Be it revival for craftsmen or prohibition of mediocrity in theatre, prominent personalities from different walks of life share their wishlist for 2015
Shovana Narayan
classical dancer
Seeing the kind of stress and strain that people are experiencing with many unable to withstand the pressures, attention turns automatically to the little oasis of classical performing arts where classical artistes seem to exude a sense of balance while being global citizens. Herein, meditative and therapeutical aspects dominate over commercialism. It would indeed be lovely if 2015 saw good meaningful discussions on classical performing arts in all newspapers and on all channels thereby drawing attention of the common man.
One of the features that I would not like to see in 2015 is the manner in which desire for immediate recognition and success has pushed few parents and programmers to have children performing items and delineating dance movements that are not appropriate to the dancer’s age or to sense of decency.
Anita Nair
author
I want to see more exciting and invigorating biographies. They should be fair and objective without glorifying or debunking the person. They should present the real persona of the protagonist and must be factually correct.
Incredibly badly written books must stop. A lot of writers are playing along with stereotypes and generalising the writing without questioning beliefs and ideas. They must stop capitalising on stereotypes.
Purab Kohli
actor
I wish an independent movie is allowed to run in theatre for at least two weeks. It must not matter whether good movies make money or not, it should be given a fair chance.
I don’t want to see big releases clashing with smaller indie movies. The industry players have to look at each other in a supportive way as opposed to going for each other’s throats at the box office.
Girish Wankhede
Film distributor
Regional movies fared pretty well in 2014 and they must flourish this year, too. Be Yaar shattered the box office numbers and rejuvenated the Gujarati industry. Marathi and Bengali movies are also doing great business. Plus I wish to see more Hindi blockbusters crossing Rs300 crore mark. Hollywood movies should also see great rise in business.
I don’t wish to see controversies affecting showbiz. When censor board clears a film, it should be allowed to reach out to the audience who can make their own opinion. After all, it’s entertainment and should be dealt lightly.
Bahar Dutt
Conservation biologist
In 2014, Delhi earned the dubious distinction of the most polluted city in the world with 8.1 million registered vehicles and high levels of carcinogenic particulate matter. In 2015 — I know one year is too short — but I would like to see pollution levels go down than up.
I don’t expect further deforestation. I want to see a strong environment ministry that says yes to biodiversity. India loses a staggering 333 acres of forests everyday, I don’t want that to happen this year.
Ranjana Kumari
Social activist
I want to see 2015 as the year of women and girl child. I wish complete safety, protection and development of women from all walks of life. I want to see them living a life without constant fear of being harmed. I also wish that the government provide better conditions for women apart from protecting and safeguarding their human rights. Women should be given dignity and absolute freedom.
I don’t want rapes or molestation of children anymore. I do not wish to wake up to any gruesome news of women injured or harmed for dowry.
Madhu Jain
Fashion designer
I would like to see a lot of growth in handicraft, handloom and crafts. I wish local weavers and artisans are provided with better provisions so that they can continue with their craft. The existing government policies which safeguard the interest of these craftsmen should be implemented now. I also want to see designers popularising Indian art and craft to build a strong market.
When something goes wrong it always teaches us lessons. I always believe in thinking positive and looking ahead.
Kush Nahar
Indie musician
Indian bands should go out and do more shows and market them in a targetted way so that they can draw more audience. They should come up with more original lyrics in every gig that they perform, apart from their regular or popular ones. The Indian music scene is bigger and better than it ever was and there’s a lot of scope for everyone.
I don’t want to see redundancy in compositions. The last year was dry in terms of creativity. Most bands, musicians and artistes became complacent with their sounds. I wish 2015 brings in sounds and melodies that not only push and redefine the definition of rock and indie music in India but also music as a whole.
Aamir Raza Hussain
Theatre artiste
I expect writers to come up with prose which sound more like poetry where narrative of the story should be engaging. I wish to see more actors delivering mesmerising performances and designers coming up with authentic costumes. The sets should also undergo a change and don a look appropriate to the play being performed. Overall, the entire experience should be of a play where sound and light flow seamlessly into a narrative, where the direction is creative and inspirational.
Mediocrity on the stage should be discouraged. In the arts, mediocrity is an assault on the senses and a crime against the collective aesthetics of society. In 2015, I don’t want to see pedestrian expressions of inferior minds. I don’t want to see insignificant TV actors perform uninspired scripts on stage. On a larger scale, I do not wish to see musicals full of sound and fury, signifying nothing on Broadway and the West End.
Boishali Sinha
Art director
I would like to see more creativity in three dimension. The ability to recreate regular and larger than life sets and scenes is what has been there and must stay and flourish.
One of the disadvantages is that there is an interference in our work by those who do not have knowledge of art. I don’t want to see that happening in 2015. A movie is a director’s vision and a collective effort of a team.
(Compiled by Karan Bhardwaj and Shrabasti Mallik)