This is that time of the year when literature festivals dot the landscape from Jaipur to Chennai, from Mumbai to Kolkata, not to forget Bengaluru, Lucknow and Patna. Add to that the India Art Fair in Delhi and life resembles one big mela. With authors and poets, painters and sculptors occupying all the mindspace, it is not an easy task to get the redoubtable Homi Bhabha to agree to a leisurely lunch at The Royal Plaza in New Delhi. But the genial humanist agrees, squeezing out time between a session with Vivan Sundaram at the Art Fair and a post-lunch meeting with veteran Kapila Vatsyayan.
So, how does he look at the Jaipur lit fest which concluded after days of hectic discussions, debates and interviews? “I look at the fest in awe and wonder. Over the past 10 years, these literature festivals have mushroomed whereas the country’s literacy rate has not increased proportionately. Jaipur has all the makings of a splendid occasion. With all the bad news about our country, such a book fest is a sign that things are bright as well though of course, there are people who come because it is the in thing to be seen at the festival.” Also in and right on our table is a piping hot chicken margarita soup. Bhabha sprinkles some pepper on it and we resume our conversation about the proliferation of lit fests.
This year even the Mahindra group had a venue booked in its name (Mahindras’ Humanities Center) at Jaipur. “If you look at liberal arts and humanities, they have been marginalised. Yet at such a festival people come to listen, to discuss about books that are far too expensive for most of them. Yet they recognise the depth of the culture. We found it a fine platform to talk of the arts and have some serious talks about the issues affecting the world of humanities.”
The festival indeed does the laudable job of bringing all the arts to a common platform. Understandably, Bhabha appreciates it. “All the parallel streams flow together…,” he says as the main course arrives. Ordering a medium-sized pizza, though there are plenty of tandoor options available, Bhabha, on the prompting of the steward, makes a little room for mutton biryani first. It is not a bad choice. The biryani’s meat is soft and succulent, the grains long and aromatic. The accompaniment of raita and mirch ka salan adds to the experience.
Meanwhile, our conversation changes tracks. Bhabha has been widely seen at the just-concluded feast of art. He says, “Art Fair is a different kettle of fish. No big deals are struck in Jaipur but here at the art fair, gallerists strike many deals. It is a peaceful, viable avenue for all connoisseurs of arts. There is a booming market for art, a number of serious artists are there.” Meanwhile, his medium-sized pizza arrives. Bhabha gives it due attention but the piping hot pizza is not sufficient to take away from any discussion regards any stream of art.
Does he wonder about the mushrooming of the art galleries in a nation where museums are reduced to just storehouses of fossils and relics? “This is a fascinating example of private enterprise. There are so many galleries and now we have this Kiran Nadar Museum. It is amazing how somebody has thrown open a private space to the public for the case of art! People talk of corporate of social responsibility but this is simply wonderful,” he says.
Laudable as the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art is, does it not show the Government in a poor light? Our entire culture policy seems skewed?
“I could not agree more. On one hand we have the Government’s culture policy which is caught in some time warp. The Government forgets that, yes, we are all political citizens, but we are also cultural citizens. The Government only wants to talk of India’s global role but there is no space for artists from the ground level. Arts and humanities have very low priority in our education sector. On the other hand, we have a bunch of these wonderful galleries, they are all unsubsidised. Yet the activity that gives India a very positive global image runs on almost no Government support.” Then there is a division between artists of India and those of Bharat, those silent purveyors from the hinterland who go unrecognised for decades. “We need more awareness at the top level. Just some politicians cannot decide the fate of the arts,” he says, politely declining the offer of another helping of the pizza. Incidentally, Bhabha has left behind his 90-year-old mother in Mumbai to take part in the art discussions in Delhi and will touch down briefly in Kolkata before flying back to the U.S. via Mumbai. Does he not miss Indian food in the US considering he is abroad for the better part of the year?
“I am a pretty good cook. I can cook a four-course dinner for four-five persons with ease. I admit I don’t cook for my mother but I do supervise the work of the maid hired for the job. She is very fond of using too much oil. I keep telling her to cut it down,” he says. The dessert arrives but the sweetest moments have just gone by.
“I loved the experience of being here. It is a privilege,” Bhabha concludes. Memory bank gets a new addition.
