With nearly 300 works spanning painting, experimentation, and artistic series, a thoughtfully curated retrospective invites audiences to discover the artist behind some of India’s most compelling art.
For a painter who has spent decades crafting visual worlds for Indian cinema, Thota Tharrani’s own artistic journey is a world not contained within a single medium, technique, or subject. It’s an evolution. From early watercolours and figurative explorations to abstract compositions shaped by colour, form, texture, and symbolism, the Padma Shri awardee’s practice has evolved over nearly six decades without settling into a single artistic language. Now, ‘Thota Tharrani: A Retrospective – 1969 to Present’ brings together this expansive body of work, offering audiences an opportunity to encounter the painter beyond his frames.
Presented by Artworld – Sarala’s Art International, the exhibition traces a journey spanning 57 years, reflecting an artist whose curiosity has continued to lead him across subjects, styles, and mediums.
For Thota Tharrani, the significance of a retrospective lies in the opportunity to see his works together. “I don’t get the chance of viewing my own painting. After completing an artwork, I close it, or at times, I keep two painting out in the open, because I don’t have that kind of space where I can look at all of my work in one area,” he notes.
Bringing works from different periods into the same space, however, offers a different perspective. Thota Tharrani says, “You are your best critic. When you put all of your life’s work in one room, you get to see the pluses and minuses and how much you have grown in your craft.”
Artistic development is an outlook that reflects his resistance to being confined by a particular style. Rather than holding on to one technique or subject, Thota Tharrani has continued to explore different possibilities, drawing inspiration from the world around him — from architecture and nature to music, mythology, history, and Indian cultural traditions. And the retrospective brings together several strands of this practice, including his ‘Cinema’, ‘Harmony’, and ‘Rajasthan’ series.
These artworks are displayed in different sections at the gallery. Thota Tharrani believes that the viewers spend time with his paintings rather than immediately seeking an explanation from the artist. “I am very particular about how my work is presented. Hence, I have given a small write-up aside each of the artworks so that the viewers understand the work at a deeper level,” shares Thota Tharrani.
The retrospective’s preparation has taken several months, with the selection and arrangement of works forming an important part of the process. “The exhibition is intended to bring together different phases of his practice while allowing audiences to experience the range of his artistic interests,” notes Sarala Daruwala Banerjee, director of Artworld India and Sarala’s Art International.
The exhibition also marks a significant moment for Artworld — Sarala’s Art International, whose association with Thota Tharrani dates back to the early years of his career.
Founded in 1965, Sarala’s Art Centre presented his works on several occasions during the 1970s and early 1980s. The relationship between the artist and the institution has continued across decades, making the retrospective both a celebration of his artistic legacy and a return to an important chapter in his professional journey.
For Sarala, the exhibition carries a personal as well as an institutional significance. Thota Tharrani’s first-ever exhibition was at the Artworld. And today, the gallery hosts his 135th show. Sarala hopes visitors will take away something larger than an appreciation of individual paintings. “I expect that the audience take away the life of a man, the life of an artist with them,” Sarala concludes.
Thota Tharrani: A Retrospective – 1969 to Present is on display till October 30 at Lalit Kala Akademi, between 11 am and 7 pm