12: Short form poetry with Pooja, Sanket and Rochelle

तुका म्हणे बरवे जाण ।

व्हावे लहानाहून लहान . This is an important line by Tukaram, since it illustrates something universal. I am from design background and swear by a line which says, "Less is more”. Having some bent towards listening or understanding poetry, I also loosely interpret this couplet as “realise that, the shorter the better”. In the 100th episode os Audiogyan with Balkrsihna Doshi, I asked him why do all architecture look the same. To which he replied because architects are no longer poets. In my 33rd Episode with Gangadharan Menon, even he said, "The moment we rediscover our poetry, that will be our renaissance.”

On that backdrop, today I have 3 guests on Audiogyan. Rochelle Potkar, Pooja Bhatia and Sanket Mhatre; all, stewards of an upcoming generations of great poets.

Importance of short form poetry?

Rochelle: What are the short form poetries that you have explore? What is a Hiaku?

Sanket: In Marathi we have Charoli? Are there any other forms? What are those?

Pooja: Can you tell what’s the difference between a Gazhal, Sher and Nazm? How have they evolved over time and why is sher so well known versus other forms for layman?

What are the constructs and why? Have they being broken in it’s journey? Art has always been transient. How have these short forms evolved?

Why is haiku only 6 syllables?

Why don’t we have Paacholi? Is it the meter or some other constraint?

Is there conscious effort by poets to keep every Sher integrated in the bigger narrative and yet independent in nature?

Who are the big names who have redefined trajectories? Like Kumar Gandharava in Music.

Who are the Haiku makers who have propagated this form? Is Tanka as famous as haiku?

Chandrakant Gokhale is all time favourite of the youth. Who all have made such impact on different sections of the society through short form poetry?

Sher has been glamourised by Bollywood and also abused? Where is the real substance and how Bollywood got influenced? Any insight there? How did the word Irshad come about?

Topics of Short form poems

In haiku, what are the topics which are explored and yet to be explored?

In Charoli?

In Sher? Is it always about love or passion? Have there been writers writing shre about social awareness like Rahat Indori?

Future

You all have been to various parts of the country talking about poetry and reciting your poetry, what has been your observations?

How is Poetry perceived by a middle class layman?

Where do you see poetry 100 years out in India and other parts of the world?