A Gathering at the Carnival Shop

1 SEPTEMBER

NATIONAL GALLERY OF MODERN ART, BENGALURU

In this curious film, inspired by the work of the painter K Ramanujam, the director Mochu attempts to blur the boundaries between art and reality. The film’s prologue best exemplifies this: “An early morning in 1973. Somewhere close to the sea. The artist Ramanujam transforms into a black dog. And disappears into the canvas.” The film begins with an account of Ramanujam’s death, on 4 January 1973, and then recreates episodes from his life in non-linear sequence. It uses footage from Ramanujam’s workspace, the Cholamandal Artists’ Village in Chennai, to juxtapose his paintings with the real-life scenes that inspired them. Through this technique, the film-maker offers us a peek into the artist’s mind.

- Manisha AR