ತ ಸ satyan ಶೋ

It was T S Satyan's 85th birthday on Friday, when his photo exhibition Long Exposure opened at Tasveer.

Satyan is one of Mysore's most famous names. R K Narayan created the fictional world of Malgudi from what he saw in Mysore; Satyan similarly draws inspiration from the leisurely and intellectually curious ethos of that city.

N R Narayana Murthy, Mysorean of a later generation, had a different vision of the world. His new worldview gave birth to Infosys, India's most celebrated information technology company.

The action in what was called Old Mysore (eight districts ruled by the Mysore kings) has shifted from Mysore to Bangalore, but Satyan's camera eye refuses to set its gaze on this breathless city.

His pictures of Nehru, such as the much reproduced one he took at Parliament House (and among the exhibits at Tasveer), catch people in moments of pensiveness and tranquillity. Not a single picture is interested in the frenzy of our new world. As an artist, Satyan is undoubtedly Old Mysorean; call him the R K Narayan of photography.

At Tasveer, you will see the Hindustani vocalist Gangubai Hangal smilingly sipping tea, three generations of women brooding on the stone verandah of their rural Karnataka home, a Kodava bridegroom surrounded by clansmen in traditional attire... Satyan's empathy for his subjects is evident, but some inoffensive humour does come through at times. You can detect a gently ironic eye, for example, in the image of a woman bathing in water gushing out of a spout shaped like a lion's head.

Satyan's pictures are all in black and white, and delight with their quiet beauty.

Ford Ikon diesel: A review

Ford has just released a diesel version of its popular sedan Ikon. I test drove it for nearly two hours, first on Bannerghatta Road, and then on the Nice highway connecting it to Hosur Road.

If you've driven the Ford Ikon petrol, as I have on a couple of occasions when a friend gave me the wheel of his car, you will find no difference in the way the diesel is built. Everything's the same, including the 400-litre boot, sure to be useful when you go on long drives with huge suitcases, or drop your sister off at the international airport with all her Bangalore shopping. The diesel comes with nicely done beige interiors in fabric and rexine, and will appeal to those who like sobriety rather than flamboyance.

Diesels are known to start off a little sluggishly, and that was the first thing I noticed when I started out from congested J P Nagar intersections, but once the car was comfortably into the third gear, the acceleration felt as good as in a petrol car. The slow initial pull isn't so obvious with just two passengers in the car, but becomes noticeable when you have four (four plus driver is what it's designed for).

The Ikon diesel, like the petrol, has a 1.4 litre engine which made its debut on the Fiesta, and for stark comparison, its capacity can be matched against, say, that of the German-designed Opel Sail petrol, a car that spelt luxury to Indian motoring buffs just five years ago. But, as an auto buff-friend pointed out, a petrol typically puts out more bhp than a diesel, and so this comparison should only be used to see the petrol-versus-diesel argument in perspective.

The Ford diesel would be miles ahead of the Sail in economy, but such economy comes at the cost of power. The Sail feels more luxurious, but few in these trying times would want luxury at such a premium (and besides, General Motors has shut down the Opel range). At its very best, the Sail can achieve about 9 km a litre inside the city, while the Ford Ikon diesel, from what its executives say, can double that performance with 17 to 18 km.

Economy is going to be the main attraction of the Ikon diesel. If you're keen on an Ikon, you might want to weigh the merits of the petrol against the diesel before you make up your mind. The diesel is slightly noisier and more expensive by a lakh, but makes up with its everyday wallet-friendliness. So if you're regularly driving long distances and are cost-conscious, diesel could be what works for you.

On the Nice highway, I touched 130 km, and the car felt steady and fully under control. Kiran N Gupta, the knowledgeable sales consultant who accompanied me on the drive, said he had hit 160 without any hitch. I didn't want to push the car, and my luck in Formula-style racing, that far!

The Ikon is competing mainly with diesels such as the Swift Dzire and the Renault Logan, and perhaps to a smaller extent with petrol cars such as the Chevrolet Aveo. The economic slowdown doesn't seem to have dented the prospects of the Ikon diesel. Kiran told me several buyers contemplating Rs 8 lakh-plus cars were now going in for lower-priced Fords. The Ford diesel stands out for its frugality, but overall, when it comes to spare parts prices and service, the Suzukis score with their affordability and accessiblity.

The dashboard on the Ikon looks utilitarian, and the AC cooled well even with five passengers inside (but remember, a test drive won't do to judge long-term efficiency). On the safety question, you may be disappointed that the Ikon diesel does not offer airbags.

The Ikon diesel could be a good choice if you're doing frequent long distances, and are looking for a car that's slightly bigger than the Santro and the Wagon R, and not so expensive to run. The diesel is Rs 75,000 more expensive than the petrol. But before settling on the diesel, I'd think hard which side of the fence I'd like to be on: petrol or diesel. And I'd also spend some time weighing slightly noisy economy against quiet indulgence.

Rock-raga jam is a sweet hit

A rock legend met the Lolita of Indian classical music at Palace Grounds yesterday.

Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull played some unusual music with Anoushka Shankar, the talented and pretty daughter of sitar maestro Pandit Ravishankar, even as the audience kept an eye out for rain.

Anoushka kicked off the show with a couple of her father's raga compositions. She avoided the traditional alaap-jod-jhala elaboration, with its slow, meditative unfolding, and rushed straightaway into fast tempo compositions.

Don't hold that against her. Her illustrious dad has tried that very technique when faced with an audience more familiar with headbanging than concert-hall connoisseurship. He has been able to convert some from among such crowds into more sober listeners.

Perhaps Anoushka also will as she grows into her role as the inheritor of the Ravishankar legacy, but here she was doing some well-thought-out short numbers rather than inspired raga essays, and brought a youthful exuberance and innocence to the overall proceedings.

Her playing was good and showed some of the lyricism and sparkle of her dad's style; she excelled when it came to fast improvisation, but then, it might take a lot more than speed for her to become a rasika's delight.

Anoushka wound up after playing an unusual raga called Pancham se Gara, and set the stage for Jethro Tull, who made a dramatic entry and gave their fans music they had heard and loved through five decades.

The British band comprises, besides singer and flute player Anderson, guitarists Martin Barre and David Goodier, keyboardist John O'Hara, and a drummer, all of whom played with the kind of ease that comes only from constant concert experience.

Jethro Tull was founded about 50 years ago, and its musical emphasis has changed from time to time. Many of those changing influences were reflected in the songs they chose to play yesterday. Most numbers from the 1972 albums Living from the Past and Thick as a Brick had rock adrenaline as the defining element, and the pulsating intensity was emphasised by the aggressive, stylish flute playing of Anderson. But the band also played some very acoustic-sounding soft numbers, using instruments such as the bazouki, the harmonica and the congos.

The final session, when Anoushka came back on stage to perform with Jethro Tull, was mellower and more friendly to ears not accustomed to the Jethro Tull style. Irish cradle was among the softer numbers that provided a contrast to the band's more insistent songs. In one number, Anoushka played snatches of ragas such as Kiravani and Yaman, and Anderson came in and played some unison passages with her and the keyboardist. The band also offered, with some Indian flavour from Anoushka, a witty, thoroughly enjoyable reworking of a Bach movement titled Bouree.

Anderson spoke, sang, clowned, danced and played a variety of instruments. He saluted Sir Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones, who recently turned 65, but deserves similar applause for his own performing zest. The music he and Anoushka are playing on their Indian tour may not be in the same league as the music played by Ravishankar and Yehudi Menuhin, but it isn't kitschy pop either. Jethro Tull and Anoushka are musicians whose sophistication can't be denied, and they are determined to keep you entertained.

Go catch the lurkers

The Mumbai massacre has left many questions unanswered, but we are going about as though we have already defeated the terrorists. Amid the gloom is this strange mood of self-congratulation among citizens, lawkeepers, and the media.

But everyone's pointing fingers at politicians. Heads in the government have rolled, and big ones at that. Home minister Shivraj Patil was the first to go, and then it was the turn of R R Patil, the Maharashtra deputy chief minister who famously said the attack, which has claimed close to 200 lives, was just one of those things.

Chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh took a stroll inside the Taj with his movie star son Riteish and Ram Gopal Varma, a director who has built his reputation on slick films about the underworld. All of which has proved to citizens that politicians are crass, insensitive, and selfish.

That is perhaps why the resignations of the two Patils have received such applause. But is all this political drama obscuring more urgent questions, such as 'Where are the other terrorists who made that boat trip to Mumbai?"

From all accounts, the group that hijacked a dinghy and a boat and entered Indian waters had more men than the authorities can now account for. Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh told a press conference about 20 men had come in. The police have one man in their custody, and the commandos have killed a handful who had stormed the Taj, Nariman House and CST, but where are the others lurking? And what are they planning?

Citizens are outraged by the massacre, and the anger against politicians is intense. Slain major Sandeep Unnikrishnan's father shooed away the Kerala chief minister when he came visiting to pay his last respects to Bangalore, and ATS chief Hemant Karkare's wife snubbed the Gujarat chief minister's offer of Rs 1 crore as a posthumous reward for his bravery. Text messages against politicians are making the rounds. No one, but no one, is in a mood to humour politicians.

Rediff has compiled a list of questions citizens are asking, and it is so comprehensive the investigators should pick it up and use it as a check list as they go about their work. MiD DAY reported yesterday that the jackets Mumbai's policemen used were no good. They had failed during the tests, and had not been able to stop a single bullet fired from the test rifles.

Two of Mumbai's much respected policemen -- Hemant Karkare and Ashok Kamte -- died because their vests did them in. Another senior policeman, Vijay Salaskar, reportedly never wore a jacket because he knew it couldn't protect him.

We should also use this opportunity to expose the enemies within, starting with the corrupt purchase officers who order supplies that endanger the lives of those on the battle front. The gravy train in most cases leads all the way up to the cabinet of ministers. It's not just terrorists from outside who are killing the best of our countrymen; it's our own greedy people in positions of eminence.