Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
When my mom cooked dal-bhaat...
|
Syed Haider Raza, ever recognised for his concept of `Bindu', is as good a cook as he is a painter. He is a `moody cook' though!
|
PHOTO: SHANKER CHAKRAVARTY
OH THAT'S DELICIOUS! Veteran artist S.H. Raza compliments Chef Vijay for delectable food at the IIC Dinning Hall in New Delhi
His child-like smile, that chortle in his laughter, that misguiding reproach in his ageing eyes and still a chubby face certify his claim that he was "a very naughty child". And it was his attempt at "running away from studies" that finally turned him into a painter now both his country of birth, India, and the country of residence, France are proud of.
Syed Haider Raza, now 82, is at The Dining Hall of the India International Centre in New Delhi, ready for a "light lunch". His entry into the restaurant raises quite many admiring eyes as he heads for his reserved table set close to a glass window overlooking the lush green lawns just below. The IIC dining hall, with minimal decoration, is always a comfortable venue for an informal dine-out. It is only for the members though. As the veteran orders a vegetarian thali, he also drives down memory lane visualising his mother cooking, "When my mother would cook dal and bhaat, I would relish it no end. I have grown so old now but still haven't forgotten its taste."
As the Chef Vijay Thukral himself appears with the thali for the renowned guest, which contains paneer peera, vegetable stew, bean porrial, sambhar and Thayir vada, salad papad, a little rice, roti, and rice payasam as a dessert, the artist insists you, "Have some. The food here is very good. Much like a home-cooked fare." As he begins his grub with a piece of soft naan and yellow dal, he comments, "This place has less formality and more taste." While he relishes his bite you can't avoid wondering what his `Bindu' contained that made him so legendary. "I was very close to Hindu thought since childhood. May be because we lived in an area surrounded by temples in Bawaria city of Narsinghpur district in Madhya Pradesh. But the atmosphere at my home was also very liberal. My parents never objected to my reading the Ramayana. There was also a Tulsi temple next to my home, which I used to visit. I have also read Bhagvad Gita. Since I was very naughty I would always try to run away from studies. So my father Syed Muhammed Razi appointed an art teacher Nandlal Haria ji for me. He once made a Bindu for me and said, `Is par dhyan do. Aur bhool jao sab chiriya, jungle... ' (Concentrate on this and forget birds and the greens that you are surrounded with). And from that day onwards `Bindu' became my focus of the work. It has all spiritual elements that the scriptures contain," he shares.
Remembering teacher
As the veteran tries some vegetable stew and paneer peera, a dish of mashed paneer mixed with grated coconut and cooked in coconut oil, and thayir vada which is vada dipped in yoghurt, cooked in coconut oil and garnished with green chilli and coriander etc, he gets talking about his teacher Beni Prasad. "He would always tell me, Hey Manush rakh pag pankaj par dhyan. Even today when I walk I take care of my steps."
The veteran slowly moves to talking about things that he loves most too. You find out that he loves listening to the Dagar brothers, likes to watch Bharatanatyam and Kathakali performances. "I like shopping, wearing trendy dresses and of course, women," he smiles with a mischief in his eyes. But he hastens to add, "I have always treated women as a statement of beauty on my canvasses. I never considered them an object for lust."
As the artist moves on to bean porrial and then a few spoonfuls of rice paysam, he gets back to talking about food: "You know, I can also cook rice, dal, chicken and omelette. But I cook only when I feel like or if there is an urgent need. So far my wife had been cooking for me. After her death, my maid comes thrice a week to cook for me in Paris. Believe me, it is not easy to live alone, that too, without a female companion at this age," he almost sighs. Meanwhile, Chef Thukral returns to the table with some halwa for him. Raza tastes it with appreciation.
Before he makes an exit, he compliments the chef with this: "Your food is so palatable. I ate more than I could afford to eat. Thank you."
Can there be anything more enjoyable than a compliment from a veteran who is on the globe's celebrity list?
RANA SIDDIQUI
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
|
