Prayag Shukla – My Hero of youth!

In the seventies, while studying at J J School of Art, Mumbai, I was extremely fond of reading. I would read everything that came my way. I lived in Chunabhatti area of Mumbai, then. The book stall there was my rightful place of reading. To reach J J School it was very convenient to sit in the last coach of the local train, as after getting off at CST the Art School was nearer if one exited from the rear gate of CST. However, I preferred the first-class coach as after getting off at CST, going to the wheeler at the station to buy books/magazines was my favourite routine.

Sadly, things have changed now. Now there are only ticket windows in that part of the CST. It has been moved to the space between the local and express trains. But, the original stall was very grand and the magazines from all over India would be available there. Gradually, everyone in that stall started recognizing me. Though I would buy some thing or the other daily, more than that I would have a look at all the stuff kept there. For example, the Marathi, Hindi and English language magazines etc.

I would get to see and buy all the weekly magazines that I needed daily, Manus, Jatra, Satyachitra, Chitrarang, Rasarang etc. Along with the Illustrated Weekly, Dharma Yuga, one day I found a fortnightly called ‘Sarika’ there. I used to regularly watch Kamleshwar’s ‘Parikrama’ on Doordarshan but, now I was also getting to read Kamleshwar in the form of ‘Sarika’. Then came Rajendra Yadav’s magazine ‘Hans’. Later, the vendors there would show me every new magazine that came to them. When 26/11 happened and many people were killed at CST when Ajmal Kasab opened fire, I was shell shocked to see the photo of the one of the victims – he was the incharge of the stall.

I saw the weekly ‘Ravivar’ published from Calcutta for the first time at the same wheeler and so I know S P Singh since then. One day, the wheeler owner gave me an issue of the weekly ‘Dinmaan’. I fell in love with it the minute I saw it. And from then on till the last issue was published, I have read all the issues.

Those issues used to come out on the lines of Time magazine. All good things happening in the field of drama, film, music, literature, politics, social cause etc. were documented in it. Every issue was extremely readable. Renowned Hindi writer ‘Raghuvir Sahay’ was the editor. Painting was already my favorite subject. ‘Vinod Bharadwaj’ and ‘Prayag Shukla’ used to write for the magazine. Reviews of all major exhibitions in Delhi would be published in ‘Dinmaan’ at that time. Prayag Shukla would also write on many great painters. ‘Dinman’ stopped publishing and I kind of lost touch with that world.

However, after the launch of Facebook, that relationship was revived. About a year and a half ago, I got a call from Mr. Ojha of Camlin. He said ‘Prayag Shukla’ was in town and they would visit Jehangir Gallery as he is very keen to meet some of the Writers, Painter and Editors here. I said I will surely come. I kept a copy of the book on ‘Gaitonde’ ready to gift him. But my wife fell ill the same day and I can’t go Jehangir. The copy of the book which was to be given to Shukla, is still lying with me.

Some 3-4 days ago, suddenly, my art collector friend Ketan Karani sent me an invitation for the book release ceremony on Keshav Malik, a famous art critic from Delhi. And what a coincidence, the book release was to happen at the hands of ‘Prayag Shukla’. I requested Ketan to carry the book on ‘Gaitonde’ and gift it to Prayag Shukla on my behalf. He said in fact, the organizers had asked him to bring me along with him to Delhi. I told Ketan I cannot move out right now. Since Ketan knows me well, he did not insist. But on his way, he took a copy of the book ‘Gaitonde’ with him.

Yesterday, after the book launch in New Delhi, I got a call from Ketan telling he has handed over the book on Gaitonde to Prayagji and that Prayagji wanted to talk to me. And thus, started our conversation, I apologized for not being able to attend the book launch in Delhi. He said no problem. “I will meet you when I come to Mumbai again. The gift – book on ‘Gaitonde’ is very valuable to me”, he said. He said he will soon write about it on Facebook.

When I opened my phone this morning, the first message was that of Ketan Karani, who had shared Prayagji’s Facebook post. Prayagji is 83 years old today, but he probably wrote that post sometime during the night after reaching home and put it out on Facebook this morning. Such people teach you a lot. I have several books of Prayagji in my collection and am also planning to write on them, most likely after meeting him in person.

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-Satish Naik

Editor ‘Chihna Art News’