Our fingers have long grown used to typing, tapping, and swiping, but not writing. Handwriting, once second nature, has quietly faded into nostalgia. Yet, this exhibition rekindles that forgotten intimacy between ink and thought. Scripted Dialogues – A Calligraphic Conversation, presented by the Alliance Française of Hyderabad, reminds us of the poetry hidden in every curve of a letter. Here, ink and imagination bridge continents, transforming the gallery into a crossroads of scripts: Telugu, Devanagari, Tamil, Urdu, Gurmukhi, Bengali, and French.
Curated by Padmaja Srivastava, the exhibition brings together nine celebrated artists: Nikheel Aphale, Qamar Dagar, Padma Shri Achyut Palav, Rupak Neogy, Sanjeev Kumar, Sudeep Gandhi, Suresh Waghmore, Navakanth Karide, and Tarun Deep Girdher — who use calligraphy as their language of dialogue. “Scripted Dialogues was first inaugurated on French Francophonie Day, which celebrates the French language and cultures worldwide,” says curator Padmaja Srivastava, adding, “The exhibition was inspired by a desire to explore how language itself can become art. By bringing together Indian regional scripts and French cultural influences, we wanted to reveal the shared rhythm, elegance, and emotion that unite these two traditions — showing how writing can transcend words to express identity and history.”
Each corner of the gallery invites the viewer to pause, read between the lines, and rediscover the tactile beauty of the written word. “This exhibition invites viewers to reconnect with script as a living art form; one that continues to link people, cultures, and memories across generations,” she adds.
The show is on view till November 9.
Letters that connect worlds
For Telugu calligrapher Navakanth Karide, the exhibition is deeply personal. “I’m a Telugu calligraphy artist who brings letters to life through ink and imagination. Every word I write carries the weight of tradition and the spirit of innovation. This isn’t just handwriting — it’s an emotion, a culture, a connection,” he says.
Navakanth’s work explores the French connection within the Telugu cultural landscape. “In my research, I found fascinating links — from French military general Monsieur Raymond, who served under the Nizams of Hyderabad, to the French colony of Yanam in Andhra Pradesh,” he explains.
His three artworks: Lovable Monsieur Raymond, Yanam’s Unlimited Friendship, and Marvelous Mirror — form a visual trilogy that blends history, geography, and philosophy. In Lovable Monsieur Raymond, he portrays the 18th-century French general’s tomb at Malakpet, symbolising a friendship that transcended borders. The piece carries the French quote: ‘Il n’y a qu’un bonheur dans la vie, c’est d’aimer et d’être aimé’. “There is only one happiness in life, to love and to be loved.” The second piece, Yanam’s Unlimited Friendship, transforms Telugu letters into flowing waves to depict the Godavari river. “In the centre is a box marked ‘French Yanam’, tied with a ribbon shaped like the infinity symbol, representing the timeless bond between Yanam and France,” Navakanth explains. His final work, Marvelous Mirror, takes a philosophical turn with Swami Vivekananda’s famous quote: ‘Talk to yourself at least once a day, otherwise you may miss a meeting with an excellent person in this world’. The circular calligraphic strokes resemble a mirror, reminding viewers of the art of introspection.
Celebration of living language
Meanwhile, calligraphy legend Padma Shri Achyut Palav reaffirms why this exhibition matters now more than ever. “It was an attempt to show how one language can communicate with another — the same emotion worded in two different tongues,” he says. His works blend Devanagari and Roman scripts to show that though shapes differ, ‘the spirit remains the same’. “I want viewers to develop curiosity about scripts; to admire letters for their beauty and energy,” Achyut adds.
Love, fashion, and freedom — In script
Artist Nikheel Aphale explores French culture through three distinct works themed around art, fashion, and romance — each reflecting a colour from the French flag. “I created three artworks inspired by themes associated with French culture: art, fashion, and romance. This series reinterprets these ideas using contemporary Devanagari script and French words,” he explains.
The blue-toned piece celebrates art through a quote by Henri Matisse, whose fearless creativity inspired the lettering. The black-and-white artwork nods to Coco Chanel, “who believed the best colour is the one that suits you,” says Nikheel. The final red piece explores love through a quote by Saint Augustine, where fluid strokes and tiny fleur-de-lis motifs capture the essence of passion and cultural symbolism. “It was an attempt to show how two languages can have a harmonious existence; one emotion worded in two different languages,” he adds.
Architecture in script
For Prof Tarun Deep Girdher, principal faculty at the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, calligraphy becomes a structural metaphor. His three Gurmukhi calligraphic works: The Open Hand, Liberty Equality Fraternity, and The City Beautiful Chandigarh — pay tribute to legendary French architect Le Corbusier, who designed Chandigarh. “All the three artworks are inspired by Chandigarh’s architecture; high columns, sun catchers, and open spaces,” says Tarun. In The Open Hand, bold Gurmukhi strokes mirror the exposed concrete and sunlight play in Le Corbusier’s modernist designs. “The text — ‘With a full hand I have received, with an open hand I give’ — expresses gratitude in both giving and receiving,” he explains. The second artwork, Liberty Equality Fraternity, merges Gurmukhi and Latin scripts in a single composition: a symbolic union of languages standing together for the ideals of equality and community. The third, The City Beautiful Chandigarh, captures the city’s essence with free-flowing letterforms that characterise the zestful culture of Punjab; full of energy and robustness. Tarun hopes viewers will feel this emotional space, even without reading the script. “Irrespective of language, the composition, colour, and form evoke a sense of architectural space; a connection between writing and structure,” he reflects.