Times of India in its Lucknow Times edition of 5th Oct 2012 revealed some of the very good and uncovered aspects of Lucknow which must find a place in this blog for the information of readers.
It covered areas like architecture, chikan and role of new artists in Indian cinema.
It displayed some fresh photographs by prominent photographers of Lucknow on its Bada Imambara. These well known photographers are Dr. Bhupesh C. Little,MrAnil Risal Singh. ,Mr.Ravi Kapoor & Mr.Ajaish Jaiswal This finds place in the paper by the title Picture perfect heritage The Bara Imambara continues to serve as the perfect backdrop for photographers looking to frame the city in all its Nawabi glory.
It says : If the Taj Mahal signifies never-ending love, Lucknow’s Bara Imambara is all about romanticism . . . while its architecture itself – a huge unsupported hall with beautifully adorned ceilings – inspires wonder, the very romantic history associated with it . . . and perhaps none can vouch for this fact better than photographers in the city, for whom the monument is a constant source of inspiration.
Ace photog Ravi Kapoor says “It’s been 30 years since I began photographing the Bara Imambara and I still find newer facets to take pictures of each time.” He adds “Frankly, there is no other structure in the world that can qualify as a comparative to the Bara Imambara . . . . the aesthetics are amazing, it is the world’s largest unsupported structure, which is a marvel of engineering. Also, the construction is not at all cluttered, there is freedom to move around and appreciate the beauty.”
Hotelier and photography enthusiast Ajaish Jaiswal is fascinated by how the Imambara is able to present different moods in the morning and the evening for a photographer.
And then, it is a living testimony of the glorious era of Nawabs, the tourists who come to Lucknow, especially the first timers, have heard of the city in very romantic terms and that romance is not really visible in the city due to the ever-floating population. But truly,the Bada Imambara is Lucknow’s treasure and Lucknowites need to respect and nurture this unique piece of art not only as their heritage but also for the progress of tourism.
Bollywood is known to be complemented by artists, specially from the field of literature, from Avadhi region over the years Be it Kaifi Azmi ji or Naushad ji or Rahi masoom Raza ji or Harivansh Rai Bacchan ji or Majrooh Sultanpuri jior Shakeel Badayuni ji or Jaan Nisar ji & Javed Akhtar ji or Amitabh Bacchan ji or Josh Malihabadi ji or Prasoon Joshi jior or Roshan Abbas ji or Vishal Bharadwaj ji to name a few.
This can be found in the newspaper as Lucknow ki boli, B’wood’s lingua franca?
Those in the Hindi film industry can’t stop waxing eloquent about Lucknow’s contribution to Indian cinema in the form of writers, singers and lyricists. Here’s why we should be proud of our lingual lineage.
Here the authors write praises about the language of Lucknow which is appraised of its nafasat bhari zubaan (manner in which it is said / spoken) and leheza (style in which it is spoken). Bollywoodians, especially those in the trade of penning scripts and songs, will firmly have you believe all the talk about Lucknow’s language is much more than a cliche.They end here saying a very good line “You see, the language here has a personality of its own.”
This language is not taken very seriously by the natives as they stay here and are giving and getting the same, its like ghar ki murgi daal barabar, but whenever they step out of this region, they long for this tehzeeb and mehmaan nawazi which is not found anywhere else. Its very much like the Queen’s way of speech, mannerism and courtesy.
The paper’s very experienced ( as I cannot edit a single word from her write ups ) journo Iti Shree Mishra who has made many aware of the royal form of hand embroidery known to the world as Chikan writes in her article titled CHIKAN OUT? NEVER!
Even while machine embroidery threatens the craft, chikan has made its place in India’s couture collections
Lucknow is about chikan and chikan is about Lucknow,” declared designer duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla in an interview to LT some time ago. Even as we see cheap machine embroidered rip-offs of the original hand embroidered craft flood the market, chikan continues to fascinate those who have an eye for detail. “It’s those delicate patterns adorning the fabric that make chikan so timeless. People the world over love, wear and admire our chikan ensembles just as we love the art form. The beauty and appeal of chikankari is simply unbeatable,” says Abu Jani. “We all love everything that’s beautiful, and chikan embroidery is perhaps the best form of hand embroidery. That explains our love and passion for it,” adds Sandeep.
From the Bachchan parivar, Dimple Kapadia, Mukesh and Nita Ambani to international celebrities like Maggie Smith, Sophie Marceau and Sarah Brown – they have all proven over and over again that the art form remains unaffected by the vagaries of trends, as they opt for chikan ensembles for red carpet events.
In fact, Hollywood actor Dame Judi Dench has been wearing Abu-Sandeep designed chikan creations for several years now at award ceremonies like the Oscars and also the BAFTA. And early this year, she was seen dressed in a pale lilac chikan embroidered ensemble for the BAFTA awards in London. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s much anticipated presence in Cannes this year also saw her turning up in a cream chikan creation by the same designer duo.
Designer Manish Malhotra’s romance with chikan is also well known and the designer swears by the craft. According to Malhotra, “I have always liked to use Indian fabrics in my creations. My dresses are voluminous, glamorous and even my gowns are very Indianised. So, it makes sense to use Indian fabrics for them. And I think chikan embroidery is very elegant and beautiful.”
Designer Maheka Mirpuri, who says she is in love with the craft, adds, “Chikan is classic. It is perfect for summer because it has a very delicate feel.” Other fashion designers who have worked extensively in chikan are Ritu Kumar, whose love for the art has reflected in the ensembles she has created with chikan embroidery for Femina Miss Indias, over the years. Anita Dongre is also one of the designers whose preferred embroidery is chikan. Says Dongre, “Chikan work is timeless. You can wear it for both formal and informal occasions and looks stunning.” Designer Tarun Tahiliani is another designer who’s popularized the art and who also can be credited with starting the machine technique of chikan embroidery. Filmmaker Muzzafar Ali and wife Meera also dabble in chikan designer wear extensivley and initiated an elegant array of gold and silver chikankari work on black for formal wear.
KRISHNA is very thankful to wordpress.com as they now show in which parts of the globe our blog is being read the most. Its being read by people of and around India. Its because of it that this post of mine contains many hindi / urdu words and phrases / sayings / idioms.
krishna chikan 