Lalit Gupta
The eventful year of 2014, which will go down in history of Jammu and Kashmir for the havoc created by unprecedented floods as well as the extraordinary participation of electorate in the assembly elections, witnessed a mixed bag of achievements in the field of culture.
Before mentioning the achievers of this year let us pay homage to those who after dedicating entire life for respective fields of creative pursuits, said good bye to this mortal world. These include Parduman Singh Jandraia, Shiv Nath, Virendra Kesar, Sudarshan Rattanpuri, K K Kerni and Sardar Amrik Singh.
Awards: Shailender Singh was awarded the Sahitya Akedami Award for his novel Hashiye Par. He was also awarded first Ram Nath Samriti Puruaskar by Dogri Sanstha. Prof Veena Gupta got national translation award for her book titled ‘Kalkatte Di Kahani–Via Bypass. Dhiyan Singh was awarded Bal Sahitya Puruskar for his poetry book ‘Paddhe Niyanai Gurdhe Siyanai’. The State award for best creative painting went to Jammu artist Sat Pal Deol. Rajesh Khajuria’s documentary Lost Dreams got 2nd prize in Academy Film Festival.
ROCK MUSIC: Zeal and passion of the handful community of young musicians has made rock music as part of Jammu’s contemporary tradition. The active rock groups Anmol Amla & the Band, Nissi, Mythya, Sellouts etc. with performances in public spaces have entertained the audiences. These young musicians include lead
guitarists, vocalists, drummers, bassists such as Gautam Kotwal, Garrison Marshal, Anmol Amla Vikas Bawa, Sohail Mushtaq, Bhanu Pratap Singh Rathore, Dr.Naveen Kotwal, Babar Gill, Vishal Rex, Paulson Michael, Amit Virdhi, Sahil Sharma, Swatantra Rajput, Tanushree Khajuria, Jhon, Vanish and others.
FILMS- The Dogri film Geetiyaan, directed by Rahul Sharma, had an unprecedented run of five weeks. On public demand, the film is again on show in Movie Time Multiplex, Indira Theatre. Produced, directed and written by local talent Jayesh Gupta, the other Hindi film, ‘Bachche Mann Ke Sachche’, was released in Jammu and got good response for sensitive portrayal of problems relating to young children. Another Pahari film Ziddi Mahi, directed by Baljit Raina, with camera by Sameer Sharma is all set to be released in local cinemas very soon. The filmmaker from Surankot, Rahat Kazami’s films Identity Card, Sarkari Joota, shot in Jammu with cast of Bollywood and local actors are set to be released. Mushtaq Kak, well known actor/director of Jammu also acted in two Bollywood films ‘Vishwarupam Part Two with Kamal Hassan and ‘1975’ with other well known name KK Menon.
Television: With activities of Kashir Channel and Door Darshan Kendra Jammu, coming to almost stand still due to lack of funds, the local talent of professionals and amateurs actors, directors, cinematographers, script writers, musicians, singers, light and sound experts have been rendered jobless etc. While on national Satellite channels, Jammu’s talented actor Mohit Raina, a Kashmiri Pandit youngman from Jammu, is enjoying immense TV fan following for his successful role as Lord Shiva in Devon Ke Dev – Mahadev. Neelam Pathania and Monika Singh, young actresses from Jammu are giving impressive performances in number of TV serials.
Theatre: Notwithstanding the inordinate delay in opening of the Abhinav Theatre, Jammu theatre scene kept ticking in alternate spaces like auditoria of Jammu University, J&K Police, GCW, Gandhi Nagar and K L Saigal Hall.
Kavi Rattan, the founder of modern theatre movement in J&K is actively involved in writing the History of Jammu Theatre. He has taken up the project under Ministry of Culture’s Senior Fellowship Scheme. Balwant Thakur received honours from Manik Sarcar, Chief Minister of Tripura, North Zone Cultural Centre on World Theatre Day. Nominated to Expert Committee of the UNESCO Cell of India and Jury member for National School of Drama’s International Theater Festival of India, he also conceptualized, wrote designed and directed the musical mega theatre production ‘Udaan’.
Natrang: showcased more than 90 programs in Jammu and outside. Its major productions were ‘Richard-III’ by William Shakespeare, directed by Ashiesh Nijhawan. Arushi Thakur directed Great Expectations by Charles Dickens and Rashomon based Akira Kurosawa’s stories, Party Toh Banti Hai by Charles Dickens, adapted and directed by Sumeet Sharma, Lok Tantra Ka Mantra by Balwant Thakur and Tangled Knots by Abhishek Bharti. Natrang participated in major national festivals and events. Theatre Workshops by Neelu Dogra, Asheish Nijhawan, Abhishek Bharti, and Bipin Gupta, and International Acting Workshop with Conor Whelan of London International School of Performing Arts, were also organized. Natrang’s actor Ashiesh Nijhawan got National Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in the field of direction.
Amateur Theatre Group (ATG), led by Mushtaq Kak, staged play Ghosts in national theatre festivals at Kolkata, Amrtisar, Chandigarh and‘An Accidental Death’, in Oddisa National Theatre Festival. Ifra Kak, conducted theatre workshops. One of which concluded with performance of play Jis Lahore Ni Vekheya. Ifra Kak was appointed as Cultural Officer in Jammu University. ATG held community theatre workshop for 50 girls from remote areas of J&K. Its actors Sunil Sharma bagged state academy award, while Delight William was appointed at Tie company, NSD, New Delhi. Mushtaq Kak directed the play Medea for Little Thespian Theatre Company, Kolkatta. He conducted a workshop on acting at Shilong during in Indian Film Panorama. Samooh Theatre, under Dr Sudhir Mahajan and director Ravinder Sahrma, staged plays in Jammu and Mumbai, like Abhigyan Shakuntlam, Khol Do, Chitta Singh, Ek Dhoop Safed Si, Mallika Da Khas Slahakar, Andha Yug, Antigone, Honor killing, Gandhi Adalat Mein, Letter, God’s Plan and play on life of on Vivekanada. The group organized performances of folk dances, classical and folk music, dance programs, children theatre workshops, seminars, lectures on various topics, and felicitated Bansi Kaul and Yashpal Nirmal. Rangyug, which was established some 30 years ago, warmed up its activities with Nukkad Theatre Workshop and performed 35 shows of a nukkad play ‘Hamara Farz’ and other nukkad shows on demand by the local administration. Rangyug is all set to launch a specially designed course for fresh talent in acting beginning from 30th Dec.2014. Shivani Cultural Society, led byVikram Sharma held shows Jannat Speaks, play on flood victims, Main Damini Bol Rahi Hun and Sarabjit Calling, on fate of social and political victims, Cactus and Padaav. Rajneesh Gupta’s dramas staged this year included Lahore Di Chithi Amritsar De Naa, in Punjabi, Vivekananda in Hindi, and Adalat Mein Gandhi, and Kabuliwala based on Prem Chand’s short story was read in public. Theatre groups like Ek Sath Rangmandal, run by Vijay Malla, did regular performances highlighting social evils etc. Nav Durga Kala Mandir and Manoranjan Kala Kendra also marked their presence by few performances.
Visual Arts: Due to Jammu University’s (JU) lack of vision as well as clear cut policy for promotion of creative arts in its academic programs, the establishment of School of Visual, performing arts architecture and design (SVAPADA) as decided by its university council, still remains a distant dream.
JU, where the business of the promotion of arts begins and ends with holding annual ‘display your talent’ ritual, the post–takeover neglect of the Institute of Music and Fine Arts (IMFA) has not only led to weakening of fifty year old sound foundation of contemporary visual art practice and classical music in the state, laid by IMFA under J&K Cultural Academy, but also affected the visual art scene of the winter capital.
There were few individual artists who brought laurels to the state by winning awards, honorable mentions and invites to national and international camps, workshops, and prestigious exhibitions.
With veteran artists like Triloke Kaul, Gokul Dembi and senior sculptor Amrik Singh Namdhari standing as witness, Jammu’s visual art scene was marked by honors to Rajinder Tikku, the well known sculptor, participated in Indo Japan symposium on sculpture, art camp ‘Back to Roots’, in Srinagar, conducted a workshop on combination of materials in sculpture at Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi. He acted as an expert by Lalit Kala Akademi to deliberate upon the revival and conduction of Triennial India 2016. He was Guest of Honor at exhibition ‘Untitled’Chandigarh, and chief guest at the Shilp Maha Utsav organized by Govt. of Bihar at Patna. Suman Gupta: his major one man show was of dry brush and acrylics titled ‘Hopes and Dreams’, organized by Christine Frechard Gallery in Pittsburgh,USA. He also exhibited during Art-Week in Helsinki, Finland, ‘A Spring Sojourn’, Verandha Art Gallery, Singapore, Prafulla Dahanukar retrospective at Jehangir art Gallery and ‘The Spirit of India’ presented by Gallery Nvya at India Art Fair New Delhi.
Chander Prakash and Sonu Agarwal, the duo of sculptors attended Symposium on Wax Sculpture in Thailand. Chander Prakash also attended International Ceramic Sculpture Symposium, International sculpture symposium ,Kenya, International sculpture conference, China. His works were exhibited at International Sculpture Exhibition, World sculpture Museum in China and Railway Museum, Nairobi. Sukhjeet Singh, Kukkal’s one person show at Jahangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, was highly appreciated. Ravinder Jamwal, other than his forays in creative sculpture, has been making statues of public figures and heroes. Bishamber Mehta, Rohit Verma, Harsh Vardhan, Milan Sharma, Reecha Gupta, also participated in camps and exhibitions. K K Gandhi was invited to prestigious artist camps and exhibitions. He also organized many artist camps in and outside the state. Manoj Chopra, the well known cartoonist/artist was awarded Maya Kamath Memorial Award, the prestigious award in field of political cartooning in India. His work was also selected at VII International Exhibition of Graphic Humor-LIMA 2014, Peru.
The non-resident Jammuites and contemporary artists settled in Delhi like Amit Slathia got two year junior fellowship. He organized exhibition in support of flood victims in Delhi. Subhash Razdan, held show of his latest drawings at University of Jammu’s Rinchen bZangpo Art Gallery. Sunanda Khajuria, brilliant contemporary painter from Painthal has participated in number of national and international events.
Cultural Academy: Academy under stewardship of additional secretary Haroon Rashid has successfully continued to pursue its mandate through series of programs like festivals of folk dances and music, All India Urdu Mushaira, and poetic symposia featuring local poets, classical vocal and light music recitals, Sham-e-Ghazals and Sufi music concerts at Jammu, Rajouri, Doda etc.
Academy’s Jammu Divisional office under its new additional secretary Sardar Arvinder Singh Amn, has taken a laudable initiative to revive the dying folk theatre folk form of Bhagtaan. Other notable activity was holding of three day Jammu heritage exhibition at Kala Kendra. Academy’s Best book awards for writers of State’s nine schedule languages for the year 2012 were announced this year. The award in Dogri went to Yash Sharma for his Boond Trelu Di, in Gojri to Abdul Hamid Kasana for Kachi Tand, in Hindi to Naresh Kumar Udaas for Maan Gaon Chhorna Nahi Chahti, in Kashmiri to Ghulam Nabi Aatash for Sarmaye Te Saam, in Ladakhi to Lobzang Wangchuk for Ume Ltadup, in Pahari to Sheikh Azad Ahmad Azad for Sheeshey Niyan Kandhan, in Punjabi to Surinder Neer for Shikargah and in Urdu to Prof Hamidi Kashmiri for Urdu Nazm Ki Daryafat.
Dogri Sanstha: The premier NGO’s activities this year included publication of journal Nami Chetna, books such as Prof Ram Nath Shastri: Vyaktitva te Krititva, Tara Smailpuri-Vyaktitva te Krititva and Jhansi Di Rani and Kabir- Dogri Comics for Children and Hindi translation of selected Dogri Ekanki—all with the financial support of SMVD Shrine Board.
Sanstha also released books in Dogri for children like Jangal de sair by Sudesh Raj, Par Titali te Gulab and Ik Ha Chida Hi Chidi Te Ik Hi Chidi by Gyaneshwar. Other books of poetry were Satbanna by Puran Chand Bargotra, Desa Di Rooh by Tara Mani, Koole Bhaav by Brahm Dutt and Bandral Darpan by Om Sharma ‘Jandriari’, Dogri Upnayasein Ch Varg Sangarsh” a book by Dr. Chanchal Bhasin.
Sanstha held Sangeet Sandhya /Sham-e-Ghazal programmes composed by Sham Sajan and based on the poetry of prominent poets of Dogri such as Gyneshwar, Surjit Hosh Badsali, Inderjit Kesar, Usha Kiran ‘Kiran’, Sushil Begana, Tarachand Kalandari and Rattan Doshi. Ved Rahi’s latest poetic collection ‘Battotar’, was taken up under special Pustak Charcha program. New team of office bearers which took over after elections of the Sanstha, include Chhatrapal and Dr Nirmal Vinod as president and general secretary, Gianeshwar and Narinder Bhasin as vice-presidents, Dr. Rattan Basotra as secretary, Dr Chanchal Bhasin as literary secretary, Surjit Hosh Badsali as publicity secretary and Dr Rajesh Manhas as treasurer.
Sahitya Akademi: The literary programs organized by Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, with Prof Lalit Magotra, as Convener, Dogri Advisory Board, formed an important part of cultural activities in Jammu. This year the Akademi held many activities including seminar on life and works of Shiv Nath and Katha Sandhi, with eminent Dogri women fiction writer Santosh Sangra, Naari-Chetana, a panel discussion on Issues of women emancipation reflected in Dogri literature by panelists of Dogri women writers,, Prof. Veena Gupta, Nirmal Vikram, Sudesh Raj and Shakuntala Birpuri. Other program was Dogri Poets’ Meet in which Mohan Singh, Gianeshwar, Nirmal Vinod, Vijaya Thakur, Susheel Begaana, Surjeet Hosh and Ashok Amber recited their poetry. In the program ‘People and Books’, held for the first time in Dogri in which Senior Advocate Ashok Vijay Gupta talked about how various books have influenced his life and thinking.
Nami Dogri Sanstha- The NGO released books like Eiye Sach Ai, Dogri translation of Anand Lehar’s Urdu novel by Ashwani Sharma, Solaan Aane sach, Dogri poetry collection by Rakesh Sahrma Tript, A Ray of Hope in English by Kiran Kanchan, Pehali Kasootrian, a poetic collection by P L Parihar, and Ik Din Sacche Da, one act and stage plays in Dogri by Om Goswami. It organized meets for poets, short stories, music concerts, seminars, and held programs in memory of Shiv Ram Deep, O P Sharma Sarthi. It also gave away Adbi Kunj Literary, Cultural & Social award.
The literary scene in different languages was kept active by number of NGOs. In Punjabi, the Punjabi Lekhak Sabha, released books in Punjabi like Meri Shilong Yatra Saffarnama written by Giani Pritam Singh, Sabhe Gallan Khotiyan by Monojit, Shabd Shabd Zindagi by D S Vishavnagrik, Til Chawli by Janak Singh Kirti and a book by Sharda Sahni and oreganized a two day seminar on ‘Dr Monojit da Vayang Sansaar’. Writers’s Forum Jammu organized Multilingual Kahani Goshthi in which Dr Lalit Mangotra Dr Adarsh Anand Lehr & Baljit Raina shall presented their latest short stories. Hindi Yuva Lekhak Sangh, held short story sessions, poetic symposia and program in honour eminent Hindi poet and scholar O P Gupt. Dr Ashok Kumar also edited collections of poems, Kass Gumma while Ravi Ke Idhar Udhar was edited by Dr Ashok Kumar and Manoj Sharma whose new poetic anthology was also released. The activities in Urdu were led by Post-Graduate Department of Urdu, Jammu University, which organized series of program all throughout the year. Other organizations like Bazam-e-Faroge-Urdu also continued their activities albeit in a subdued manner. Urdu poet Pandit Vidya Nath Aasi, who is president of recently formed literary forum Baithak, regaled civil society with his insightful poetry. Young poet Sardar Swami Antar Neerav kept the Pahari poetic scene ablaze with his brilliant poetry. The literary scene in Pahari language was marked by activities of Pahari section of Cultural Academy such as seminars, Literary & cultural Programme, Mushaira, Afsana, music programs, drama, at Rajouri, Tannamandi, Menhdar, Bufliyas. The literary scene in Gojari, also saw publication of number of books and journals. The issue relating to Gojari language and culture were highlighted by Tribal Research Foundation which is led by Javed Rahi.
Radio Kashmir Jammu (RKJ)
With its new station director and son of the soil V K Sambyal, RKJ has achieved the milestone of finally becoming the regional Dogri language station with all its announcements now being done in Dogri. RKJ got national recognition this year when its efforts in the field of public service broadcasting were acknowledged with prestigious All India Public Service Broadcasting Award for its entry ‘Jeevan Rekha’. RKJ also bagged another national award, when local young talent Aditya Bhanu fetched the best Ghazal singer award for Radio Kashmir Jammu’s entry in this year’s All India Radio music competition.
BIG FM 92.7. is playing a significant role in sensitizing its listeners especially the younger generation about traditional cultural practice, festivals, rituals etc. Some of its notable programs were Kudiyaan Di Lohri in which BIG FM made Lohri special for girls by inviting people who have been blessed with a daughter or have welcomed a daughter-in-law. Similarly festivals like Baisakhi, Akshaya Tritya, Diwali, Navratras, were celebrated with gifts given to the listeners. Its program Badi Khabar hosted by RJ Juhie(PIX), takes up local issues including negligence of Dogra Heritage sites, monuments, development issues, civic as well as social issues.. BIG FM for the promotion of Dogri/Jammu-based/locally produced Films, tied-up with Dogri Films like ‘Geetiyaan’, and ‘Bache Mann ke Sache’. It also organized talent hunt shows like BIG Golden Voice which has given a Bollywood platform to the Jammu singers.
Amar Mahal Museum and Library, the important cultural space of Jammu, organized exhibitions of Mohamad Akram Khan and Subhash Anand, and provided space for staging plays in association with Natrang & Rangroots Theatre. Marharaja Gulab Singh Lecture Series was started with lecture of Prof. Varun Sahni, ex VC of Jammu University.
ICCR Jammu, invited to Jammu the artists of Malaysia who mesmerized everyone through their highly professional performances. ICCR’s Horizon Series showcased 13 programs prominent being Hern Festival, screening of Amit Datta’s film ‘NainSukh’ presentation of traditional performance of Karkan, Massade and Bhakh, Tabla Recital by Krishan Lal Verma, Kunju Chanchalo etc. J&K artists presented folk dances of the state in International Folk Dance and Music Festival, held in New Delhi, along with two shows in Bhutan.
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