Just Think It Once - Play

Just Think It Once Play |  At Divya Bhaskar House | Akshat Drama Group  ...

On World No Tobacco Day

World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is observed around the world every year on May 31. It is intended to encourage a 24-hour period of abstinence from all forms of tobacco consumption around the globe. The day is further intended to draw attention to the widespread prevalence of tobacco use and to negative health effects, which currently lead to nearly 6 million deaths each year worldwide, including 600,000 of which are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.^[1] The member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) created World No Tobacco Day in 1987. In the past twenty years, the day has been met with both enthusiasm and resistance around the globe from governments, public health organizations, smokers, growers, and the tobacco industry.

To mark the day, Akshat Drama Group in association with GCS Medical Hospital & Divya Bhaskar created & performed at 4 locations on the occasion:

GCS MEDICAL HOSPITALAHMEDABAD MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION
DIVYA BHASKAR HOUSE
KALUPUR RAILWAY STATION

The play was based on effects of tobacco & smoking in resulting cancer. 

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death.Lung cancer is also the most preventable form of cancer death in the world.Besides lung cancer, tobacco use also increases the risk for cancers of almost any & every organ of the body. (mouth, lips, nose and sinuses, voice box, throat, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, kidney, bladder, uterus, cervix, colon/rectum, ovary) 

Watch the play & let us know how do you find it :)

Join us to perform & increase creativity & happiness in the world

LIFE OF AN ARTIST: CHAPTER II

Art + someone = Artist

One great story leads to another. After talking to Sultan Baig, we wandered ahead from one colourful shop to another. Sultan introduced us to a few of his friends he had made in Ahmedabad Haat. We met Ravi, a middle aged man with a big smiling face, Mullah kaaka (uncle), an old man sleeping & waiting for his first customer of the day in evening… etc

PC :- Jahnavi Pandya

Next day, Sultan was leaving for Mumbai in hope of earning as Ahmedabad had proved to be a fruitless journey. His taxi had almost reached the gates when Ravi came running from the gate & stopped him. His anxiousness for Sultan, whom he had met only a few days ago, to drop him to his 

station regardless to his own shop left me confused & well… respect.

We decided to wait for Ravi to come back. My curiosity would’nt let me leave without exploring this man’s mind who, till yesterday, was a sweet but average artist. Why so much love in a friend of few days? More like a competitor actually!

PC :- Jahnavi Pandya

RAVIKUMAR belongs to Bihar. We sat by his shop where a few kids started showing us MITHILA paintings on hand made paper. Ravi not only makes painting for a living, but taught these kids for free only because he promised them! They destroy his work by cheating on labour but he only laughs! 

Ahmedabad Haat is a road themed market with shops on left & right. The shops at the back rarely get any business while the shops at the front or beginning of the gate get all the customers. Ravi was offered a shop at the front but he declined when a fellow competitor requested him to exchange shops. We visited Ahmedabad Haat regularly. Imagine our happiness when we saw him moving to a shop in front, only to see him moving back to a poorly located shop the next day. But he was still happy. An artist living on meagre supplies, slow demand & poor profits is giving up his opportunity for an unknown person is not something I have ever seen before.

PC :- Jahnavi Pandya

Their handmade sheet is made of cotton (60 %) and paper (40 %). The beautiful images of love, childhood & abstract was hanging from their shop walls on Sari(Indian 9 yard cloth draped), Chunri (Indian cloth worn with Salwar Kameez) and curtains of Tasal silk, Paper silk, Silk & Cotton. His paintings are carved from POINTED BAMBOO. Inspiration from Ramayana & Mahabharata were evident from his art works. He uses natural colours made from babul, neem, flowers & vegetables. 

Natural beauty remains in youth forever. One painting takes about 15 to 16 days. A repeat work takes 8 to 9 days. In business from last 3 to 4 years, he pays tribute to his brother-in-law as his guru (teacher). He ever wishes to leave MITHILA PAINTINGS, it helped him earn to complete his studies, it has given him a source of income, a house & satisfaction.

These paintings are called as “ MADHVANI PAINTING “or “ MITHLA PAINTING “.

LIFE OF AN ARTIST: CHAPTER I

People call me a passion. I call myself artist.

Name: Sultan Baig

Age: Can't recall the precise figure

Currently exhibition at: Ahmedabad Haat, Vastrapur, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

Working since: Class VIII, around 22 years

Type: Family Business

Place of birrth: Udaigiri (Mysore, Karnataka, India)

Master of: Woodwork

Ever since I can remember, I have watched my father caress small but sharp pieces of wood with a loving smile. 

Like a mother feeds, plays & teaches its child. My father used to cut wood, paint wood, create wood out of wood.

I inherited this love for wood from him.

A lot many things I wanted to say to the interviewer, but they asked the limited. 

How many exhibits I have done? Difficulties I have faced in business? etc etc

How could I face difficulties when I do the things I travel so far for even if I do not have the money to return home.

How could I face difficulties in creating unique pieces of wood art even if people do not purchase it.

Life is good.

To what they asked me:

Yes, I have done 185 individual exhibitions of my work. Business is not a guarantee in each of them.

Like here, in Ahmedabad, it has been 3 days & I have not earned even 1000/- Rs.

I have no money to go back home & that is why I am waiting here every day for someone to stop & buy instead of

stop & inquire indifferently.

What I can say is I am satisfied. I provide employment to 3 more like me, someone who loves his work, but never learned how to sell them.

It takes around two & half hours to make 1 small piece of art. The instrument I use to cut & polish wood is a

sharp string tied to a C shaped wood. I feel like Amitabh Bachhan of movie Coolie.

I too give my blood & sweat to create what others give Rs 100/- for.

I am currently making a temple, a mode of devotion. People worship gods. I worship work.

(Written by the interviewer from what he heard & saw in 2 rounds of interview)

Price of his current work:

Woodowl big size - Rs 190/-

Woodowl small size - Rs 140/-

A joint of woodowl big size - Rs 350/-

A joint of woodowl small size - Rs 275/-

Idol of Ganesha & Krishna - Rs 375/-

A rural house - Rs 200/-

A snake - Rs 75/-

Keychain - Rs 20/-

Round Container Small - Rs 20/-

Round Container Big - Rs 30/-

Keyholder - Ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 300/- (depending on piece to piece)

Penstand - Rs 100/-

From the interviewer:

The artist is a regular worker of Belapur, 200 kilometers from Ahmedabad, near Mumbai (Maharashtra, India)

He loves the place where artist like him gather a market on the roads & exhibit the colourful wonders of life.

Business may or may not happen, but a round of laughter is guaranteed amongst themselves.

If art is not the soul of life, then I don't know what is...

Did You Know ?

10 things you did'nt know about Children's day

The world celebrates their children on 20th of November but India wishes its children a happy children's day on 14th of November

On an average, a 4 year old child asks 437 questions a day. . . (or more)

A 3 year old boy's voice is louder than 200 adults in a gathering! ! !

His love for innocent young hearts is well known but Pandit Nehru was said to be India's special child on his becoming the first prime minister after independence.

We promised our children all the care & love in the world. But not every child gets the freedom to enjoy childhood.

Celebrating children's day universally was suggested by an Indian,
V.K. Krishna Menon & later was adopted by UN General Assembly

For children, Watching television alone can act as a painkiller. . .

grown ups bitch & smile, Children play & laugh

I brought children into this dark world because it needed the light that only a child can bring
-unknown author

The dirtier they are, happier they are

So Lets become a child once again, 

laugh without a reason, 

play without a care

& most of all

have lots of happiness to share

Watch Chotu Chaiwala at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkVtKFucX4c&feature=share

:)