An accomplished painter, Viney lives in the world of representations, from masks, drawings, paintings, art direction and much more. With many feathers in his cap including art direction for the prestigious Train to Pakistan, he talks to Roopam Singh about his art and life.

The syndrome of migration, portrayed with such brutal realism by Bimal Roy in his path-breaking movie Do Bigha Zameen in 1953, has turned full circle. The unskilled migrant workers from UP, Bihar, Jharkhand etc who had thronged the industrial cities of the country are clamouring to go back!

Balpreet Kaur, a veteran journalist, has ventured extensively into the short films. Now she has three short films to her credit. Her latest venture, Mera Kuch Samaan, released on PTC Punjabi Box Office hit the screens on May 15. A renowned Art critic Roopam Singh talks to her about her latest venture.

Our life as we knew has gone through an upheaval. Job losses, business closures, education disruption, lack of friendly personal banter are all affecting the human psyche. Each one is fending off negativity through forced positive action to keep self and family smiling against this present oddity.

Trains, buses and planes are out of operation. Salons, spas and barber shops are closed . Even during hours of brief relaxation most of the shops stay closed because nobody needs the stuff they have on sale. Garments , shoes and beauty-aids are no one's priority.

The appalling situation has made me realise that there is nothing filmy or dramatic that we confront in a cinema or a theatre hall; anything can happen anytime. Nobody could have imagined today’s situation.

The State governments have been chafing for quite some time over the extended lockdown affecting the excise revenue. The losses have been colossal and the alternatives non-existent. Along with the tax on petrol and diesel

Prospero , in Shakespeare’s “Tempest”  philosophizes  on life when he says that human life is such stuff as dreams are made on. Likewise , in his pastoral comedy “As You Like It” , Jaques says that all the world is a stage , meaning thereby that humans only make their entries to play their roles and then make an exit when the text of the drama comes to a conclusion.

I am sure that if we had acknowledged our inability in community singing or creating a community orchestra, then the self-imposed lockdown of March 22, 2020, would not have ended as a farce in the streets while blowing conches, ringing bells and beating other assorted instruments from the kitchen. We were destined to do what we did, not having ever been made to sing our National Anthem in unison

Coronavirus has put the world under quarantine. Never in our lives has such an event occurred that ordered millions, across the world, to stay at home. This situation is causing widespread anxiety, but on a brighter note, it is giving me joy having a family together.