Doordarshan’s: The Paintings of India
The Paintings of India by Benoy K. Behl is a series of 26 documentaries made for Doordarshan, on the tradition of painting in India, from prehistoric times till the present day. This series addresses the entire subject for the first time and includes filming of ancient painted caves and temples and in museums across the world. Many sites of mural paintings have been photographed and documented for the first time in this project, all over India and also in other countries in Asia.
Director: Benoy Behl
Film I: Development of the Modern Idiom Part-I (30mins.)
This film traces the development of Modern Indian art from the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma in the 19th century to that of Amrita Shergill in the 1930’s. The emergence of Government Art Schools, the nationalist art of the Bengal School and the unique vision of Rabindranath Tagore & the art and aesthetics of Santiniketan are covered in this film.
Film II: Development of the Modern Idiom Part-II (30mins.)
This film takes us through Indian art from the 1940’s onwards. Artists and art historians share their thoughts and experiences in a journey towards understanding the impulses, which underlie post-independence painting in India. These include S.H. Raza, K.G.Subramanyam, Ghulam Muhammad Sheikh, Vishvanadhan, Ramachandran, Jatin Das, Rajeev Lochan, Yashodara Dalmia, Ranjit Hoskote, Neville Tuli, and Virendra Kumar Jain.
Film III: The Verdant Hills (30mins.)
This film presents the marvellous mural paintings of the Himalayan regions of Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh. With the fall of the great monasteries and universities of eastern India and of Kashmir, after the 12th century, the Trans Himalayan and Himalayan regions were left to preserve the art and philosophical heritage of Buddhism. These paintings are striking examples of the assimilation and preservation of the finest traditions of Vajrayana Buddhist painting.
Film IV: The Art of India (30mins.)
The process of art is seen as a fundamental and important experience in society. It is the expression and sharing of the finest thoughts of mankind. This film attempts to understand the philosophy and the spirit of Indian art. Artists and scholars who share their thoughts include S.H. Raza, K.G. Subramanyam, Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan, Dr. Anand Krishna, Dr. B.N. Goswamy, Prof. Rajeev Lochan, Ranjit Hoskote and Dr. SK Ramachandran.