BENGALURU: The golden age of South Indian cinema saw the rise of icons like Dr Rajkumar, MG Ramachandran (MGR), Shivaji Ganesan and NT Rama Rao, who grew to almost god-like statures and gained similar, lasting adoration from the public. Whether you grew up watching iconic Kannada films of the ’60s and ’70s, listening to snatches of a stray tune, catching glimpses of posters in the city and images on autos – the impact these stars had on people’s lives can still be felt.
Clare Arni’s ongoing exhibition Southern Stars, is a tribute to these cinematic figures and those who love them still. “I grew up in Madurai in the 1970s and there was no television yet. So, the imagery that surrounded me was that of MGR, Shivaji Ganesan and film stars like that. It’s been a sort of lifelong fascination,” she says.
The collection on display, 20 years in the making and gathered from old frame shops in Madurai, Sunday markets, and Bengaluru antique shops, consists of everything from antique posters, original photographs taken on film sets, figurines and models, as well as contemporary photographs of old studios by Arni.
At its heart is a setup of a living room – two chairs, a typewriter, a coffee table, and a record player with a stack of vinyl records beside it. According to Arni, the intention was to make the exhibit approachable and a true reflection of her collection at home. “One can do lots of different things with a collection like this.
But rather than something that’s an informative and academic look at South Indian cinema, we wanted it to be a reflection of my collection. So that’s why the gallery has a recreation of my living room – with a feeling of informality at the heart of it. It also reflects the fact that my collection is very much a part of my everyday life and this imagery surrounds me on an everyday basis,” she explains.
One particularly unique feature of the exhibit is a whimsical robotic model of Dr Rajkumar. Dressed in a distinctive white ensemble with a red vest, it (literally) shakes a leg to his iconic dance number If You Come Today from the 1978 film Operation Diamond Racket. “Him, along with the other sculptures of Rajkumar, were all commissioned by me and made by different young artists. That one was made by my nephew, Varun Arni, who works with robotics and is a brilliant engineer. I’ve been troubling him for months to try and make me a Rajkumar that moves and he did a good job,” laughs Arni.
The exhibit has brought out a feeling of nostalgia for bygone times and people. “That’s what’s been wonderful about the show – it makes people remember their parents and another time. There have been people who’ve been quite emotional at times, wishing that their parents could have seen this show. In a way, it’s a little bit like time travel,” says Arni.
(Southern Stars is open to visitors for free at Gallery Sumukha, Wilson Garden, until March 1)