The Gyaan Project

Kumar Gandharva once said…कला सारखी बदलत असणार, जी जन्माला आली की मृत्यु आहे त्याला, अशाला तुम्ही सारखे बांधून ठेवता, म्हैस बांधल्यासारखे? संगीतासारखी कला सारखी बदलत असते, म्हणजे त्याचं शास्त्र बदलत नाही, त्याचं सौंदर्य बदलतं.

Today we have Srijan Deshpande with us on Audiogyan. He is a dedicated student, performer, researcher, teacher, and archivist of Hindustani Raga Sangeet. Srijan is currently pursuing a doctoral research project at the Manipal Centre for Humanities, in which he is attempting to construct a rigorous account of Pt. Kumar Gandharva's musical alterity in the context of the twentieth-century tradition of the khayal.

We’ll be talking about wide-ranging topics from manyata (acceptance) in the context of tradition to music research, keeping the Legendary Kumar Gandharva in the backdrop. Who is apparently considered a rebel in Hindustani Classical Music.

A quick shout-out to Baithak Foundation and Dakshina Dvaraka Foundation for introducing me to Srijan at a wonderful workshop “Talking with Tradition”. which happened in June 2022 in Pune. More details in the show note.

1. In most Indian classical art forms, things are communicated in metaphors and one has to decode them based on context. Do you see that happening in Music? What according to you could be the reason for this? Any examples?


2. In Music, we have manyata. What is this manyata or acceptance as we call it? Can it be systematically studied as a research subject? Since I suspect Kumarji never accepted the way things were.


3. If we consider Hindustani classical music to be all about improvisation and very personal exploration - What could be possible ideas or interventions by curious minds to build a hypothesis? How can one pick anything as a research subject?


4. What can other research projects be undertaken in the context of Hindustani music?


5. Can you tell us about your journey in the quest to know Kumar Gandharva. Any insights you have discovered about the legend?

1. https://srijan.stck.me


2. https://www.linkedin.com/in/srijand/?originalSubdomain=in


3. https://twitter.com/srijand


4. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOErqOsiFNW8h-c6gwPfufw


5. https://www.facebook.com/srijan.deshpande


6. http://baithak.org/talking-with-tradition/


7. http://baithak.org


8. https://www.facebook.com/dakshinadvaraka/posts/sushruti-santhanam-is-a-carnatic-musician-and-researcher-who-was-trained-in-the-/830247033676285/


9. https://baithak.org/baithak-classes-initiative/carnatic-vocal-recital-by-sushruti-santhanam-at-tmcp-centre-charoli/


10. https://www.thedakshinadvaraka.org


11. Samvaadfoundation.org


12. Satyasheel.com


13. Bakhle, Janaki. 2005. Two Men and Music : Nationalism in the Making of an Indian Classical Tradition. Permanent Black


14. Clayton, Martin 2008. “Introduction: Towards a Theory of Musical Meaning (in India and Elsewhere).” British Journal of Ethnomusicology 10 (1): 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/09681220108567307


15. Deodhar, BR. 1993. Pillars of Hindustani Music. Popular Prakashan.


16. Deshpande Vamanrao. 1987. Indian Musical Traditions : An Aesthetic Study of the Gharanas in Hindustani Music. Popular Prakashan.


17. Gandharva, Kumar, and M. V. Bhatavdekar. 2007. Kumar Gandharva: Mukkam Vashi. 2nd ed. Mumbai: Mauj Prakashan.


18. Komkali, Kalapini, and Rekha Inamdar-Sane, eds. 2014. Kaljayee Kumar Gandharva. Pune: Rajhans Prakashan Pvt. Ltd.


19. Manuel, Peter. 2015. “The Intermediate Sphere in North Indian Music Culture: Between and Beyond ‘Folk’ and ‘Classical.’” Ethnomusicology 59 (1): 82–115. https://doi.org/doi:10.5406/ethnomusicology.59.1.0082.


20. Neuman. Dard. 2012. “Pedagogy, Practice, and Embodied Creativity in Hindustani Music.” Ethnomusicology 56 (3): 426–49. https://doi.org/10.5406/ethnomusicology.56.3.0426.


21. Pradhan, Aneesh. 2014. Hindustani Music in Colonial Bombay. Three Essays Collective.


22. Ranade, Ashok Damodar. Indology and ethnomusicology: Contours of the Indo-British relationship. Promilla & Company, 1992.

I am quoting our today’s guest’s from one of his article…

“I have this presentation that starts with me asking my viewers to identify three sets of entities that are put forth visually: The first set of people is Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas, the second set is Narendra Modi and Donald Trump and the third is a species of Dragonfly which is very common in India called Ground Skimmer. And most people, unless you are scientists, can identify the first two sets of entities but not the third one. And that is my main complaint because my life and the lives of my viewers revolve more around the dragonfly, rather than Priyanka Chopra, or Narendra Modi, as the dragonfly eats mosquitoes and saves us from diseases.“

Today after a year long chase finally we have Rohan Chakravarty with us on Audiogyan. He frankly needs no introduction. Rohan is a cartoonist, illustrator, wildlife buff and creator of Green Humour, a series of comic strips about nature. He tweets as @thetoonguy and posts as @green_humour on Instagram.

1. People around me and including myself can identify cars but not trees or birds. How did you get into this and what keeps you so motivated to go in depths of each artwork on various levels… technically, politically, artistically and more…?


2. What is the difference between a comic, a cartoon and an illustration? How do you capture and then curate the core essence of what you wish to communicate. For eg: I am not much into wildlife but became your fan when i saw your Abbas Kiarostami comic.


3. Where does the humour come from? How would you define your style of work? Why do critics who think of anthropomorphism as a weakness in a storyteller’s inventory?


4. How do you find balance between the artistic side of your work and the scientific side? How has it changed over time? Is the political narrative increasing as each passing day with situation around us?


5. What is the toughest part of your job? What 3 things you would suggest artists, designers, problem solvers, if they want to be like you?

Reference reading

1. https://indianwritinginenglish.uohyd.ac.in/on-the-conservation-trail-with-rohan-chakravarty-an-interview/


2. https://twitter.com/thetoonguy?lang=en


3. https://www.instagram.com/green_humour/?hl=en


4. https://www.greenhumour.com


5. https://eco-spotlight.com/spotlight-interview/green-cartoonist-rohan-chakravarty/


6. https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/too-many-issues-too-little-time-author-rohan-chakravarty-green-humour-152608


7. https://www.wildnavigator.com/2012/06/a-cartoonist-draws-wildlife-conservation-meet-rohan-chakravarty/

There are some 16 events / rituals which are performed in a life of an individual. From birth to death. If we calculate with 140Cr people, I am sure, it’s of a number. Well, worry not, we have Nose to Tail - Designing celebrations which are beautiful inside and out. Founded by Indraja Khare and Aishwarya Lonial. They design Green events and a strong believer and proponent of up-cycling and sustainability. What started as a College project at MIT has now become a successful venture going strong for 4 years. Today we’ll try and document case study with Indraja and Aishwarya and know about designing green events.

1. How did “Nose to Tail” come to be? Whats with the name? What do you girls do exactly? Why?


2. Can you share landscape of events w.r.t number of events, types of events that happen on a regular day in India. Or if you want to address your TAM. 🙂 (Or may be share some numbers to give perspective of the kind of waste we generate)


3. What all types of waste that is generated in any event? What is the biggest waste that you optimise for?


4. Can you share any case study or any client’s event that made you convinced with this mission you are on?


5. How do you design green events? Some nuances will help. If you can walk us from ideation to finally wrap-up?


6. How do you balance emotions with rituals and being practical and talking about waste when people celebrate in silos without being aware of the bigger context?


7. Can you talk little bit about the materials and sources you use to make an eco-friendly event? Can people do on their own?


8. Can this model be scaled? How do you envision future of events in India? Any other countries doing it and with what degree of awareness?


9. How has your design education helped here w.r.t problem solving? What is your biggest learning after Nose to Tail - a message you want to give budding designers and fellow practitioners?
   

We have Itu Chaudhuri and Lisa Rath with us on Audiogyan. They don’t need any formal introduction to the world of design. Just for our record, Itu and Lisa a Principals at Itu Chaudhuri Design, a full-stack design agency bringing powerful design and original thinking to business problems and opportunities. They have engaged in branding, packaging, communication, and editorial design for clients all around. To name a few, Indian Express, Outlook Traveller, Nestle, Haldiram, Dr. Reddy, and more…

One of the sakhi of Kabir goes like this

"Boli hamari purab ki, hami likhai nahi koyi.

hama ko to so lakhai, dhura purab hoy."

"My language is of the east, none understands me,

he only understands me who is from the farthest east."

We’ll try and document Kabir’s language or should we say languages. Today we have Mandar Karanjkar, once again on Audiogyan. I had him in Episode, 238 with Dakshayani Athalye where we spoke about their Baithak Foundation where he is a co-founder. Mandar is a believer in power of Music as a tool for overall human development. He conducts training and workshops to apply wisdom of saint Kabir to corporate problems. He has penned a book called “The Kabir Way.”

We are definitely aware of our extent of knowledge about Kabir when you compare with Purshottam Agarwal or Linda Hess and many other research and scholars on Kabir. But this is humble attempt to document whatever we have understood about Kabir’s languages in Marathi.

This Audiogyan is in association with The Drawing Board.

The Drawing Board is an international architecture platform based in India where students can test their understanding and skills in shaping the way communities live and thrive while preserving local heritage. TDB has been actively running Architecture competitions for undergraduate students since 2016. It was conceptualized by Mindspace Architects and Rohan Builders.

This year, they are back in action with a live event. Architecture undergrad students can submit their project ideas on the theme of designing a “Memorial for Charles Correa”. The last date to submit your concepts is 1st October 2022. More details in show notes and thedrawingboard.in

We have one of the Jury members at TDB with us on Audiogyan. Prof Durganand Balsavar. As the founder-principal architect of Artes, Prof Balsavar has served as the Ideational Curator of the Jaipur Architecture Festival, he is on several national juries and founded the creative think-tank Confluence Ten. Besides having co-authored several books and written journals, he explores varying media in search of re-imagined landscapes of the future and alternative histories.

Today we’ll try to document some of his thoughts on the intervention of architecture for social changes, and how he looks at history from his long-standing career of 3 decades. We’ll also pick his brain about, how can architecture communicate the greatness of Charles Correa which is the theme for this year’s “The Drawing Board” competition.

This year, they are back in action with a live event. Architecture undergrad students can submit their project ideas on the theme of designing a “Memorial for Charles Correa”. The last date to submit your concepts is 1st October 2022. More details in show notes and thedrawingboard.in

We have one of the Jury members with us on Audiogyan - Architect, Sachin Agashikar. Sachin studied Architecture from J.J. and was awarded Gold Medal in 1991 for his final year design thesis. Before setting up his own practice in 1999, he worked with Ar. Charles Correa for eight years and worked as an associate at Cancer Research Centre in Lisbon, R&D Centre for Mahindra & Mahindra, and Extension to Kala Academy and IUCAA

Today we’ll try to document some of his thoughts on the “art of seeing”, and how to zoom out and zoom in to envision the macro context and details together. Can possibly help students to present ideas for designing the Charles Correa Memorial at “The Drawing Board” competition.

1. Observation is one essential quality in a designer that needs to develop - Why? How does this observation help? In your article you mentioned, that self-taught Architects like Le Corbusier and Tadao Ando traveled for more than a year before they started their practice.


2. How can the art of seeing or observing be developed? How do you educate what to see when people see what they want to see? Can you give an example of your work where you demonstrated what you observed and implemented?


3. As BV Doshi says, “Are you seeing things as you see or are you seeing something more than what it is there?” How can one go beyond the apparent?


4. One side, we have “Design is in the details”, on the other, “always design by knowing the larger context of the chair”. How can one manage it? How did Charles Correa manage to zoom in and zoom out so effortlessly?


5. What tip would you give students while they work on Charles Correa Memorial? How would you judge a good proposal? Any learnings about life or architecture that you can share while working with Charles Correa?

1. https://thedrawingboard.in


2. https://thinkmatter.in/2015/07/15/office-laboratory-block-goa-sachin-agshikar/


3. https://www.tfod.in/art-design-articles/4022/a-model-aanganwadi-in-goa-by-ar-sachin-agshikar-and-ccf-goa


4. https://www.tfod.in/art-design-articles/5966/a-white-haven-by-ar-sachin-agshikar


5. https://architecture.live/learning-see-architect-sachin-agshikar/


6. http://www.sachinagshikar.com/main_profile.html


7. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064044697433


8. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1941124752792183


9. https://unbuiltideas.com/school-at-karla-maharashtra-by-architect-sachin-agshikar/


10. https://www.myliveablecity.com/author/detail/246

This Audiogyan is in association with The Drawing Board.

The Drawing Board is an international architecture platform based in India where students can test their understanding and skills in shaping the way communities live and thrive while preserving local heritage. TDB has been actively running an Architecture competition for undergraduate students since 2016. It was conceptualised by Mindspace Architects and Rohan Builders.

This year, they are back in action with a live event. Architecture undergrad students can submit their project ideas on the theme of designing a “Memorial for Charles Correa”. The last date to submit your concepts is 1st October 2022. More details in show notes and thedrawingboard.in

We have one of the Jury members with us on Audiogyan. The well-known, Cape Town based Architect and Urban Designer, Henri Comrie. Henri is a minimalist and reductivist architect and urban designer who enjoys working through complex problems to arrive at simple and logical solutions that hold wide appeal. He is the founding partner of URBA Architects & Urban Designers from Cape Town, South Africa. Henri has been practicing architecture for nearly 3 decades. He was the lead urban designer for the FIFA World Cup Stadium in Cape Town and several large mixed-use precincts, as well as the architect of several prominent educational and residential buildings across a range of scales. Today we’ll try to document some of his thoughts on Minimalist/reductivist architecture and a bit about, what is good architecture while he will evaluate entries at “The Drawing Board” competition.

Our today's guest has been a guest in episode # 34 in Oct 2017, where we discussed Independent cinema but he particularly mentioned the Auteur Theory which I could see in most of the films that he has written and directed. Mithya, Ankhon Dekhi, and recently released, rk/rkay where the protagonist is typically in search of truth, obsessively or at least taking the audience in the zone of question about existence. Today we have Rajat Kapoor back with us on Audiogyan. We ended our conversation by asking listeners and well-wishers to crowdfund his film and here we are 5 years later.

Yashoda Parthasarthy and Vijesh Rajan both are directors, animators, and motion designers. They are team Plexus. Plexus has worked on projects like making title sequences, music videos, trailers, and animated movies. A few names to their credit are…Gangs of Wasseypur, Angry India Goddesses, Double Barrel, Raman Raghav 2.0, Made in Heaven, Sacred Games, and more…