Think Hyderabad, and the first thing that probably comes to mind is Charminar or biryani – two things through which the city’s culture can be felt. Those and old heritage buildings apart, one can also say that Lamakaan, the open cultural space, has become a contemporary addition to the city’s culture.
Over the last six years, Lamakaan has become an important part of Hyderabad, not just for artists, but also as an open liberal space, where people can discuss anything under the sun. The architecture, the big rock in the compound, and the whole setting there makes it a piquant and aesthetic environment,
But it hasn’t been an easy journey for its founders, who have faced problems from neighbours, the cops and the GHMC from time to time. Ashhar Farhan, one of the founders, and whose uncle M. Hassan owned the premises, explains in an interview Lamakaan’s philosophy, and what it represents.
How did the idea of starting Lamakaan come about? Was it something that came up overnight, or was it there for a long time and then materialised?
We (Elahe Hiptoola, wife Humaira and Biju Mathew) had some ideas that we brought together. Elahe had this idea of a coffee house where people could meet and talk. Biju runs the Brecht Centre (named after German playwright Bertolt Brecht), where he holds weekly talks, and Humaira and I used to spend a lot of time at Prithvi (theatre) in Mumbai. So that’s where the ideas came from.
Biju and I were also talking about starting a place in the centre of the city. Then in 2004, M. Hassan, my uncle, whose house Lamakaan was, passed away. Though he was a scientist with the Regional Research Lab (now CSIR-IICT), he was also a photographer and documentary maker. He had a lot of friends who were artists and filmmakers. That’s how we decided to start Lamakaan.
Were there any problems you faced initially when you started in 2009? Do you still face any, like the notice you received for closure last December from the GHMC?
We had apprehensions about the area, as we wanted a place in the centre of Hyderabad, and we were not wrong, because coming here is not easy for everyone. There are neighbours who complain that the noise is high at times or about parking issues. I am not saying we are blameless, but we have changed our policies so as to not disturb anyone. Now our parking is near the Jalagam Vengalrao park. We also changed the sound system. The new one does not have big speakers, but has multiple speakers in different places, to reduce noise.
What has changed in the last six years of Lamakaan?
When we started, we only had one security guard who used to clean the place every day. After our first set of events, people started coming back, and we were conducting one show every week. Now, we have a staff of 10, which we don’t want to stress, and hence shut shop by 10 p.m. daily.
How are the events selected? How do you keep it fair? And are there any criteria that one has to fulfil to conduct an event?
There is an independent body of curators which takes care of the events. The whole process is online, and transparent. The only time that the Lamkaan executive committee makes a choice is during the anniversary week. And there is a minimal criteria; we do not consider any event that is religious, exclusionist and divisive in nature.
Corporate events or programmes funded by corporations are not considered. And lastly, we also do not accept donations from them or the government. These are very important for us, as Lamakaan is a liberal political space. Today, for an artist to book a space for performing involves a lot of things, including advertising. Here it costs almost nothing. Even to attend an event, the fee is Rs. 100; we want it to be very accessible.
How did the name come about?
We used to live in Mallepally, and my uncle, who was a salaried employee, bought this piece of land in Banjara Hills, as he couldn’t buy something in the centre of the city. He began construction from 1977 onwards, and it took him almost 10 years to complete it, because he didn’t have that much money at once. Every time we would ask him about it, he would reply with ‘Uska Lamakaan ho gaya’. (laughs)
