“Bonjour. Vous etes le bienvenu,” he said, welcoming me in impeccable French. Despite his high-pressure job, there was a serenity about him. Our trilingual interaction in Marathi, English and French transported me from the British-built Commissioner’s office in downtown Mumbai to the cobbled streets of 17th and 19th century Paris.
Mr. Dattatray Padsalgikar, Mumbai’s Police Commissioner, opened up a fascinating world of French literature. Excerpts from an interview.
What drew you to French literature?
I had learnt French in school under good teachers who motivated me, although the stress was on grammar. I got more exposure to French culture in college. One needs to be immersed in the era of the poet or writer as his works are not isolated from it. French philosophers dominated art and drama.
Was learning French difficult?
We belong to the Indo-Aryan linguist branch. Vowels in Western languages are differently used. Our languages are more phonetic, we pronounce as we write. Indians who speak more than one language can pick up foreign languages too.
What were your impressions of Paris?
Having read and learnt about Paris through films and documentaries, it was as one expected. We visited museums and saw original masterpieces of art. The city’s architecture is a stunning symphony of the medieval and modern. During literary weeks, quotes and poems of great masters are put up in public places.
Who were the poets and writers you have studied and were influenced by?
The classic ‘Les Fables de La Fontaine’ (The Fables of Jean de La Fontaine) is relevant even today. Writers such as Victor Hugo, Emil Zola (the great defender of human rights), Guy de Maupassant and the legendary mathematicians Descartes and Pascal. While Descartes believed in rational explanations, the latter’s famous line ‘Le Coeur a ses raisons, que la raison ne connait point’ ( the heart has its reasons, that reason knows nothing of) explains his philosophy.
In your difficult profession, do these greats inspire you, aid you and offer solace?
All three!
Regarding your interest in French cinema, is there a film that has stayed with you?
‘Les Belles des Nuits’.
Do you find any similarities between French and Indian literary thought?
The French also colonised India, the largest area being Pondicherry. Maybe there was some influence by those who were aware of Indian thought. There are several translations of great French and German works into Marathi taking place at the moment.
What sort of transition do you see between the masters you have studied and the modern ones?
Progression, which is a part of nature’s law, is evident in the literary scene. A lot of new media has emerged. But my question is, has the readership gone up? I feel poetry has taken a back seat today. (He recites the famed ‘La Chanson d’automne’ or ‘The Song of Autumn’ by poet Paul Verlaine, that he calls, ‘a haunting masterpiece’).
Are you spiritually inclined?
My work is my spirituality!
You are a man of many interests. What other hobbies do you have?
I enjoy photography.
