Spot the art

Sir — Art, as the saying goes, imitates life. Recently, at a museum in the Netherlands, the line between art and life was blurred by a conscientious citizen. A staff mistook an art piece, All The Good Times We Spent Together, by the French artist, Alexandre Lavet, to be two discarded and dented beer cans and disposed of them. The museum authority later confirmed that the installation had been placed inside a lift to inspire people to see art in the mundane. It must have been jarring for the artist to have his artwork chucked into a dustbin. Perhaps he should have displayed his works in India
instead — far from cleaning up the cans, people would probably have thrown in a couple of cans of their own, adding to the artwork.

Dipshikha Bose, Calcutta

Modern solution

Sir — The popularity of online pind daan services has increased. It offers a handy solution for those who are unable to be physically present at the sacred locations where this ritual is usually carried out (“Tied to place”, Oct 6). The option of performing rituals virtually allows people to observe many rites that would otherwise have not been possible given our modern lifestyles.

For example, while performing a shradh for ancestors people invite a Brahmin for a ceremonial meal and offer food to cows. But in urban areas, finding cows or a Brahmin willing to accept such invitations has become challenging owing to the changing times and the declining interest in traditional professions. While many people now
view ancient rituals as outdated, some still try to find ways to honour their ancestors. However, it can be argued that online pind daan services are a waste of money and this fund could be better spent on helping people who need sustenance.

Kiran Agarwal, Calcutta

Sir — The practice of performing pind daan online puts us in a sticky situation. But each person’s faith is a private matter beyond the scope of public debate. Keeping this in mind can help one accept people carrying out the ritual of offering pind through digital means. There is undoubtedly a vast difference between offering pind physically and virtually since being far away from the holy site might make our minds respond differently. Modernity is useful in human life but one must also be careful while compromising on some traditional practices.

Mihir Kanungo, Calcutta

Sir — People will soon be able to avoid taking trips to places like Gaya because Artificial Intelligence priests will handle pind daan and other religious rituals without the devotees having to move an inch from their comfortable couches. Jet lag will become a thing of the past thanks to such technology. AI priests can also be available all year round and perhaps even crack a joke in Sanskrit to lighten the sombre mood. Someday AI spiritual gurus may lead a cult too.

Dhananjay Sinha, Calcutta

Sir — It is convenient to perform rituals online. Be it a mundan ceremony where a packet of hair is sent to a temple via courier or a puja that the priest attends virtually, technology has modernised traditional practices. The downside of this is that the authenticity of religious rituals will become questionable and low footfalls at pilgrimage sites will affect the tourism sector.

Vinay Asawa, Howrah

Sir — AI priests may end up contributing towards creating an equitable society by overcoming caste and gender biases. Perhaps technological modernity will finally be able to do away with age-old, discriminatory practices.

Sujit De, Calcutta

Sir — Performing religious rituals online seems like a safer option. Many pilgrimage sites in India are ecologically fragile — places like Amarnath have faced anthropogenic destruction owing to religious tourism. Decreased tourism will finally allow these damaged ecosystems a chance to heal.

Dipti Sinha, Calcutta

Runaway success

Sir — The film, Laapataa Ladies, had a slow start at the box office but picked up pace later and amassed almost Rs 20 crore despite its shoestring budget of Rs 5 crore. Laapataa Ladies has been picked as India’s submission to the Oscars instead of the film, All We Imagine as Light. India has not had much success at the Oscars so far. But winning at the Academy Awards is not just about film-making skills but also requires lobbying. Only time will tell if Laapataa Ladies earns India accolades, but more such movies where the script is the real star need to be made.

Bal Govind, Noida

Sir — Laapataa Ladies has been finalised as India’s official submission for the Best Foreign Film category at the 97th Academy Awards. This was announced by the Film Federation of India. The FFI stated that Laapataa Ladies explores the complexities of Indian womanhood. It validates women’s choices, irrespective of whether they are homemakers or careerist entrepreneurs. The film engages and entertains its audience, appealing to women globally. One hopes that it will be well-received by cinephiles across the world.

Dimple Wadhawan, Kanpur

Sir — Kiran Rao’s directorial venture, Laapataa Ladies, stands out for its focus on important social themes like gender equality and women’s empowerment in rural India. It tells the story of two brides whose places are mistakenly switched during a train journey. The film stars Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Srivastava, and Nitanshi Goel in leading roles, blending engaging storytelling and social commentary. The screening of the film in the Supreme Court underscored the film’s success in addressing rural social issues.

C.K. Ramani, Chennai