RANG RASIYA !!!

‘Yeh Kamasutra ka desh hain jo humein apni sharir ka, apni aatma ka, apni kaamna ka, aapni manavta ka utsav banana sikhata hain aur main toh sirf ek manav hoon.’ ‘Yeh meri kahaniyan hain, inhi kahaniyon mein main pala bada hoo. Yeh Ramayan aur Mahabharat ki kahaniyan hain. Duniya ki sarvasresth kahaniyon mein se hain.’ ‘Inhi ajeeb kahaniyon mein desh ki aatma chupi hain.’ ‘Tumhari sundarta hamesha nahi rahegi, jawaani ke saath yeh bhi dhal jaayegi, lekin meri kala rahegi hamesha.’ ‘Inh devtaa o ki tasveer banane ki anumati aap ko kisne di?’ ‘Aise kitne chitra hain joh kabhi banaye nahi jayenge! Yeh nagna satya hain, kaun iske liye model karega! Darte hain hum apne saach ko pehchaan ne se, asal mein azaad hone se, hamari kalpana bhi hamare darr ke dayere mein bandh hain.’ ‘Meri kalpana ke bahar tum ho hee nahi.’ ‘Aap nahi rahenge, main nahi rahoongi, par iski kala rahegi hamesha aur iske jariye main bhi. ‘ ‘Ish aadmi ne ek mujh jaise aurat ko devi banaa diya aur apne ussey baishya.’ ‘Mujhe garv hain aapni sanskriti pe parampara pe aur woh itni najook nahi hain ke ek zaara si nange badan ko dekh ke tut jaaye.’ ‘Kaash mein sirf tumhare kalpana mein jee sakti! Par main ek aurat hoon, koi devi nahin.’

Ravi Verma, the father of Modern Indian Arts took birth in Kilimanoor, a place under the princely state of Travancore in Kerala, the land of God. In and around 1850’s or so, Ravi painted two elephants on a wall. Maharaja Ayilyam Thirunal of Travancore felt impressed on Ravi after seeing his paintings. ‘Agar tum nahi karoge toh kaun karega.’ Maharaja Thirunal made arrangements for all types of good training on painting for Ravi to help him to become a royal painter. In those times, in Kerala, a man has to live permanently in that woman’s house with whom he gets married. Ravi Verma got married to a princess and lived in her house after marriage. Ravi Verma’s wife was not having too much respect towards paintings and painters. ‘Hamare parivaar mein pati log aisa neecha kaam nahi karte, baash mazaa karte hain, aur kuch nahi.’ The painter fell in love with Kaamini, a maid servant after seeing her artistic semi-nude body. The portrait painting sessions of Kaamini started. But, Kaamini started getting attracted towards Ravi. ‘Kya tum sirf ek chitrakaar ho aur main ek cheez jiska tum chitra banana chahte ho.’ Lust was at its peak. ‘Tere tann mandir mein mera mann khoya, jaaga sapna soya soya; O Kaamini!’ Ravi Verma’s wife became furious on Ravi as Ravi was having sexual affairs with an untouchable female. Generally, in those days, a maid-servant was regarded as an untouchable. Ravi went out of his wife’s house.

In the Madras Painting Competition, many painters from all around the world participated in it. Ravi Verma, the royal painter of Travancore Kingdom won the 1^st Prize in that competition and the portrait of Kaamini got selected as the best painting of that competition. Maharaja Ayilyam Thirunal awarded Ravi Verma with the Gold Medal of Governor. The younger brother of Maharaja Thirunal passed a bad comment on Ravi Verma. The Maharaja became angry on his younger brother. ‘Tum chaye mere bhai ho, lekin kisi kalakaar ka apamaan karne ka koi haq nahi.’ Maharaja Ayilyam Thirunal gave the title of ‘RAJA’ to Ravi Verma. ‘Main Ayilyam Thirunal, Travancore ka Raja tumhe Raja ki padvi deta hoon. Aaj se koi yeh na kahe ki ek kalakaar kisi Raja ke barabar nahi.’  From that day, Ravi Verma became Raja Ravi Verma. After the death of Maharaja Ayilyam Thirunal, his younger brother ascended the throne of Travancore and then he politely ordered Raja Ravi Verma to get out of Travancore. ‘Ek mahal mein do talwar toh rahe nahi sakte aur yeh rajya do Raja o ke liye bahut chota hain.’  Dewan Madhava Rao, the owner of Baroda Estate in Bombay invited Ravi Verma and Raj Verma. Both Ravi Verma and Raj Verma along with their royal servant, Pachan came to Bombay. ‘Chinta mat karo, hum itni asaani se ush kalakaar ko marne nahi denge, Mumbai ek sapno ka saher hain, yahan kaabil insaano ki kadar hoti hain.’

Inside a temple of Bombay, Ravi Verma saw a traditional Marathi lady, Sugandha Bai. Later on, that Marathi lady became the artistic inspiration of Ravi Verma. Sugandha also felt the infatuation within her heart after seeing her portraits painted by Ravi Verma with some fantastic black and white sketches. A beautiful love story began with a blend of divine image and ambience within the two hearts. ‘Hum Saraswati se shuru karenge, gyan aur kala ki devi.’ Ravi Verma started painting the portrait of several Goddesses of Hindu religion by seeing Sugandha Bai in many avatars from different angles. ‘Yeh saare rang, tere rang hain.’ Madhav Rao took Ravi Verma and Raj Verma to a conference of Indian National Congress. What was the demand of Bal Gangadhar Tilak? In that conference hall, Ravi Verma got a new female friend and her name was Frenny. Ravi Verma made annual subscription of ‘Times of India’ newspaper by giving Rs. 5/- only to Frenny. Seth Hirachand kept a keep in his house whose age was almost of the same age of his granddaughter. ‘Aapko kya laagta hain Raja Ravi Verma, kya humein azaadi milni chahiye?’ ‘Ji main politics nahi samajhta, main toh sirf ek artist hoon, par main itna jaanta hoon ki kala hamesha azaad hain.’

Sayajirao Gaekwad III alias Gopalrao Gaekwad, the Maharaja of Baroda State invited Raja Ravi Verma at his Baroda Palace to give him a special task. Maharaja Gopalrao Gaekwad wanted to see the Indian paintings to rule the world of paintings globally. That’s why; he assigned this tough job to a talented painter like Raja Ravi Verma. But, Raja Ravi Verma was not interested in making the paintings of Western Civilization and its famous characters. He wanted to paint the famous characters of ancient Indian Civilization. To do that, Raja Ravi Verma requested for some time to travel to different places of India to have a detailed idea about the ancient Indian Civilization. Maharaja Gopalrao Gaekwad approved the idea and gave some time to Raja Ravi Verma for this artistic project.  ‘Toh banao, aaj se hee shuru ho jaao. Koi yeh na kahe ke hum Hindustani kala ko nahi jaante.’ Raja Ravi Verma visited different places of India. ‘Anhad Naad jaaga de saayian, jaaga de mere mann ke chor, main dhundu tujhe gali gali.’ In Benaras, the painter’s mind started seeing the mythological characters. ‘Maharaj ko Telegram bhejh doh, hum painting ke liye taiyar hain.’ The paintings got completed. Raja Ravi Verma requested Maharaja to open up the Art Gallery for the common people of India also instead of limiting the exhibition for royal people only. ‘Thik hain, paintings sab ko dikhao.’ ‘Aam Aadmi ke liye yeh pehla Art Exhibition hoga.’

So many common people of India visited the Art Exhibition. Raja Ravi Verma gave the pictorial image to all the Gods and Goddesses of Hindu religion. Dewan Madhav Rao said, ‘Ravi, aab mujhe maut se koi darr nahi, tum ne yehi mujhe Ishwar ka chehra dikha diya hain.’ Chintamani Maharaj, the leader of a Hindu Extremist group came to the Art Gallery as they were angry on Raja Ravi Verma for making paintings of Hindu Gods and Goddesses without taking permission from them. Raja Ravi Verma knew very well that he may have to fight against these Hindu Extremist Groups for reaching out the painted image of Gods and Goddesses to each and every common people of India. So many people inside that Art Gallery started worshipping the painting of Lord Rama. Raja Ravi Verma understood the impact of those paintings on the minds of theist Indians. Fritz Schleizer, a printer got caught by Raj Verma for giving him a fake Indian Currency note. The painter decided to print his paintings with the help of that printer. But where was the money?

Govardhan Das came in as a business partner to open up a new printing company. The printed paintings of Raja Ravi Verma on Hindu Gods and Goddesses got sold worldwide. Even the untouchables got the paintings of Gods and Goddesses outside the temples to worship them. Hindu Extremist Groups filed a legal case against Raja Ravi Verma. His printing press was burned down. Govardhan Das utilized the situation. The mortgaged paintings got published. Sugandha Bai was humiliated and insulted. Ravi Verma sold his printing press to Fritz and requested Fritz to give some money to Dhundiraj Govind Phalke(Dadasaheb Phalke) for cinematography. Raja Ravi Verma was responsible for Plague! ‘Yeh Plague daivi prakop nahi hain toh kya hain?’ What was the final order given by Justice Richards? What happened to Sugandha Bai? Did Raja Ravi Verma felt himself as a helpless lover like Pururava after losing Urvashi permanently? If you analyze all the stories of Hindu mythology, it is the women who always have to leave their beloved ones by experiencing so much insults and humiliations. The Hindu Extremists tore apart the original painting of Menaka and Vishwamitra by entering inside the Hall where the auctions of paintings were going on. Maybe, that’s why Frenny said, ‘Asli logon ki tasveer banao.’ Did Frenny succeed in motivating the depressed painter to regain back his artistic mood of a “RANG RASIYA”?