Ramayana on the wall

That’s what the students of the JJ School of Art will be busy with over the next few weekends Prema K reports.

Come 2010 and the JJ School of Applied Art will complete 75 years. A film festival and Catch Them Young, a painting contest for school kids, has been lined up as part of its platinum jubilee celebrations. But the most exciting bit happens to be the Ramayana Project Wall, which has kept both the alumni and students busy with their paintbrushes.

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As the name suggests, the Ramayana Project Wall is based on one of history’s most important literary works, but with a difference. Rahul Gaikwad, an alumnus of the college, who specialised in illustration and works with animation and design, explains, “The Ramayana will be illustrated on the 190-foot wall of the college. But there will be no mythological figures. This will depict the Ramayana in the life of a JJ student.”

So sexist

Needless to say, humour will be used to depict the various stages of the students’ life. He elaborates, “Like the epic Ramayana, the JJ Ramayana talks about the four tough years of exile which every student experiences. Dukhi Dusserath will portray parents who are tense about their children’s admissions.

There’s the swayamvar, which is the first year of college when students get to know one another, guys will be wooed by girls and the lucky girl will hook the most eligible guy, leaving the other girls disappointed.

Now, doesn’t this portray the event as being very sexist? Rahul laughs, “According to the concept, everything revolves around Rama. So the male will end up looking more prominent. But the latter stories will involve equal participation of women.” The mountain of assignments and submissions — well, that’s Ravana for you.

Rahul sums it up with, “Fun and jokes apart, the most important lesson the Ramayana teaches us is the ideal way of life - a righteous path to follow. In a similar way, the heritage of the JJ School empowers its students with strength, knowledge and integrity to be the best in the industry.”