Of People and Places

Part 3 of the conversation with Abhishek Dubey - One that is close to my heart. About the struggle in artists and writers to be true to oneself and to the society we live in. Have you been writing since childhood? Not much. It was in college that I began to write in earnest. We wrote together for Jazba and read a lot. When you start creating something together, it influences you to do personal work too. I started to write by connecting my experiences to the things that I had read about. Finding your voice, finding your own point of view is very slow, but extremely rewarding. It began to be a good practice. As you continue to write, some elements in your writing style begin to improve. Your understanding changes, matures and leads to new insights. I discovered Gorakh Pandey’s “ Bhojpuri ke nau geet ” and thought that they were splendid. His style of poetry influenced me. He was a people’s poet. And he was writing in    my mother tongue – t...

Abhishek is working in Eklavya Publications – A man of many talents, he has an abiding passion for literature, is well-read, opinionated and can break into song at the drop of a hat. His djembe has been a source of delight for many of us, when at sunsets and full moon nights he sings and plays, his eyes shining. The music makes us forget our troubles, at least for a little while. He often writes poetry in the form of songs and sets them to music.  This is a conversation in two parts. This is part one of the conversation-- Were you interested in theatre right from childhood? My interest in theatre came in much later, after I came to Bhopal to study Mass Communication. In the villages and the cities where I lived or in the schools that I went to as a child – there was never an atmosphere where somebody was reading, or somebody was interested in poetry, theatre or the arts.  I moved constantly with my parents, and I have lived in many places but it wasn’t...

Sights of Colva beach at sunset.   As I plopped down in the soft sand, the sun hid in the soft clouds, for some reason, embarrassed.   This was an amazing sight. If it weren't for the horizon line, you couldn't make out where the land ended and the sky began.  The sea and solitude. This lonely figure stretched its arms to the sea as if wanting to be swallowed. The other three were blissfully unaware, secure in each other's company.   The sea speaks - of lost loves and longings, of broken dreams and shattered faith. Things we dare not express the waves imbibe and reveal.