phuti karpas Muslin man
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CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC 4 CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC SPECTRUM In an irony of the sort that makes us laugh, the British destroyed the muslin trade in Bengal, leaving nothing for the next generation of weav- ers to resuscitate. Yet, when it comes to its preservation, the West is miles ahead: muslin forms a large part of museums there. Saiful Islam, a textile re- vivalist who shuttles between the UK and Bangladesh, disco- vered this, and is now on a mission to revive muslin in its original avatar. Saiful has made a well-re- searched lm, The Legend of the Loom that takes viewers on a 2,000-year-old journey from the pages of the Ma- habharata to the rivers of Bengal, where the cotton plant grew. He has written a book titled Muslin. Our Story and has been reviving this dia- phanous material in his ho- meland from 2014. He talked about his passion for muslin at the fth edition of Threads of Tradition, a platform for conversations with experts in textiles, in Del- hi recently. Excerpts from an interview. Take us through the work you have done so far. ● The story of my lm is large- ly based upon the work I have done. T9fx (a production house) directed it but needed the input as the topic was un- known to it. We wanted to re- vive muslin, the world’s rst global brand, but we wanted to do it in multiple ways. We wanted to tell the story from the way we perceive it should be told: our geography, craft, people, history and portray- ing the role the West played in its demise. Previously, muslin was never shown from these angles. It was seen as a pretty item. It is important to under- stand it from the sociological and political angles. How would your describe muslin and its importance from a historical perspective? ● Muslin is the most wonder- ful textile ever woven, for its simplicity and demand it generated world-wide. Ma- chilipatnam down South and Mosul in Iraq were the trading places. It was col- lected there. But when pe- ople saw it there, they thought it was made there. However, it was always made in Bengal as phuti karpas, a special cotton plant, grew along the banks of the Megh- na and Shitalakshya rivers. We hope its silken threads and traditional weaving pro- cess will return; I am hopeful that my work on this painstak- ing process will soon bring good results. How do you seek to preserve it for the next generation? ● I showed the lm to weavers in my homeland. While the rest faltered, only Al Amin succeeded in producing mus- lin in its pure form. I am only interested in preserving the classics; then, we want to see how the market accepts it. Personally, I have revived 15 to 20 Jamdani saris. People don’t know the connection. In India, there are other forms of Jamdani, but they are diluted. Were the Mughals the main patrons of muslin? ● The demand was more dur- ing the reign of the Mughals. However, the Nawabs of Mur- shidabad and Dhaka were in- strumental in patronising it. Muslin was worn by kings and queens and traded from Rome to Indonesia. It was crudely annihilated by the British colonialists in the mid- 19th Century to support their machine-made clothes. Histo- ry tells us that the British cut o the thumbs of weavers. Where do muslin makers work? ● Muslin makers are at Na- rayanaganj and Roopganj. They mainly work around the coarse, thick version. Muslin was used during the Second World War as bandages, dur- ing photo lighting. Some peo- ple used them as undergar- ments for themselves and for babies. How is it that jamdani survived but muslin didn’t? ● Jamdani survived in the coarse form; it is not in its ori- ginal rened version. Some weavers took the counts from 400 to 1,000. The maximum count that we have heard of is 1,200. But the maximum I have seen is 650. Jamdani is a form of muslin; in fact it is the main form. When we weave it with owered or gured mo- tifs, it becomes Jamdani. Mus- lin is also in plain, striped and chequered versions. Muslin thread was soft and delicate and spun in a humid environ- ment, from dawn to dusk on river banks. Which designers have worked with the fabric? ● Aneeth Arora of Pero, has done excellent work. We gave her muslin and it was used in the show we featured in our lm. In Bangladesh, we have Bibi Russell and there are oth- er designers who draw inspi- ration from their own culture and traditions. Do weavers in Bangladesh work with real zari or have they substituted it with copper? ● Most cases are substi- tutes because they cannot get hold of pure zari. There is a demand for cheap varia- tions as people want cost-ef- fective polyester or rayon. I have stayed away from zari, because it did not have wide usage, but I will use it in its pure silver form later on (in the revival eort). Muslin man Saiful Islam, a textile revivalist from Bangladesh, tells us how he is working to bring the ne fabric into the mainstream world of fashion :: Madhur Tankha The moder CELEBRATE THE CLOTH In February 2016, a month-long muslin festival was held at the Bangladesh National Museum. Revisiting lost heritage (Clockwise from left) A muslin sari, a copy of Muslin. Our Story, Saiful Islam and a weaver on loom * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT THE HINDU - WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2019
Transcript of phuti karpas Muslin man
“I don’t have control over what happens to me but I do have control overwhat I choose to focus on,” said PreetiShenoy, explaining the core message ofher latest book, Wake Up Life Is Call-ing. The author was in conversationwith Arup Bose of Srishti, publisher ofthe book that serves as a sequel to herbestseller Life Is What You Make It. “Ifyou focus on the positive,it changes your life,” sheadded.
She spoke about her research on mental health —Ankita, the protagonist,su�ers from bipolar disorder — initially at Norwich,the UK, and later at NIMHANS, Bengaluru. “I haveenough material for 15books,” she exclaimed, adding that writing the �rstbook left her drained andtired. Though she decidednot to write about mental illness anymore, “Ankita was not �nished withme,” she smiled.
Asked if she had a favourite character among all those she has created, shedeclared, “It’s like asking a parent tochoose between the kids,” before confessing a slight partiality for GopalShankar (from A Hundred LittleFlames), who is “partly my grandfather, partly my fatherinlaw, partly myfather’s best friend.”
Preeti elaborated on how she builther characters; “I know everythingabout them, right from the toothpastethey use to the TV serial they watch.They have their own personalities.”
Sometimes, she said, her charactersdeveloped a will of their own and hadto be cajoled to tell the story she wanted them to tell. “Humans are like that,
after all. In each one of us, there is a little switch. When it �ips, you do something unexpected.”
Since Preeti is very active on socialmedia, Arup spoke about how relationships and communication havechanged in the digital age. Preetiagreed with him, saying, “Today, we
are very impatient. We wantinstant grati�cation, an instant response,” she said, adding “We have lost touch withpatience. The real test of a relationship is time.”
She also stressed the needto be real on social media,“There is a lot of fakery outthere. Don’t get taken in bythat.” She herself claimed toreply to all her fans online,personally: “Thanks to Bengaluru’s tra�c, I have enoughtime for that!”
Control what you choose to focus onPreeti Shenoy * S SIVA SARAVANAN
With the launch of her new book, theauthor shares how she writes and whyshe always looks for positivity
:: R Krithika
Waking up withPreeti Shenoy
WRITE WAY
She does not have a speci�c routine,except for having her dog as anarmrest and lots of black co�ee. “Ikeep shoving the cups under thebed and my husband messagedsaying I was drinking too muchco�ee,” she giggled. He had foundsix cups, accumulated over a coupleof days, and assumed she’d gonethrough the lot in a single day.
Writing is like building a house,Preeti explained. If you have theblueprint and all the material, it isjust a matter of putting one brickover another. Her advice: developyour plot and characters, and keepwriting. Give it time; when the storyis ready, it will �ow.AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
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CHENNAI THE HINDU METROPLUS
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SPECTRUM
In an irony of the sort thatmakes us laugh, the Britishdestroyed the muslin trade inBengal, leaving nothing forthe next generation of weavers to resuscitate. Yet, when itcomes to its preservation, theWest is miles ahead: muslinforms a large part of museumsthere. Saiful Islam, a textile revivalist who shuttles betweenthe UK and Bangladesh, discovered this, and is now on amission to revive muslin in itsoriginal avatar.
Saiful has made a wellresearched �lm, The Legend ofthe Loom that takes viewerson a 2,000yearold journeyfrom the pages of the Ma-habharata to the rivers ofBengal, where the cottonplant grew. He has written abook titled Muslin. Our Storyand has been reviving this diaphanous material in his homeland from 2014.
He talked about his passionfor muslin at the �fth editionof Threads of Tradition, aplatform for conversationswith experts in textiles, in Delhi recently. Excerpts from aninterview.
Take us through the workyou have done so far.● The story of my �lm is largely based upon the work I have
done. T9fx (a productionhouse) directed it but neededthe input as the topic was unknown to it. We wanted to revive muslin, the world’s �rstglobal brand, but we wantedto do it in multiple ways. Wewanted to tell the story fromthe way we perceive it shouldbe told: our geography, craft,people, history and portraying the role the West played inits demise. Previously, muslinwas never shown from theseangles. It was seen as a prettyitem. It is important to understand it from the sociologicaland political angles.
How would your describemuslin and its importancefrom a historicalperspective?
● Muslin is the most wonderful textile ever woven, for itssimplicity and demand itgenerated worldwide. Machilipatnam down Southand Mosul in Iraq were thetrading places. It was collected there. But when people saw it there, they
thought it was made there.However, it was always madein Bengal as phuti karpas, aspecial cotton plant, grewalong the banks of the Meghna and Shitalakshya rivers.We hope its silken threadsand traditional weaving process will return; I am hopefulthat my work on this painstaking process will soon bringgood results.
How do you seek topreserve it for the nextgeneration?● I showed the �lm to weaversin my homeland. While therest faltered, only Al Aminsucceeded in producing muslin in its pure form. I am onlyinterested in preserving theclassics; then, we want to seehow the market accepts it.Personally, I have revived 15 to20 Jamdani saris. Peopledon’t know the connection. InIndia, there are other forms ofJamdani, but they are diluted.
Were the Mughals themain patrons of muslin?● The demand was more during the reign of the Mughals.However, the Nawabs of Murshidabad and Dhaka were instrumental in patronising it.Muslin was worn by kings andqueens and traded fromRome to Indonesia. It wascrudely annihilated by theBritish colonialists in the mid19th Century to support theirmachinemade clothes. History tells us that the British cuto� the thumbs of weavers.
Where do muslin makerswork?● Muslin makers are at Narayanaganj and Roopganj.They mainly work around thecoarse, thick version. Muslinwas used during the SecondWorld War as bandages, during photo lighting. Some people used them as undergarments for themselves and forbabies.
How is it that jamdanisurvived but muslindidn’t?● Jamdani survived in thecoarse form; it is not in its original re�ned version. Someweavers took the counts from400 to 1,000. The maximumcount that we have heard of is1,200. But the maximum Ihave seen is 650. Jamdani is aform of muslin; in fact it is themain form. When we weave itwith �owered or �gured motifs, it becomes Jamdani. Muslin is also in plain, striped andchequered versions. Muslinthread was soft and delicateand spun in a humid environment, from dawn to dusk onriver banks.
Which designers haveworked with the fabric?● Aneeth Arora of Pero, hasdone excellent work. We gaveher muslin and it was used inthe show we featured in our�lm. In Bangladesh, we haveBibi Russell and there are other designers who draw inspiration from their own cultureand traditions.
Do weavers inBangladesh work withreal zari or have theysubstituted it withcopper?● Most cases are substi
tutes because they cannotget hold of pure zari. Thereis a demand for cheap variations as people want costef
fective polyester or rayon. Ihave stayed away from zari,because it did not have wideusage, but I will use it in itspure silver form later on (inthe revival e�ort).
Muslin manSaiful Islam, a textile revivalist from Bangladesh, tells ushow he is working to bring the �ne fabric into themainstream world of fashion
:: Madhur Tankha
Although Chennai is not unchartedterritory for Akshat Bansal, this isthe �rst time he’s bringing hisDelhibased brand Bloni to thecity. At Evoluzione last Sunday,Bansal presented his designs under the banner of Sartorial Modernist which featured six otherdesigners. The �rst of suchcollaborations by the storeshowcases contemporary menswear for amonth.
In the �nal leg of thetravelling event, Bansalis wary of local fashionsensibilities. “I wasaware that people fromChennai might needsomething di�erent,”he says. Sensitive to theweather here, he sticks tobreathable fabrics likechanderi, jamdani andcotton in pastels and mutedhues. That being said, theNIFT alumnus has a broadervision for fashion pluralityacross the country. He draws aconnection between the abundance of information and theneed for people to go global intheir sensibilities. “People aregrowing aware of changing fashion, it’s time we stopped generalising fashion choices based onthe locality people live in,” hesays.
Bloni �nds resonance withthe title of the edit, accordingto Bansal. He uses the term‘fashion forward’ to identify hisbrand. For him, a Sartorial Mo
dernist is someone who stepsout of his comfort zoneand experiments, butkeeping in mind his own
sense of style. “Clothingshould be your second skin, for whichone needs to evolve. That can happen
only through fashion forward,” he said. At this edit, Bansal brings his classic
Autumn Winter 2017 collection of blackand ink abstractions on white fabric,painting a picture of snow clad forestsand a few from his Spring Summer 2018collection. Through Bloni, Bansal aims topopularise Agender fashion which promotes sustainability. Out�ts of such design could be shared between the genders and can be produced less in numberthat will ultimately reduce textile waste.
The modern Indian manAkshat Bansal throughhis brand Blonicollaborates withEvoluzione to reinventmen’s fashion
:: Ujjvala Kaumudi
SustainablefashionThroughBloni,Bansal aimstopopulariseAgenderfashion
* SPECIAL
ARRANGEMENT
CELEBRATE THE CLOTH
In February 2016, amonth-long muslinfestival washeld at theBangladeshNationalMuseum.
Revisiting lost heritage(Clockwise from left) Amuslin sari, a copy ofMuslin. Our Story, SaifulIslam and a weaver on loom
* SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
THE HINDU - WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2019
