Shirpech

To understand the visual anthropology of headgears, an ethnographic documentary film

to realize the change in communication.

BySnehal Ghag.Media Lab, Department of Design, IIT Guwahati

GuideMriganka Madhukaillya

Contents

PrefaceIntroductionObjective

Research InitialObservation Disscussionwithguide ReadingBooks Appresiationofvariouskindoffilm StudyofHistory

HypothesisKey points

Pre Production Conseptulisation Aproach1 Aproach2 Aproach3 Aproach4 StructureConcept1 StructureConcept2 ConsultingGuide ReworkingonAproaches DetailsofPraposedDesignSolution

Production ShootingtheFilmPost Production EditingtheFilm

The FilmConclusion

ShirpechCONTENTS

Preface

Letmebeginwithanadmissionthat Iamadesignstudent,whichmeansIcannotaffordtheluxuryofcynicism.Asadesignerwearealwayscalledupontocomeupwithinte-grateddesignsolutionforcomplexcriticalsituations-whetheritcanbeafurniture,abookoracar.

Formeoptimism isa focusofmywork. It’salwaysimportant to what I do as research- product, system or avisual. Idedicatedmyoptimismtopersonalexperienceandinvolvement,which comes fromactive, inspiring andhighlyoptimisticatmosphere.Ibelievethisistheonlywayindividualcanbecomelesscynicalinlife.Thepowerofchangeisfoundthroughinvolvementandaction.

Thesparkwentoffinafirstsemester’sIntroductiontoDesignClasstakenbythethoughtprovokingandinforma-tive Professor of my life Prof. Mriganka Madhukaillya. Hefreakedmeoutwithinhisclasslecture.Heshowedusafilmandexplained.He toldus thingswedidn’tknowandneverimagined.Hetoldusthetruth.Hemademyeyesbulgeout.Hemademymindexpandandheinfluencedmythinkingandviewofsociety.Ibegantoseenewlight.

ShirpechPREFACE

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Introduction

India is both amarvel and a paradox. Theworld’slargestdemocracy, it is amind-bogglingpolytechnic societynumberingmorethan1billionpeople.Itisoneoftheworld’soldest civilizations andhasproduced fourmajor religions—Hinduism,Buddhism,Jainism,andSikhism.AswellasChris-tiansandMuslimswascontinuouspartofIndia.Itisamostlyagrarian,poverty-strickencountry,eventhoughit isaworldleader in information technology and space exploration. Itis thebirthplaceofMohandasGandhiandthe influenceforvariousnonviolentcrusades,evenasthecountryevermoreconfidently brandishes its nuclear capabilities. And it is ayoung state that is constantly seeking tonegotiate thepre-sent and future, even as it almost fanatically holds on to agloriouspast. India’sconstantdancewith thepastandpre-sentisnicelyillustratedbythecodedmessagethatwassentoutin1974tosignalthatthecountryhadsuccessfullytesteditsfirstnucleardevice.Themessage,“theBuddhaissmiling,”referredtoBuddha’sreactiontoawarbetweenhiskinsmenand disciples from two principalities. A dejected Buddha issupposedtohavesaidthatcompletepeacewasunlikelyuntiltheentireworld’scountrieswereequallymighty.IfthecodewasmeanttoindicatethatBuddhawasnowsmilingbecauseIndiahadachievedadegreeofparityinthenuclearrealm,italsoshowedhowIndianscouldconnectamodern,revolution-aryachievement(withpotentiallydestructiveconsequences)tosomethingsaidtohavehappened2,500yearsago.

India’sstrongdemocracyhasresultedfromcompro-mise and accommodation with its diverse regional, ethnic,andcastegroups.Indeed,atatimewhenweseewidespreadethnicconflict,causedinpartbyvariousgovernments’unwill-ingnesstoallowincreasedautonomytoethnicgroups,Indiaisarguablytheonlycountryintheworldthatiscreatingethnoregionalstatesthatdiminishethnictensions.Thenumberofstates in the Indianunion is twenty-eight (threenewstateswerecreatedin2000).Thegovernmentrealizedearlyonthatstatesdemarcatedalongethnolinguisticlinescouldservetocompartmentalize friction and prevent ethnic unrest fromspreadingacrossstateboundaries.Inthemain,thisstrategy

hasworkedandhasledtothedecisiontocontinuetocreatenewstates.Theapproachhasnotbeenacure-all forethnicrelationsinIndia,butgiventhecountry’sextraordinarydiver-sity and complexity, such accommodation along ethnic andregional linesisamajorreasonthattheIndianunionis inastrongerpositiontodaythanitwasatindependence.

TheHindu-Muslimreligiousdivide,whichexistedpri-ortoindependenceandwasintensifiedbythesubcontinent’spartition,alsocanbeseenintheeffortsofHinduextremistswhoseektodiscard India’ssecularstatusand insteadmakeit a culturally Hindu country. Ethnic divisions and attemptsto dismember the country are not the only challenges fac-ingIndia.ThechangeinIndiantraditionsandcultureisnowbecomingmodernity.ThecontemporaryIndiaisastrugglingbetweenbeliefsandrealitywithinthesamesituations. Shirpech

INTRODUCTION

2

Objective

Iwondernowhowmuch I ammisinterpreting the functionof the head gear. Did they originate specifically for culturalfestivals?Weretheymeanttoinstallfearinanenemy?Weretheypartofareligiouspractice?Iaminterestedtoknowhowandwhy,centuriesback, theheaddresseswouldhavebeenwornandbywhom.

Mymotto is tounderstandthevisualanthropologythroughheadgearsofIndia.AlsoIneedtounderstandthechangeandsignificanceofcommunication.

ShirpechOBJECTIVE

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Initial observation

Headgearsplayedadominantroleinbeautifyinghumanbodyinallages.TherearevarioustypesofheadgearsinIndia.Onecannotwriteabout this inbooksbutonlyexperience in In-dia.Onlyvisually itcanbetransmitted.Next to language, itwasprobably thebest item to recognise a groupofpeoplebelongingstoaspecificracierlivinginparticularsociety.Thelanguagecaneasilyadoptedandreligiontoo.Itisjustabeliefsystemlanguage,religion,educationwhatsoever.Wecanbeproudofourownsystembysustainheadgears.

I startedmy researchwith theobservationofphotographicreferencesandunderstandingwhatthaycommunicate.

ShirpechRESEARCH

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Discussion with guide

AfterreferencecollectionIdiscussedwithmyguidewhotoldmetoarrangethedataincertaincategory.Healsosuggestedmetowriteabout it inownlanguage.Heaskedmetodoabasicresearchbasedonbrainstormingandtryansweringfewquestionsformyself,whilecompilingtheideaforthefilm.

1)Whatisthebasicmotivationforyoutomakethisfilm?

2)Whydoyouwanttomakethisfilmfor?

3)Howdoyouwanttomakethisfilm?WhatwillbetheStyletreatment?

ShirpechRESEARCH

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Reading books

Fordetailingoutmywork I startedfindingout theanswersforthequestions.Istartedreadingsomebooksforthesamepurpose.Ireadsomebooksforfilmstudyalso.

ThinkingDesignbyProf.S.Balaram

UnderstandingContemporaryIndiabySumitGangulyandNeilDeVotta

ClothingGandhi’sNationbyLisaTrivedi

ClothingMattersbyEmmaTarlo

DocumentaryFilmbyPatriciaAufderheide

FilmArtbyDavidBordwell ShirpechRESEARCH

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Appreciation of various kind of films

Tounderstandthecomplexmakingoffilmanddesign,Itriedtodevelopmysenseofcinema.

ShirpechRESEARCH

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Study of History

TheantiquaryofhumanheadgearderivefromhairstylecandatebacktotheIndusValleycivilisationwhichproducedevidenceoftheuniversalpopularityofterracottafigures,whetherastoysorcultobjectsormoreprobablyasboth.BothemaleandfemalefigurineswerefoundinabundanceatthesitelikeHarappaandMohenjo-Daroduringexcava-tion.Theheaddressofthesefiguresisquiteelaborated.ThecastbronzelittlefigureofdancinggirlfromMohenjo-Daroisabout4.5inchesinheight.Itsheadisinclinedbackgivingtheeyesacharacteristicallydroopingquality,therightarmonthehip,andtheleft,whichisheavilybangled,hangsdown.Sheisnaked,exceptforanecklaceandherhairisplaitedinanelaboratedmanner.

ThearchaeologicalfindsfromtheexcavationsofHarappaandMohenjo-Darothusrevealsvariousstylesofmenandwomencoiffures.Mengenerallytakethehairbackandcutshortbehindorcoiledinaknotorchignonatthebackoftheheadwithfillettosupportit.Incaseoflonghairsitwascoiledupinknotatthebackoftheheadorapartwasknot-tedandapartallowedhanging.Representationofcurlyhairontheheadofwomenwasalsotracedwithsomefiguresoftheseplaces.Thehairwasalsoinsomeoccasionsworninpigtailhangingdownback,itwasalsofashionedinknotatthebackandwasalsocarriedinathickropefromonesidetotheorder.

TheVedicliteraturealsoisrepletewithnumerousreferencestomenandwomenhairstyles.Themostpopulartermsusedareopasa,kaparda,kumba,kurira,kesa,sikhanda,sikha,siman,pulastiandstuka.

ShirpechRESEARCH

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IntheRamayanahairstylesareonlyrarelyalludedtoapartfromthemattedlocks(jata)oftheascetics.Thisstylewasdeliberatelyachievedbytheuseofbanyanjuicetosetthelooseanduntidyhairinposition.BharatawhenhehasaninauspiciousdreamaboutDasaratha,seeshimashavinghishairundone(muktamurdhaja)andwithratherdifferentconnotation,ayoungwomenafterloveplayisdishevelled,whilewarriorswhenexhaustedordyinginbattlealsohaveorplaitofhair.Ramaisdescribedashavingbeautifulhair(sukesanta).

Hairthenwasnormallywornfairlylongandtherearerefer-encestotheturban(usnisha)whichwouldhelptokeepitinposition.OneparticularstyleiseludedwhereRamaoncetogetherwithLakshmanisdescribedashavingcrow’swingsthatissidelocks.Therearealsoreferencesofputtingflowersinthehair.

HalainhisGathasaptasatiputsemphasisonthedhammilatypeofhairstylesarrangedwiththeaidofflowers,eaperalsandjewels.TheMahabhasyaofPatanjaliontheotherhandbroughttoournoticethevariouscategoriesofhairstyleslikemunda,jataandsikha.ThedescriptionofladiescoiffureofvariousregionsofcountryhavevividlybeengivenbyNatya-satraofBharatMuniandablyquotedbyMotichandra.ThewomenofnortheasternpartofIndiaarrangedthetuftsofhairinwelldrawnuppositions,thewomenofsouthernIndiaworetheirhairarrangedintheshapeofawatervassalheldtogetherwithonornament.ThelatterrefersthefiveplaitedhairoftheTamilwomenmentionedintheTamilliteratureoftheperiod.TheTamilwomendividedtheirhairintofivepartstwistedorplaitedseparatelyandtiedupthefivetuftsallowingtheendstohangdownthegracefulmanner.

ShirpechRESEARCH

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ThewomenintheBharhutsculpturesarrangedtheirhair invariousways like loose hair allowed to fall at theback andthentheendloopedandknotted,hairarrangedintop-knotalongwiththeturban,hair fallingback intwodivisionsandthen each division further sub- divided into two parts andplaited.Themenfolkingeneralkepttheirhairlongandtiedinthetop-knotwithfoldsoftheturbanaround.

The comparative study of the female figures depicted inBharhut, Boddhagaya and Sanchi show that there was notmuchdifferenceinthemethodofarrangingthehairbywom-enintheseareas.Nodoubt,someofthemethodsofarrang-ingthehairnotnoticedintheBoddhagayasculpturesbuttheterracotta’s found fromvariouspartsofnorth-eastern Indiashow various other methods of arranging the hair which,though not noticed at Boddhagaya can be sent at BharhutandSanchi.Ittherefore,appearsthatduringtheperiodunderstudythehairwasarrangedinvariousways.TheAmaravatisculpturespreservedintheGovernmentMe-seum,Madras,provideagoodnumberofmale femalehairstyles. TheNagarjunakondasculptureslinkedwiththeIksh-vaku people show remarkable taste for variety and fashionastheirhead-dressandarrangementofcoiffure.Here,divineandroyalfiguresareinvariablyrepresentedwithlonghairter-minatinginupwardtwistedcurls.Itgiveswig-likeappearance.Adiademsetwithcostly jewelsandembellishedwithfloraldevices furtherenhanced thebeautyandgraceof thispar-ticularmodeofthehairstyle.TheuseofnetwasalsoinvogueinthiscategoryofcoiffureatNagarjunakonda.TheMathurasculpturespreservedinthelocalMuseumandinsomeruinedsitestestifytothemeticulouscareandinteresttakenbythemalesandfemalesoftheKushanaperiodinar-rangingtheircoiffures.The Gandhara sculptures present us numerous varieties ofmale and female coiffures delineated in extremely delicatefashions by the people inhabited in north-western India.ThesesculpturesarepredominantlyinfluencedbytheGreekschoolofart.The Gupta age, some aspects of whose cultural heritage

stayedtilltheendofthe7thcenturyA.D.witnessedsuchna-tionalprosperityandunhampeddevelopmentofartandlit-eraturethatitistrulycalledtheGoldenageofIndianhistory.FromtheworksofKalidasaandtheotherpoetsoftheperiodwegetreferencesofvariousformsofmaleandfemalecoif-fureslikesikhd,Kalapaksha,sikhanda,chuda,ekveni,praveni,kesapasa,dhamilla,jataandkavaribandha.

ShirpechRESEARCH

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From1stcenturyB.C.to7thcenturyB.C.

Towardsthebeginningofthe7thcenturyA.D.ThereemergedthreepowerfulpersonsinthehistoryofIndiawhoinfluencedthepolitical eventsof this part of the land to great extent.TheywereHarshvardhanaofnorthernIndia,Sansakaineast-ernIndiaandpulskesin-IIofSouthernIndia;SasankaoccupiedthecostalOrissaandvery likelydroveawaytheDurjayastoPisthapuram,wheretheywerefinallyextinguishedbyPulkes-in-II.

TheroyalfiguresseatedonaraisedcushioninanotherfriezeoftheupperstoreyofRani-Gumphaarrangedthehairover

theheadintoahugebunorhewearsaturban(theka)dulysecuredbyabandofcord.ThedoorguardinfrontofGanesh-Gumphaalsowearsaturbantwistedintotwoknotsandse-curedbyabandorcord.

Thedressingofthehairbythemalesandthefemalesduring7thcenturyinOrissawasverymuchdecorativeandornamen-tal.Generallyaftercombingthehairupwardsfromthedirec-tionsitwasarrangedincircularorflattishbunoverthehead.Thesebunsaretiedbythecordorbandofclothatthebaseandsurmountedbyaseriesofpearlstrings.

ShirpechRESEARCH

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From8thcenturyA.D.To11thcenturyA.D.

After the Matharas and Sailodbhavas, the next significantchapterofthepoliticalhistoryofancientOrissabeganduringtheruleoftheBhaumakaraandSomavansidynasties.

The two varietiesof 8th century coiffures reproduced fromthe Buddhist sculptures of Udaygiri furnish new trends.Theonerepresentedshowshairarranged intheshapeofakarandmukutatoppedbycrowningornamentandfrontedbyarectangularcrestjewel.Theforeheadbandattachedwithacentralclasp.Apearlstringrunsacrosstheforeheaduptotheearsinadditiontothebandnotedabove.Theothercoiffureshownbaldheadedwiththeushnishaatthetop.

The four 9th century examples reproduced from ratnagirisculpturesrevealmoreornatecoiffures.Theonewithaladyfigureinwhichtheentiremassofhairontheheadisshownneatlycombedtotheback.Thebeautyandgraceofthiscoif-fureisfurtherenhancedbytheverywelldecorateddiademset crest jewels.Theendsof the foreheadbandof clothorribbonshownfloatingoneitherside.

Asmanyas fourteendifferent varietiesofmale and femalecoiffurehavebeentakenintoaccountfrom9thcenturyBud-dhistsculpturesofLalitgiri.Theforeheadornamentsinallareattachedwithcircularorrectangularclaspsatthecentre.ThisvarietyofcoiffurehasbeenpopularasjatamukutastyleandbecamemoreelongatedanddecorativeinlatersculpturesofOrissa.

ShirpechRESEARCH

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From12thcenturyA.D.To16thCenturyA.D.

Thenext fourhundredyearsandsomeyearswitnessedtherule imperial Ganges and Suryavamsi Gajapatis inOrissa. Itwas Anantvarmana Chodagangadeva of this dynasty whounitedthewholeofKalingawithinitsterritorialboundarybe-tweentheGagesandtheGodavariandbuiltapowerfulem-pirewhich lastedunderhis successors formore than threecenturiesasastrongestHindustateofIndiaagainstcontinu-ousMuslimonslaughtsfromdifferentadjacentregions.

The kritimukuta style of hair dressing has also been repre-sentedbythehostofGopinathanddikalpaimagesofOrissabelongingtothe13thcenturyA.D.Thebroadframeworkofthiscoiffurealmostremainsthesameexcept,however,someamountofvariationnoticedwiththediadem,crowningjewelandverticalbands.Insomecasesthelotusfinialassumestheshapeof the shapeof vassalwhile inother cases it resem-blesasmalldomewithcentralknob.Ashokaleavesandbil-lowingribbonsareaddednexttobefloralrufflesabovetheears.ThisconicalkiritamukutastylenotonlybecamepopularwithNarayana,GopinathaandSuryaimagesofOrissabutalsoadopted forParvati, Indrani andVaishnavi images. SomeofthedikpalafiguresliketheonespreservedinOrissaStateMu-seumbeingcollectedfromasiteinBhubaneswarandgrahaimages that found in the Konark temple are providedwithsuchkiritamukutatypeofcoiffures.

The remaining sixteen varieties of coiffures are taken fromtheheadsofthe15thcenturyJainaTirthankaraimagesoftheMahavira-GumphaofKhandagirihill.Theyareallarrangedinmattedhaironthetopoftheirheads.Someofthemarefash-ioned into crown shapes (mukutas) and others gathered inhorizontalbandsortwistedcurlsoneithersideoftheverticalband.Occasionally these coiffuresareembellishedbypearlstringseitheracrossforehead,alongwiththeverticalbandoraroundthegatheredportionofthemattedhair.Somecoiffurearrangedindomeshapewithseveral jatabandsplacedoneabovetheotherandcrownedbyacircularjewel.

ShirpechRESEARCH

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Hypotheses

For research in the visual anthropology of Indian headgears, an ethnographic documentary film to realize the change in communication.

Anthropologyisabroadsubject,withdiversesub-disciplinesranging from folklore tomolecular anthropology.Visual an-thropologyisasubfieldofculturalanthropologythatiscon-cerned,inpart,withthestudyandproductionofethnograph-ic photography, film and, since themid-1990s, newmedia.Whilethetermissometimesusedinterchangeablywitheth-nographicfilm,visualanthropologyalsoencompassesthean-thropological studyofvisual representation, includingareassuchasperformance,museums,art,andtheproductionandreceptionofmassmedia.Visualrepresentationsfromallcul-tures,suchassculpturesandreliefs,cavepaintings,jewelry,paintingsandphotographsareincludedinthefocusofvisualanthropology.Humanvision,itsphysiology,thepropertiesofvariousmedia,therelationshipofformtofunction,theevolu-tionofvisual representationswithinacultureareallwithintheprovinceofvisualanthropology.Sinceanthropologyisthewayinwhichvisualrepresentationareconnectedtotherestofcultureandsocietyarecentraltopics.

Nowwith the help of visual anthropology we can find thechange in communication.The identitiesaremodifyingandtransformingindifferentlevel.

ShirpechHYPOTHESES

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Key points

Autonomy (Liberty) MahatmaGandhi–theFatherofourNationwasalsotheFa-therofIndianfashion.Well,hewasthemanwhointroducedkhaditotheworldandfromthenon,thatfabriccreatedmanyafashionstatement.Hemade‘simple’thetrend,whichhasleft itsmark in theworld of fashion even today. In today’sworldofGandhigiri,we speakof thehumblewhiteGandhitopi.Inthe20thcentury,theGandhitopigainedthestatusofunchallengedsymbolismoffreedomstruggle.“…Lightaswellaselegant; it iseasytomake; itcanbefoldedwhichmakesit easily portable…which colourwould bemost suitable forthecap?Notasinglecolourappealedtome.SoIfixeduponwhite….”EmmaTarloquotedGandhijiinClothingMatters.

TheGandhitopisoonbecametheconsciouscreationofhead-dresstoprovideapan-Indiansymbol.

Out model (out of fashion)Asymbolofthecountry’sfreedomstruggletillrecently,theGandhitopiseemstohavelostitsrelevanceinthe21stCen-tury.ItisnotthattherearenotakersfortheGandhicap--theoncepopularheaddressisstillbeingsoldatseveralKhadiout-letsacrossthecity.Butthecap,whichwasamustforeverypolitician,hasnowfinallydisappearedfromtheirwardrobe.Sadly, the Gandhi topi is now being purchased mainly byschoolstudentsandmembersofculturaltroupes,whowearthem for special events and programmesmostly related tothe freedom struggle.Mostly in demand during August 15andJanuary26functions,schoolstudentspurchaseitinlargenumbers.Evidently,gonearethedayswheneminentpoliti-cianswouldpurchasethecap.NowoutlivingGandhihimself,thehumbleGandhitopihasfounditswayintotheheartsofthemasses.Thetopiisnotsimplyapre-independencehango-ver. InMumbai, thecap issynonymouswiththe4,000dab-bawalasofthecity.Thetopiismandatoryforanydabbawala,itispartofuniform.ThosewhodonotwearthecaparefinedwithRs25andreprimandedbytheirseniors.Besidesbeingpartof theMaharashtrianglory, thetopialsohelps identify

eachotherincrowdedplaces.Thecapsthatthedabbawalasweararenotmadeofkhadi,asGandhijihadenvisioned.to-pisaremadeofcottonwhichtodayislessexpensivebuttheyworkas a shield forour ‘computerbrains. Today, theotherprofessionsthatstillsporttheGandhitopiarethecooliesandthevegetablevendors.

Creating a niche for itself, the Gandhi topi with dwindlingnumbersissurelyaddressingseriousissuesforitssurvivalinthefuture.

ShirpechKEYPOINTS

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ShirpechKEYPOINTS

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Design

Adeeperunderstandingofthesuccessfulusesofsymbolisminmassmovementswouldsurelybringnewinsightsintotheareaofcommunication(broadlydefined)andhelpdesignersto “liberate” people through creative designing rather thanalienatethemfromtheenvironment.WhitecapadoptedtocreateuniqueidentityandtosignifyGandhianprinciplesandhumandignity. The interactionbetweendesigner user; andproduct, is also demonstrable with the products originallyusedandpromotedbyGandhi. The cloth cap, forexample,waschosenbyGandhiasanaccepted,commonman’ssymbolofdignity.Thiscapwasamundaneandtraditionalproduct,anditisthereforedifficulttosaythroughwhomitsmeaningwasacquired,orwhetherithadaparticulardesigner’sstyleatall.However;atthebeginningoftheGandhianmovementitmeant dignity. After Gandhi adopted and promoted it, itslowly tookonall thevalues thatGandhistood forAhimsa,self-sacrifice,patriotism,equalityandsoon.ThistraditionalGujaraticapcametobeknownastheGandhicapandbecamethe main symbol for Gandhism. After Gandhi’s death, theGandhian values started eroding but his so-called followerskeptwearingtheGandhicap,notsomuchbecauseitstoodforhisvaluesbuttotakepoliticaladvantageoftheGandhianimage.Theyinitiallysucceeded.Butsoontheirtrueintentionssurfaced,andtheresultinginteractiongaveanewmeaningtotheGandhiCap. Inpopularmovies, theatre, literature,etc.,theGandhiCapnowisthesymbolofhypocriticalanddeceit-ful politicians. After Gandhi’s death, the Gandhian valuesstartederodingbuthisso-called followerskeptwearingtheGandhicap,notsomuchbecauseitstoodforhisvaluesbuttotakepoliticaladvantageoftheGandhianimage.Theyinitiallysucceeded.Butsoontheirtrue intentionssurfaced,andtheresultinginteractiongaveanewmeaningtotheGandhiCap.In popularmovies, theatre, literature, etc., theGandhi Capnowisthesymbolofhypocriticalanddeceitfulpoliticians.ThechangeinmeaningoftheGandhicapfromaunifyingsymbolofmembersoftheliberationmovementtothesymbolofcor-ruptpoliticianshasalreadybeenmentioned.

ShirpechKEYPOINTS

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Gesamtkunstwerk (art forms/aesthetics)

TheCrownofRajasthan!!!TheturbansofRajasthanarethemostcolourfulandimpressiveinwholeoftheIndia.UsesofturbanswerebasicallystartedbytheRajputcommunity,whoresideintheIndianstateofRajasthan.Theyusedtoweardis-tinctturbansandtheHindiwordforturban isPaag,SafaorPagri.OnceyouexperiencetheroyalcultureofRajasthan,youwillbeamazedwiththevariationsofcolourfulturbans.

Itissaidthatthestyleoftheturbanchangeswithevery15kmyoutravelwithinthegeographicalboundariesofRajasthan.Insomepartsoftheregion,thesizeofturbanindicatetheposi-tionofthepersoninthesocietytheylive.RelevanceBehindEachColouredTurban!!!Turbansaddbrilliantsplashofcolourandstyletomonotonousandbarren lands.EachcolourhasitsownimportanceandsignificancelikeOchre isthecolourofthemendicant,whilethesaffroniscommonlywornatthetimeofweddings.Inthemedievalpast,thecoloursaffronalsodenotedvalourandchivalry.

When besieged by an enemy, and food andwater supplieswere scanty, desperate warriors wearing saffron turbanswouldsneakoutoftheircitadelstoleadsuddensurpriseat-tacksontheenemy.Turbansofspecifiedcoloursareworntomarkperiodsofmourning.Awhiteturbaniswornforfuneralprocessionsbyimmediatefamilymembers.Whereasthekha-ki,blueanddarkmaroonarereservedforthesolemnityofacondolencevisit.WhereasinRajasthaneachcastehavetheirowndistinguishingcolours,bywhichtheyarerecognised,likeshepherdswearredturbans,Bishnois,whoareknownasthemostnomadicshepherdtribesandenvironmentalconserva-tionists,alwayswearwhiteturbansandtheothertribalcom-munitieswearprintedturbans.

ShirpechKEYPOINTS

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High Rise

Thefamousheadgear‘PuneriPagadi’,asymbolofprideandhonour in the Pune region, may get intellectual propertyrights (IPR) as a local organisation has sought geographicalexclusivity.ThisheadgearwastheindexofIndia’srevolution-ary freedom fighters Balgangadhar Tilak and Gopal KrishnaGokhalebornMay9,1866,inKolhat,Maharashtra,Indiadiedin1915wasoneofthefoundingsocialandpolitical leadersduringtheIndian,whosportedthePuneriPagdiwithpride.TheGeographicalindication(GI)statusthathavesecuredfor‘PuneriPagdi’willmakeheadgearfamousallovertheworldbythenameofPuneriPagdi.ThePuneriPagdicanbepopular-isedasasouvenirshowcasingIndiantradition.InIndia,therearecertainheadgearsthatareuniqueandhappentobeprideoftheparticularregion.SimilartoPuneriPagdi,theHimachalitopi:seedamalisk.isanotherfamousheadgear.

TheGIstatusaimsatpromotingtheeconomicprosperityofproducersofgoodsinageographicalarea.Usually,thetagisgrantedtogoodsthatessentiallyoriginateandareproducedinadefinedgeographicallocalityandregion.Geographicalin-dicationsarecoveredaspartofintellectualpropertyrights.

Life style

InacosmopolitanlandlikeIndia,onefindsarichamalgama-tion of various traditions, values and culture. All these var-ieswitheverygeographicalshiftmade.Changescanbewit-nessedinmanners,habits, linguisticpatterns,clothing,foodandotherlivingstyles.TheIndianlifestylethereforetoagreatextentdependsonitsgeography.

VisittoanypartofIndiawouldbringyoufacetofacewithanentirenewlifestylewhichwouldbesodifferentfromanotherthatyouwouldfind itdifficult tobelieveas ifbotheruptedfromthesoilofthesamenation.FromHimalayasinthenorthtothepeninsulaofthesouth,fromdesertsofthewesttothedeltasoftheeast,thelifestyleofpeopleinIndiaisafineblend

of complexityand simplicity.The realdiversityofpeopleofIndiacanbeseenduringfestivals.Thesamefestivalsarecele-bratedalloverIndiabutwithanewtouch.AuniqueaspectofanIndian’slifeisthattheybelieveincommunityrelationship,wheretheyshareequalpartsofhappinessandsorrows.NocelebrationinIndia,beitaweddingoranyfestival,isconfinedtosomeone’shousepremisesratheritbecomesanopenin-vitationtomany.

ShirpechKEYPOINTS

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Mediation (Critical attempt to think the totality of social world)

Fromurbanitesviewpointartisviewedasasecludedactivi-tiesofpeopleandvisionisfromthestandpointofLife.ButforindigenouspeoplelikeNaga,artandcultureareinseparablefromtheirdailymilieu.Andtheirartisfunctionalwithintheirambience.Nagawayof life isalwaysfullofstruggleevenincontemporarytime.Theirstruggleforexistenceisnotonlyre-flectedintheirsocialandpoliticalorganisationbutalsoamplyexpressedinthemulti-facetedartmanifestationsbeitdanceformorfolksongorvisualart.Asperthemyth,theNagas(un-like theothergroupsof the region)came fromthe rock -asymbolicmetaphorforthesturdypeopleastheyare.ANagasocietygovernedbythestrictpatriarchalnorms,values,pow-erpotencyand socialhierarchy is shown.What is theposi-tionofachieftain,orawealthypersonwhohasgivenfeastofmerit?Howthesespecialpersonsandtheirfamilymembersareidentifiedinthesociety?Whatisthemethodofcommuni-cationorlanguageforthisact?Inthecontemporarychangingsituationsymbolicretentionofoldvaluesandidealsisaveryinterestingaspectoftribalwayoflife.TheNagastrytorevivetheirpastgloryandpreservetheirheritagethroughfairs,fes-tivals,performingarts,head-dressandapparelsetc.

ShirpechKEYPOINTS

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Spectacle (showing big)

The Sikh Khalsa community, exhibit themselves in orangeornavyPagri,because theseare their traditionalhues. It ismeantforattendingreligiousobservanceorcommemorationprogrammes.Againpinkor redhappen tobe the colourofrevelryandfestivity,ofjoyandharmonythusitissuitableforweddingparty,andothersocialceremonies.Pagrihasa religious significance in theSikhKhalsacommu-nity.TheKhalsamen,gothroughabaptismceremony,whichforbidsthemtocuttheirhairthroughouttheirlife.Toorgan-izetheirlonghairintoamanageablefold,theKhalsaSikhs,finditnecessarytoenclosethelongflowinghairintothecaseof the turbanor thePagri.ThePagri cloth iswindedafresheverytime,theKhalsaSikh,installthePagri.TheSikhnameofthePagri,isDastar.

Finitude (being limited)Indiaisbothamarvelandaparadox.Theworld’slargestde-mocracy, it isamind-bogglingpolyethnicsocietynumberingmorethan1billionpeople.Itisoneoftheworld’soldestcivi-lizations and has produced fourmajor religions—Hinduism,Buddhism,Jainism,andSikhism.Itisamostlyagrarian,pov-erty-strickencountry,eventhoughitisaworldleaderininfor-mationtechnologyandspaceexploration.ItisthebirthplaceofMohandasGandhiandtheinfluenceforvariousnonviolentcrusades, even as the country evermore confidently bran-dishes itsnuclearcapabilities.Andit isayoungstatethat isconstantlyseekingtonegotiatethepresentandfuture,evenasitalmostfanaticallyholdsontoagloriouspast.

India’sconstantdancewiththepastandpresentisnicelyil-lustratedbythecodedmessagethatwassentoutin1974tosignalthatthecountryhadsuccessfullytesteditsfirstnucle-ardevice.Themessage,“theBuddhaissmiling,”referredtoBuddha’s reaction to awarbetweenhis kinsmenanddisci-plesfromtwoprincipalities.AdejectedBuddhaissupposedtohavesaid thatcompletepeacewasunlikelyuntil theen-tireworld’s countrieswere equallymighty. If the codewas

meanttoindicatethatBuddhawasnowsmilingbecauseIndiahadachievedadegreeofparityinthenuclearrealm,italsoshowedhowIndianscouldconnectamodern,revolutionaryachievement (withpotentiallydestructiveconsequences) tosomethingsaidtohavehappened2,500yearsago.

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Post Fordism (flexibilism)

Inabook,entitled “VisiblyMuslim:Fashion,Politics, Faith”,Emma Tarlo captures the diversity in theway that Islam ispracticedagainst thebackdropofmulti-culturalBritain.Themosthard-hittingthemeofthebookwasthatofintegration.Shewantedtobringoutdiversityandtoshowthatcontem-poraryMuslimdresspracticesarenotjustaboutreligionandpolitics but also about ethics, aesthetics, identity, fashion,globalisation, community, belonging and so forth. In awaythiswasalsopartof largerprojectforshowinghowMuslimwomen,likeallwomen,arejugglingwiththecomplexitiesofwhat towear in a contextwhereothers project interpreta-tionsonthem.Whatisparticularinthecaseofhijabiwomenis the degree of expectations and potential interpretationsand misinterpretations with which they have to engage astheygoabout theirordinary lives. So tobringout livedex-periences of visiblyMuslimwomenwithout suggesting thehijabisthemostimportantaspectoftheirlivesoreventheirappearances.Tarlointroducedagreatdealofpersonalnarra-tivesfromawiderangeofwomen;shealsobroughtintoplaysomeofthedebatesurroundingthehijabwithintheMuslimcommunity itself.Findingasenseof identityandpurpose isconcepts which most people–not just Muslims–can relateto.Whatwasrefreshingwasthatshedidnotglorifyorvilifygroupsthatweremore“modern”thanothers,butsimplyleftthereadertotrytounderstandtherealitiesofgraspingforasenseof identity. Inshowingthisthemeof integrationasapartof jugglingdifferent identities, rather thanapoisonousandforeignpartofsociety,itforcedtoreallyreflectonhowdifficultitisforanyonetotrytofitinonanylevel.Ratherthantryingtopromotean“acceptable”levelof integration,TarlomerelyprovidesapictureoftherealitiesoftheMuslimcom-munityinBritain.Thisissignificantbecauseshedoesnotde-pictitasathreat,butratherasimportantdebatethatshowsthatthefaceofIslamischangingandgrowing,aswithmanyimmigrantcommunities.

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Futurism

Formewhatishappenedinpastisholly.Itiswithallrespectof traditions, cultural ethos. Future is dreamwhere all thecreativeandinnovativeimaginationinvolvedwithuncertaintyandunpredictability.

Weneedtotakeseriouslythesignificanceofavisionofthefu-ture,notsomuchwithregardtofantasticscenarios–thestuffofsciencefiction,whichasweknow,doesplayanimportantroleinenvisioningthefuture–butinsteadintermsoftangi-ble, real-world realities.Why?Becausewhenwe talkabout“the future” these days, we’re no longer thinking about along,gentlywindingroaddisappearingintoadistanthorizon,butinsteadawindowpushedupcloseagainstournoses.Thetemporalhorizonhasshrunk,andthefuture,isreallyaboutatransitionhappeningrightnow.

Maybeit’sbettertothinklessaboutavisionofthefutureandtothinkaboutahaptics–somethingembodied,performed,enacted,andbroughtintobeingthroughuse.

Formewhatishappenedinpastisholly.Itiswithallrespectof traditions, cultural ethos. Future is dreamwhere all thecreativeandinnovativeimaginationinvolvedwithuncertaintyandunpredictability.

Vernacular (common)

FromSalmanKhantoAbhishekBachchantoRanbirKapoor...they have all sported this absolute fashionmust-have; andHimeshReshammiyahas taken it toanew levelaltogether.Yes...Iamtalkingaboutthemostvitalstyleaccessoryforguysandoftengalstoo–caps.

It’snotjustfilmstarsandcelebrities,buthonestly...wealllovethem;beitskullcapsforreligiousreasonsorroughandtoughcaps for the outdoors to beat the heat, this piece of easy-wear accessory has ruled themarkets sincetime immemo-

rial.Thereprobablyisn’tasinglemarketstreetormallorfleamarketinanycitybigorsmall,thatdoesn’tsellcapsandtheyalwaysfindsomeoneinneedofatleastonecap.

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Environment

Onecanexperienceajourneyintovirtualreality.HecanwalkwithgiantstridesaroundacitycalledSeattle.LeaptheColum-biaCentre,thetallestbuildinginthecity,withasinglebound.DivebeneaththesurfaceofPugetSoundandwatchedapodof whales heading north toward Canada. Hover above theSpaceNeedle,thendrop insidetoenjoy itspanoramicviewandtoexamineitsstructuraldetails.RaceaWashingtonStateferryacross theSound fromSeattle toBremerton.OnecancatchupwithitjustasitapproachedtheBremertondockandcanabletowatchthedockingoperationfromaperchontheroofof thebridge. Then canflybackacross theSoundandpeereddownintotheKingdome,lookinginvainforawinningteam.

All this can be experienced in “virtual environment” like aprojectVirtualSeattal.

Conceptualization

Thinking and analyzing all the significance of headgears, Istaredmakingscenariosforthefilm.

Where and how the film should display?

ForparticularthisfilmIdecidedanexhibitionarea.Thisisaonekindofthoughtprovokingmediawhereaudiencecangettheinformationeasily.SoMuseumorpublicdisplayareasarethelocationIdecidedtochoose.

Who is the target audience?

Film isamedia forall kindofpeople. Still, Iwantaudiencewho can understand the depth of this subject. First thereshouldsomethirsttogetagoodknowledge.Peoplewhovisitsmuseumarewhowanttoseesomethingnew.HereIcangivethemachoiceofthink. Shirpech

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Aproach concept 1

Myfirstaproachwasawideangle.Howpeoplecanbeidenti-fiedinmass?Eachpersonhasit’sowncharacter.Buthowwedefinea single character.Whatdoesa singlepersonwithacapcommunicate?Andwhatamasspeoplewithsamehead-

gearcommunicate?

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Aproach Concept 2

For the observation of traditional tribal cultures and theartisticcreations,visuallanguages,andcustomsofthepeopleshouldbedocumentedandpreservedforthesakeofknowl-edgeforfuturegenerations.Thetraditionalclothingandac-cessoriesbeautifullydistinguishedonetribefromanotherbutseemedtorepresentunitywithineachgroup.

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Aproach Concept 3

TheGandhitopiisnotsimplyapre-independencehangover.InMumbai,thecapissynonymouswiththe4,000dabbawalasofthecity.Thetopiismandatoryforanydabbawala,itispartofuniform.ThosewhodonotwearthecaparefinedwithRs25andreprimandedbytheirseniors.

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Aproach Concept 4

Tomaintainonecommunityonegenerationtransferstheculture,traditionsandbeliefstoothergeneration.

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Structure concept 1

FordetailingIstartedstoryboardingmyscenarioes.Thissto-ryboardhelpedmewhileshooting.IwassurewhatexactlyIwantedtoshow.

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Structure concept 2

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Itriedtomakesomephotographicstoryboardssoastocheckthecolours,cameraangleandcameramovement.

Consulting guide

Thiswasanimportantdicussionbeforethestructureofmoviewasfinalized.AtthisstageIwasstrugglingwithhowtocommunicatethestoryonlywithvisuals.Iwantedtobeamorethanjustareport.

Wediscussedaboutthewholeideaofchange.Thereligioncapswasimportantbutgandhicapwasmoreimportantintermsofchangeincommunication.Nagaheadgearswasthemostcolourfullaspectofwholefilm.ThecapswhichweusenowwasalsooneaspectwhereIwantedtofocus.Butsomehowitwasoverlappedandshowedindirectly.

ForGandhicapwefoundonebhajanwhichwasveryimportantintermsofwhatchangehemadeatthattimetoshowthepanIndialook.

Heaskedmetoseemorefilmsintermsofeditingandsound. ShirpechPREFACE

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Reworking on approach and structure

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Details of Proposed Design Solution

FinalstructureSCREENPLAYEXT.CROWDSCENE.VARIOUSPEOPLE.HIGHANGLEAfinemorningonthecitystreet.massivecrowdonthestreet,itcouldbeamarketplace,shoppingcomplex,afes-tivaldayinthecity,buttherearethousandsofpeoplewalk-ing.Itishardtorecognizeone,individual.Somearetalkingonthephone.Somepeoplearejustwalking.Peopleinhurry.CUTTOExt.ONCITYSTREET.EYELEVELVIEWSomepeoplearewithniceandtrendyhairstyle.Somepeoplewithnormalhair.Peoplecoveringtheirhead.Maybeprotectingfromsun.Somepeoplecombingtheirhair.MONTAGE-Peoplewearingcaps.peoplewearingpagadi.Peoplewithhelmets.Someconstructionworkerwithclothtiedonthehead.Somepoliceheadgears.Sadhuswearingsaffronclothonthehead.Imagesofgodwithvariousmukut.Sculpturesofkamakhyatemplewithvariousmukut.(Fastcutsofvarious25shotlikethisshowingvarioushead-gears)OPENINGTITLEHeadgearCollageEXT.AvillageinNagaland(folksound)EYELEVEL.ZOOMINSIDETHEVILLAGE.Thedayissettinginthevillage.Peoplehavestartedtheirday.(PANLEFTTORIGHT)CUTTOINT.AVILLAGEHOUSE.EYELEVELVIEWAtribalmanisgettingreadyforsomethingspecial.Heiswearingadecorativecostume.Somepeople(oldmenandwomen)aregivingfinaltouchestotheheadgear.Theygivethedecorativehattotheman.Respectfullyhewearsthecap.(Inthedark)Thedooropens.Amanstepsout.HIGHANGLEFromtheheadgearwecanseeallthepeoplewearingthesameheadgearandreadytoperform.

Withmusicpeoplestartdancing.(Trackin)Inharmonyhead-gearsaremoving.CUTTO.INT.MASJID.PAN.RIGHTTOLEFTandZOOMIN.Insidethemasjid,peopleareroaming.Somepeoplearepraying.CUTTOLOWANGLEAboardiswritteninformationaboutheadcover.Somepeo-plearecoveringtheirhead.TOPANGLEPeopleareinarowpraying(Namaz)andwearingMuslimcaps.CUTTOEXT.MASJID.TRACKINandMoveInROUNDFrombehindamanwithakidshowingmasjidandwearingMuslimcap.TheyentertheMasjid.CUTTO.INT.ABACHELOR’SROOMLOWANGLEColorfullongclothsarehangingontherope.Behindadooropens.ASikhboycomesoutside.Takesthecloth.Hetieshisturban.Helooksatthemirror.Hegetshisaccessories(likechain,iPod,etc).Takeshisbagandgoesout.PantoGurunanakPhoto.ZOOMINFadetoGandhiPhotoINT.ALIBRARYCLOSEUPOFATABLEWITHBOOKS.Fromtheentirecostumesandheadgearsbooksonebookisontop.Pagesstartsturning.MahatmagandhiinKathiwadiheadgear.Inonephotopeoplearewearingvariousheadgear.(TheBhajanstarts).ZOOMTOeachpersoninthephoto.CUTTO.CLOSEUPofnextphoto

AphotoofpanIndialookswithpeoplewearingGandhitopi.

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Shooting the film

Thedetailsofshootingtechniqueswhichhasbeenfollowedtodeveloptheproject.

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Editing the film

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videoediting

settingthedurationsoundediting

Frames from the shots were cut according to require-ment of the script. Shots were checked again to see if they were relevant and essential. Shots duration is also very important. Colour was corrected in some cases. The visual should match with sound. So sound was placed relating to the shots. Music was put in places were where there was no need for voiceovers. Finally a dump of the movie was taken in the format of MOV. as out put.

The film

Telling through four different anthropologies ofheadgear, Shirpechwilldocument thechanging significanceofcommunicationthroughtheheadgearsofIndia.Wewillseethesmallvillagetribalculturestruggles toretain thevisiblesymbol,whiletheyoungerSikhmenmodifyinghisturbantofollowthecurrentfashiontrends.Apersontransferculturetohisyoungforkeepthereligiousidentity.Thefilmwillcommu-nicateand relevantly explore the inherent conflictbetweentradition and modernity, between realism and beliefs. Thechoiceofwearingparticularheadgearisnotonlyconcerntheindividual,buttheentirecommunity.

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Conclusion

This projectmademe think about howpowerful visual im-ageryandvisualculturecanbeinaglobalizedworld.Itmaybethemostcommonlanguagewespeakandmaybeourbestchance for non-violent, international participation. We allwant to see beautiful objects. Perhaps leaders of countriescould use our artistic traditions-both modern and historic--toalleviatefearandmistrusttoamuchgreaterextentthantheyaredoingnow.Thetraditionalclothingandaccessoriesbeautifully distinguished one community from another butseemedtorepresentunitywithineachgroup.Ihopethatweshallbeabletopreserveourtraditionsaspartofourcontem-poraryidentityforeternity.Thisbalanceseemedsoimportanttome.Itistheprocessoflookingbackandlookingforwards.

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