Aug 22, 2008 19:48
Inspired by Sukumar Ray's "Khichudi", Nidhi Jalan's Abol Tabol Akar Prakar, August 5-20 is a collection of extraordinary creatures modelled in clay. It would be too adventurous to call these figures supernatural, or even fantastic, since they simply fall short of such epithets. Ray's bestiary grew out of an inspired jumble of animal forms brought to life in a topsy-turvy idiom ' "Byakaron mani na", as the narrator makes clear. Compared to Ray's visual chaos, Jalan's perfectly sculpted forms look rather tame and cosmetic.