‘I still miss cycle rides with friends’
I graduated from India’s oldest art school, Visva Bharati, Kala Bhavan, Santiniketan. I did my BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) in painting and I feel my college was like a Ram rajya, or the kingdom of God on the earth.
My time there was a colourful journey of life and till today I am influenced by the colours I experienced in Santiniketan. That institution gave me a sense of colour and I had wonderful classmates. Visva Bharati is situated near the idyllic village of Bolpur. We used to be mesmerised by the sky on the banks of the gently flowing Kopai river. A short cycle ride away was our favourite hang-out places Sonajhury and Khoy where we spent our free time.
I still remember on the first day of my college, our principal, Sanat Kar, told my father that his son would make his own future. Finally, I carved out a career in arts and all of this was possible due to my teachers.
The most outstanding of them was Jogen Choudhury and K.G. Subramanium. I don’t come from a privileged background, but that did not deter me from working hard and building my creative repertoire. The college took note of this and rewarded students. I graduated fifth in my class and was the topper in the MFA.
In part, my success is due to the way in which we were taught. Our teachers were our elder brothers. They took us under their wings. There was nothing we could not discuss with them, and that included our love lives.
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