Ajeenchya Goshtee (grandmothers' tales)
2 -12 March
Context of the project is gender specific-"Women and their
spaces"
The project is an enquiry into lives of women, the pressures
and the constraints they encounter within their spaces [i.e.,
home, work, social and cultural].within a social structure which
is essentially patriarchal. It is also about their individual
struggle to cope with the situations within this social structure.
The project is a video installation consisting of seven video
films seen within the ambience of an intimate space which will
complement the themes of the films and will be seen as one composite
amalgamated art form.
I met a group of 10 to 12 women between 65 and 86 yrs of age,
from Saraswat colony, Mahim. They hail from north Karnataka
and Goa and have been living in Bombay for the last 40/50 years
since their marriage. They meet regularly once a month for Bhishi.
It is a day for drawing the chit for the lottery, eating together
and sharing with each other. What I found interesting was their
stories. These simple narrations essentially anecdotal in nature
were personal, intimate and revealed subtle nuances of their
life. They were some times humorous, some times full of despair
and frustration but extremely compelling and prompted me to
probe into their world of the past and the present Thus the
project 'Ajeenchya goshtee' was evolved. A few more women from
Vileparle and Santacruz joined me in this project and the project
grew.
Story telling is a powerful way of sharing and communicating
about a way of life. A profound relationship develops between
the storyteller and the listener. These stories though personal
and intimate, not only reveal subtle nuances in the life of
the story teller but, also create a possibility of understanding
of the history, culture and the traditions of their times.
As a visual artist I wanted to recreate this intimacy, this
profound relationship through the medium of video films by using
the format of the grand mother's stories. Grandmothers telling
stories to their grandchildren, is a very personal and an intimate
way of communicating and sharing and also a fast vanishing tradition
today..
The protagonists of the video films are "the grand mothers".
They share the anecdotes of their childhood days, their school
days, their life, before and after marriage, their role as wife,
daughter-in-law, mother, mother-in law and grand mother. They
narrate the experience of joys and sorrows. They share the despair,
frustration, fear, and alienation they experienced due to the
restrictions they confronted operating within their families
and society at large and their struggle to cope with it. I have
treated the stories as the archival work of the women's lives
of that particular era.
Women have come a long way in the last half a century. Some
of the restrictions and taboos are no longer relevant. Women
are educated, career oriented, economically more independent
and no longer home bound. Today they are much more empowered
than a few decades ago. Yet they still operate within spaces
which are severely restricted.
The live narrations in the video films are simple. By showing
these films on the TV monitors and in the public space I intend
to high light the significance to these simple personal narratives
which unfold the experiences of women in an objective way and
hope this could lead to questioning and an understanding of
the role the women themselves can play in shifting their own
position
About the films:
Ajeenchya Goshtee [Grand mother's stories], consists
of three video films of 48 minutes and one of six minutes. They
are to be viewed simultaneously. The narrations in the film
allow the viewer to glimpse in to the various experiences of
the narrator within their different spaces. The images are used
in such a way as to engage the viewer to observe the body language
of the protagonists from a close distance.
Bhishi is a six minute film. The film is about an experience
of fun and joy within the indoor space. It was shot during the
Bhishi gathering when the ladies were eating, chatting, and
having fun. The accentuated colours and the sound adds to the
experience of the mood.
Mudh Island chi Sahal [A picnic at Mudh island] is a
fifteen minute film. The film was shot when the group of ladies
were taken on a picnic to Mudh Island. It is about the celebration
of an experience of the out door space from the view point of
the protagonists. The colour and the sound in the film supports
this experience. This film is a narration about a day's journey
from home to the destination and back,
"Duparche Jevan "[Lunch] is a six minute film.
This film once again allows the viewer to observe and enjoy
the body language of the protagonist during the simple and a
daily activity such as the lunch.
View Works
