Mona and Sona

Mona darling! Used to be takia kalam of Hindi films ‘ordinary character – actor, who became a first-rate villain with original one liners like loin for lion! And put him in liquid oxygen! Liquid would not let him live and oxygen won’t let him die! Ajit was his name and pun was his game.

Just like paint is her game and Mona Kapoor is her name. A lass from the mountains of Mussoorie, settled in dusty Delhi, oops Noida, more dusty, she has not let dust rust her paint brushes. Instead she has used them for inspiration like in the marquee painting, round to boot, of Earth and ocean top down, as Sunita Williams would’ve seen while returning to earth after 608 days (over 3 missions)! This painting was the centre-piece of her first solo exhibition of 12 works, big and small, shown at Delhi’s best art address, the Triveni Kala Sangam recently, from March 27 – April 5.

Artist Mona Kapoor

Opened by NGMA’s new head, it had Triveni galleries ‘ former and most active head Naresh Kapuria light the lamp. Here’s a man with a heart of gold. And he runs a five-star gallery in a seven-star hotel in CP. All assembled fans and friends crammed the small room but everyone felt happy for debutante Mona darling. She is a very quiet sort. Lost in her world.

Was she nervous with the first solo exhibition? Yes and no. “I have no formal education in art. Being a mountain girl, I’m just drawn to Nature. Seeing the colours and leaves and trees and birds I said why not put them on canvass. We are four siblings: one, loves music; second, knitting ( got from my mother); third, a language person and then there’s me,” says the tall, dusky beauty whose heart-shaped face registers many an emotion.

She started with realism then went to abstract and now figurative. “I’ve yet to find my language but my role models are Shashidhar D Gobbur, Shampa Sarkar and Paresh Maity. His bold strokes reflect confidence. I will reach that stage slowly, I’m just 34!” That four paintings sold on the opening night shows she has touched a chord, that too in Delhi market.

Her bigger works need space to hang as they have scale. Smaller ones need a keen eye to appreciate the detail. Her mind, like any artist works on many levels. There are the birds flying off “because the theme of migration has always interested me”.

Then there’s the emptiness of the horizon as one can eternally sit and enjoy. Mona darling exhibition missed having an Ajit to say his lines but the DG of NGMA made the right sounds. Mona’s darling husband, Odissi dancer Yudhishtar, oops Rahul Varshney, was a proud helper and to see all her friends from college of art drop in and do hausla-afzai was nice. Mona shone like sona. Gold. Buy her affordable art now, priced just in thousands for tomorrow it’d be in lakhs and one may not be able to afford it.

How does one arrive in the art scene? When does one become a name? What’s the process of getting established? First, work. Then work some more. Then keep working at your skill that becomes a craft with time, which can take the shape of art over a period that makes one a star and then anything you do, sells. Like gold. Sona!

  
Kumiben, and (right) a clip of Hindustan Times announcing her show. There was a time when
the mainstream media promoted dance, today there’s no proper obit even in the national press.
Pics: MKDC ( Mohan Khokar Dance Collection) @ IGNCA, Delhi

The Kumudini Lakhia story is that. Gold standard of contemporary Kathak. If the PM and the President are sending condolences to the family it is because she worked and worked at her craft that became art that made her a star. She created a school, many star students like Aditi Mangaldas and Daksha Sheth, and memorable works. She redefined Kathak aesthetics and dynamics of duets and group work. That too in a city – Ahmedabad – where there was no Kathak!

A letter Kumiben wrote to the then Sangeet Natak Akademy Head Mohan Khokar as a token of appreciation – this is how dancers-gurus showed courtesy to those helping their careers and students and, (right) A letter she wrote to the TOI, about lack of funds for artistes. Dancers and gurus took a stand those days. Not all just wanted to benefit from the system but questioned the system. Pics: MKDC ( Mohan Khokar Dance Collection) @ IGNCA, Delhi

Unlike a painter, once she is gone her work can’t be seen, except in photos or film. She created non-gharana of Kathak. She created a place for a form where none existed and she proved there was a place and market for novelty. She strode the scene from strength to strength and has left a legacy for many to enjoy. In her departure on her last pet student Rupanshi Thakkar’s birthday shows she blessed her forever. A true guru does that. Kumiben lives on.

Ashish Khokar is India’s reputed arts historian, author and writer with 51 books to credit and 5k articles in the print media in the last 50 years. A pioneer  in arts admin from the 1970s, he has worked nationally (STAS, Sahitya Kala Parishad, INTACH, Martand Singh Asso) and internationally ( Festivals of India in France, Sweden, Germany , China and with AFS of USA as its India head) with many agencies,
institutions,  museums and more. At heart a teacher, his discourses are full of information with humour and he is an expert visiting many universities and  also written 85 modules for UGC’s E- pathshala M.A. Course.  He is also the editor-publisher of India’s only yearbook on dance – attenDance – now in its 25th year. He has given attenDance awards to 40+ talents in the last 15 years and mentors many.
He was the dance critic of the Times of India for 20 years, The Hindu for 5 and continues to be a contributor to India Today for the last 25 years. Ditto 25 years for India’s best portal for dance, narthaki.
As custodian of India’s largest dance archives and collection valued at 7 crores  – built by his illustrious family Mohan and Saroja Khokar and donated to the nation@IGNCA – he has shown the way to selfless service to India and its arts, education and culture.