A life that soared in ‘Ananda’

A modest bungalow in Domalguda, Hyderabad would seem an unlikely place for Presidents, chief ministers, Jacqueline Kennedy, the Princess of Berar, art curators, scholars, seekers etc. to spend quality time. But this was indeed the case, as this was the house where Shri Jagdish Mittal saab and his beloved wife Kamala had their world-renowned art collection. Where ‘Ananda’, as an effect of viewing beauty and creation was deeply felt and shared.

Researching for our film ‘Other Kohinoors, the Rocks of Hyderabad,’ about how our regions artists had been inspired by our rocky landscape, I could find no information of note. Until, Hyderabadi theatre-film personality Mr Shankar Melkote kindly took me to meet Jagdish sir and a treasure trove opened up! His generosity, in sharing a lifetime of carefully gathered knowledge has been one of the most unforgettable meetings of my own life.

His immersion into art had its beginnings in childhood in Gorakhpur and Dehradun and, formally, at Shantiniketan, where he studied painting. While he did painting himself there, it was in his eye for discerning lasting beauty that a profound calling came to him.

He said that Domalguda those days, reminded him of Shantiniketan. Calm, with vistas of scenic beauty that we are hard pressed to believe ever existed, when we see what is present there today. “Everything has changed”, Jagdish sir said, “People are immune to noise. I had counted 62 autos in those days around here. Now we are overrun by them and cars. I do not enjoy going out now. But there was a time that this whole area was full of Toddypalms. Right by my home, around the corner, I could see a sunset over the toddypalms that was like a painting itself! Now this is the main commercial area all the way to Himayat Nagar main road”

He spoke of flying kites in Domalguda and said: “Khuli jagah khatm ho gayi hai. Main yahaan, door tak patang udaata tha.”

It was in Gorakhpur that learnt to fly and make kites. He said the colours of the kites and shapes fascinated him and taught him his first lessons in appreciating colour, balance and form. In making kites himself he described how the “baas ki reed” that held the kite together, had to be bent and had to be equal, then differing designs of the kite could be made. “We put ghungroos on the kites so raat ko jhapki lia, toh ghungroo ki avaaz se pata lagta tha ki patang apni ud rahi hai!” (They put little bells on the kites so that if they nodded off while flying them the bells tinkling would let them know the kites were still up!) They would also put little candles on the kite so it could be seen far away in the sky. All this taught him craftmanship: “Craftsman ship ka sense mera is mein, bahut develop hua.”

He told colourful stories of Domalguda history. My own grandfathers house is down the road from Jagdish sirs house, and, he spoke of their friendship. He told me of how my father and uncle had started the Domalguda Club in our house, and, as a young man, he would go there to play table tennis and badminton.

I asked the question one instinctively asks a collector: Why did you start to collect art? He replied: “I want to keep it in front of me, it elevates me. The moment there is an art object I am totally cut off from my surroundings and I am in Anand. It makes a web around you and you are in the web, in Anandvan! All anxieties and worries fall away.”

Referring to rocks in paintings, he said it is in the schools of Deccan Art that rocks are most prevalent. Rocks were naturally part of these paintings because rocks are such an integral part of this terrain. He showed me lovely rocks in Bidri, Kalamkaari, Ikkat work.

We in Hyderabad must save what we have left of the rocky landscape. The landscape that he delighted in, that artists down the ages have honoured in their work. Not only do we find the ‘Ananda’ that Jagdish sir spoke of, in these artistic works, but also in the actual physical experience of standing amongst the city’s rocks, gazing out in jolts of wonder at the beauty of the earth. A connection to creation itself.

Our film ‘Other Kohinoors, the rocks of Hyderabad’ owes its bedrock to Jagdish Mittal saab. He showed us the way. His effect is not direct or nakedly persuasive. Rather the effect is gentle and expansive. It works inside us and takes us to places of insight and wonder that are not available to us without him. Thank you, Jagdish sir, our eternal Pranaam.

(Uma Magal is a film maker and teacher. Her latest work is at: www.otherkohinoors.com)