Bhanu Pratap On Art
Ali Akbar Mehta’s paintings employ some unusual imagery. Though contemporary, his works have an interesting combination of new and old styles. One of my favourite paintings is from his Joker series, which has a crucified image at the forefront. The figure is masked by a joker’s face paint and wears a harlequin cap on his head, while being crucified. The hyper detailed picture seems to be holy but is not. It’s an amalgamation of a real and a surreal world, flashing both bright and dark colours. Whether viewers takes away something positive or negative from it, is up to them, but they will be drawn to the twisted and powerful visuals.

Pratap Is A Delhi-Based Artist

Sudhanva Deshpande On Books
Dilip Simeon’s Revolution Highway is the story of a group of Delhi University students set during the radical uprisings of the ’70s; how they come of age and grow aware of the unrest and injustice in society. The characters are real, intense and sympathetically portrayed, even though the writer disagrees with their ideologies.

Deshpande Is Managing Editor, Leftword Publications

Anurag Dixit On Music
My recommendation would be Faridkot, a Sufi-rock band. I look out for a certain indigenous touch in Indian rock bands and these guys do justice. Their recent album Ek is an excellent piece of music. My personal favourites are the songs Madho and Banjare. Though Madho sounds like a genuine Sufi song the lyrics talk about Shiva. The contrast is intriguing. The flavour of their music and singing is very unique.

Dixit Is A Delhi-Based Musician

Adityo Aryan On Film
Little Terrorist by Ashvin Kumar is about a Pakistani boy who crosses the border and comes to India to get his ball. Spotted by the Indian army he takes shelter in a Hindu Brahmin’s house. The simple treatment of this movie sets an example for a lot of short filmmakers to experiment with bold subjects. The landmine scene where the child crosses the border to get his ball is breathtaking. The biggest challenge for short films is to create an impact in 10 to 15 minutes and the movie manages to do so beautifully.

Aryan Is A Delhi-Based Filmmaker

Sandeep Kalra On Food
In India, my favourite place is San Gimignano in The Imperial, Delhi. The restaurant attracts people for various reasons — the ambience, the cosy feel of the decor, the beautiful pictures of San Gimignano, the city in Italy and the food. The cooking is of a high standard, but the dishes are regular Italian fare. Creativity appeals to me the most. When there is innovation in a dish, it automatically becomes intriguing. Which is why I like Delhi restaurant Ai’s miso marinated black cod. It is the signature creation of Nobu in New York. The recipe has been carried across the pond and recreated in Delhi in an excellent manner.

Kalra Is The Executive Chef At The Trident, Gurgaon