November 2014 - Parag Sankhe

Nov 13, 2014Nov 13, 2014Blog

Prehistoric Sawfish caught near Mumbai, India.

sawfish_Mumbai_India Local fishermen caught Sawfish, also known as carpenter sharks near my dads hometown Satpatibeach almost 1 hr from Mumbai, India.

This prehistoric beautiful fish is a critically endangered species and face the threat of extinction as a result of habitat loss and overfishing.

Sawfish is a survivor from the Cretaceous period (66 million years ago), and can be found both in saltwater or in rivers and creeks, It may look like sharks but are actually more closely related to rays. Their “saw” is both a weapon and a sensory organ, Although usually peaceful, the sawfish can become extremely dangerous if provoked. this fishes was probably a staple food for the largest carnivorous dinosaur, as a vertebra from the fish was found stuck between the dinosaur’s teeth.

All the seven varieties of sawfish, including four from India, have been listed as critically endangered on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They are also considered the most threatened marine fish.

Sawfish were once abundant in India’s coastal waters, but are rarely seen these days, as per the article in Hindu. Good thing is that the sawfish is alredy protected under the Wildlife Protection Act but education and awareness is needed

A good article from The Hindu http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sawfish-struggles-to-stay-afloat/article3487007.ece

I also found an old video from 2012 where fishermen caught a giant Sawfish in Daman, India

Nov 7, 2014Nov 7, 2014Blog

Rang Rasiya: A movie about father of modern Indian art Raja Ravi Varma

Rang Rasiya_Colors Of Passion_Raja_Ravi_Varma_painting_poster After almost a decade Director Ketan Mehta’s Movie ‘Rang Rasiya’ finally hit screens today in India.

Rang Rasiya (Colors Of Passion) is about my favourite Indian painter and father of modern Indian art Raja Ravi Varma, who gave faces to Indian gods, and made saree a popular Indian garment.

I had a great opportunity to watch english version of this movie last year at Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Its an interesting movie on censorship of Art.

Raja Ravi Varma was dragged to court for painting God and Goddesses in half nudes and how he eventually fought back and won the case.

Both strikingly beautiful and audacious, Ketan Mehta’s film charts the life of the great Indian artist Raja Ravi Varma (played by Randeep Hooda), from his early days under the patronage of a King of Kerala, moving on to British Bombay in the late 1800s, where he makes his fortune.

Here the genius gives birth to Indian modern art and helps inspire the independence movement and the dawning of Indian cinema with his depictions, which bring to life the Hindu gods and goddesses. He must first find his muse who comes in the lavish form of Sugandha (Nandana Sen). Varma’s fascination for his model turns into a torrid, paint-smeared, love affair, which is reflected in his art. The religious power brokers see his increasingly eroticised work as dangerous and Varma is dragged to the British courts to be tried for blasphemy.

Mehta’s homage offers not only a spectacular insight into a turning point in Indian history, but also questions the freedom of the artist in contemporary society. Not to be missed!

Other good reason to watch this movie is because my friend Feryna Wazheir, a very talented British Indian actress who plays a parsi Journalist for Times of India in this movie. she was a last women in Raja Ravi Varma’s life.

Raja_Ravi_Varma_Photo

Raja Ravi Varma (29 April 1848 – 2 October 1906) was an Indian painter and artist from the princely state of Kilimanoor (presently in Kerala) who achieved recognition for his paintings depicting scenes from Indian literature and mythology including the epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana. He is considered among the greatest painters in the history of Indian art and his paintings are considered to be among the best examples of the fusion of Indian traditions with the techniques of European academic art. Varma’s paintings portrayed sari-clad women in graceful manner which became an important motif of that time, reproductions being found in many homes.