The less said about India’s popular mainstream art the
better, it is very meticulously spread and channelized through market and used
as convenient carriers of products and services, hence easy money and profits. Movies
are the most exaggerated artform, and probably I have written this earlier too,
something any random guy on the street can pick up with few days of
involvement. These therefore are the artists who seemed to have donned the
mantle of India’s art, hence cleverly spokesperson of freedom, expressions and
so on. It is the most mundane and laughable creations. I am not even going to
the popular writers, journalists, cricketers…who have hold on amazingly
malleable form “creativity” –hence art, in varying degree of intensity and
persuasion. They gather around big cities with single most aim of help the sale,
and push in their valued contribution towards this end. Everyone is assiduously
cultivated as dispenser of products, retail therapy is a term that is catching
up in this circle. The competition for grabbing ‘endorsements’ is rather
intense, art is incidental, indeed a nuisance. Art is therefore a convenience
and artist easily harvested, a minimum talent (that in itself is too much,
better understanding will be a presence in manner that you get reminded, it’s
about parking the mind space hence recall value). An assortment of amazingly
mediocre people have insidiously crept into the system.
This manipulation works at two levels: Money and Power, not
at all surprising for a society that establishes itself in entitlements and
deviant norms, the elite firmly tethered to primitive framework and usurping benefits
with much simplicity. Nepotism, corruption and manipulations infect democratic
structures and egalitarian institutions with characteristic ease. Apart from
feudal and hereditary entitlements slick money now comes in the form of servicing
the corporate, the market. This money comes in the garb of professionalism and sophistication,
with a hint on liberal values. Big money, mostly unaccounted, flows in the name
of investment, and the service providers are the new caretakers, they will help
you multiply money with minimum of hiccups and ethical concerns, art is a
conduit here. Political power is easy to cultivate, greedy for money as they
are to perpetuate their clout, they fall for money bags. The easiest are the
politicians with no mass base. In the last few decades, under Congress party as
also non electable facilitators in other parties, these came in varied
creepiness of sycophancy, caretakers of human values and sophisticated
socialites, motor mouths assured of their invincibility ensconced as they are in
a heady mix of fawning, markers of feudalism, arrogance and association with primitive
framework. Service providers (incidentally also pushing India towards service
industry gigantism) land up as opportunities, so sycophantic politicians find
traction and credibility with market media and other avenues. They willy-nilly
form a clique as dispensers of perceptions and so make inroads into highest
levels of policy making, in the meanwhile degrading institutions. It is good to
note that NDA government has reduced this unethical influx. Party spokesperson
need to be party functionary whose position and brief should be clear, they are
not Minsters, nor key figures or small time celebrities. Last many years this
was one of the loopholes through which manipulators were parking in. MNCs have
spread easy to coterie and hobnobbing through power corridors as problem
solvers, greasing money, and thus getting into cosy relations. Money and
perception creators using media
as convenient conduit sought out power through cronyism thus severely denting
democratic institutions. Everyone was on a first name basis here, as they went
in for the loot. They also created narrations as saviours of democracy. Emergency
was the worst period, and as people suffered immensely, it is also when this coterie
‘crawled when asked to bend’, a special characteristic that has become the most
desired attribute. With influx of market these have been crudely upgraded, only
that it also fits in market narration. LSBT issue falls write in there, as was
AIDS, gender issues so on, hence issues of primitive framework/casteism/feudal benefits
that severely degrades as also elite women as major perpetrators gets relegated,
indeed climate issues are shooed out with alacrity.
While they divided the booty, largely carving out natural
resources, manipulating policies to benefit, corrupting the system so on, there
was another heist going on the name of art. The one in which money is never
exchanged, it is fine art of quid pro quo. Since art in itself was subjective,
pushing in mediocrity was easily done (ZK habitually works his quid pro quo bit,
afterall it is a god send gift for easy clout building, as the glare was on
money guzzling by others he quietly went on with his clout building and
nepotism. This is only the tip of iceberg). This is done in sports too, massive
amount of money is looted, but unfortunately for the manipulators sports is
objective reality, results were key, abysmal performance at international meets
help glimpsed the deceitful ways of the people at the top. Art on the other
hand is an easy game, as perceptions could be easily manipulated.
Intense lobbying at FTII is part of this, the coterie works within a parameters of either nepotism or This Vs That narration, both ways they try to accrue benefits. In the last many decades they were manipulating at the highest levels, now being pushed out of cosiness and perks they are clinging on whatever is left, meanwhile giving images of dire consequences if not apocalypse awaiting common people. Ridiculous. Nothing can be worse than the period of Emergency, and the protagonist of this reaped benefits till recently shows their intent. Indeed in all impartiality, almost all the Congress leaders, indeed the previous I&B Minister should have been rotting in jail. In the context of things Youth congress of 1970s was nothing short of murderous mafia, that should have been banned outright. That they carried on business as usual shows how the system was insidiously infected. The rampant corruption of the bureaucracy, market media and henchmen role of these can be traced to this period. The role of another I&B minister during Sikh riots is well known. Clout was used to pry on others and be on the top, market and technological innovations has only made this easier. Any innovative technology is manipulative technology in their hand. Power therefore helped Money to multiply as also acquire veneer of sophistication. This complicity is projected as saviors for bigger cause, against fascist agenda so on. In this hallowed tradition Mr.Gajendra is a rank outsiders and that has rankled the cosy joint.
In the scheme of things FTII is a small matter, some well-known
people have opened their mouth has to do with their compulsion and skewed
narration, as for actors they open their mouth when they have movie on release
or some big lick on the line (ZK was frothing before RS election). And yes “Who
is Rishi Kapoor?” I too have that question. This papa’s boy would be very likely be selling vada pav at borivilli if not for his father’s clout. So he should
better keep shut and not be used by manipulators. I have nothing against him but he is treading on murky grounds and will be dealt accordingly. There are millions of youngsters who have wasted their life
trying to get a foothold in film industry. They were exploited because their father was
not Raj Kapoor. Talent is easily manipulated commodity when there are no
parameters or subjective. This framework is replicated in all other fields too
in this godforsaken society, and the audacity of family values takes it to the
next level. And even if a rank outsider makes it they easily supplicate to nepotism
and corruption, indeed insecure novae can only establish by promoting these. 
If need be FTII should
be closed down for few months, there are too many backlogs and mismanagement.
What brings out the absurdity of the protest and devious people herein is that
in the name of art so many significant transgressions have happened in last
many decades that doesn't seem to bother anyone. Crude woman manipulating awards is a smaller matter when you
realise the kind of people who barge into Rajya Sabha in the name of “literature,
science, art and social service”, a gross misuse of Article 80 of the
Constitution. Mani Shankar Aiyer, the regrettable scoundrel, his swagger seems
to be his only talent, is the latest ‘artist’ exemplifying ‘literature and social
work’. Even a rickshaw puller can speak sickeningly pretentious English if he spends
some time in London. So what is Mani’s deal? Absolutely nothing, there is nothing
about this fellow, except a vicious form of sycophancy which ofcourse is an art.
To start with this arrogant fellow is not even decent, he exhibits all
markers of feudalism and characteristics of tethered to primitive. This atrocious
family retainer has been clinging to the notion of ‘secularism’ essentially sickularism
(and yes this blogger has broken the code of secularism as practised in India,
very soon will be opening this cosy crap too, of course for my own understanding). Secularism yelling henchmen rounding up minorities as saviours
tumble down from heaven is a narration that has worked for long. FTII is insignificant
matter, as much as this exaggerated institute is and should be put in its
place. When at the highest echelons of power –that are essentially symbols of democracy,
is so crudely degraded then we know how grievous the matter is. The rot is too deep and those positioning as saviours were
fed in this rot, the whining should be seen as symptoms of loss. If Mani is Shakespeare
(as for me I am not even able to get the
spelling of Shakespeare right. Never gave a damn never will) then ZK is Picasso.
Replacing a word of what Nietzsche said “When you stare at turd for too long
the turd starts to stare back at you”. And that in short is the story of Indian
art, from the point of view of manipulators. Mani is only the beginning of the
unravelling. If Gajendra has to go then Mani should be kicked out.
In each State of India there are known and not so known
artists, practitioners and connoisseurs of art form that is on the verge of
extinctions. There are some brilliant artists who need support, as also recognition
so that they inspire these artform. Market needs carriers of their goods, they
choose medium that is popular, hence the exaggerated presence of bollywood and
cricket. They have become conduit for easy money and power. Art is much broader
understanding; unfortunately the policy makers, surrounded by manipulative and viciously
competing interest groups, have not been able to further the cause of marginalised.
They have succumbed to the grease and froth.
Post script: ZK was furious “Arre ye beti bachao veti bachoa
kya laga rakha hai? Budiya ko kon bachayega?” “Ajkal isko koi role tho kya cream
role bhi nahi detha” “Mahol karab kar diya”. Crude woman looks down and try to extricate
grime from her talon like nails, nothing much to do. She could be manipulating at
the highest level, poor thing was reduced to manipulating for kindergarten
fancy dress competitions as I gathered from queue of parents at their door.
Talentz wazted, says ZK and insists that I join budiya bachao andolan and take
a selfie with budiya.
