in had seemed like the greatest privilege in the world.
Shahnaz dropped me back to my flat before getting back to her's. It was about 11.00 pm and I was ready to hit the sack after a most adventuresome day!
Until tomorrow...
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