“THE DUTY OF AN ARTIST IS TO DRAW, PAINT, REFLECT AND FORMALIZE, WHATEVER COMES IN THE MIND”
KRISHEN KHANNA INTERVIEW
RITIKA LALL CHAKRAVARTTY

When I’m with a brush, I tend to forget my age, it has the power of transitioning.

The world has dreams, I have mine; I choose none than the happiness. One afternoon, quietly it meandered in the lush quietude of the urban habitation. There stood an abode, as regal as the owner himself. I admired every brick that looked like an art and signed grandly, Krishen Khanna.

Proudly I stood on this trajectory of life and felt glad that I choose where colour streams, dreams have canvases, sculptures, murals and my ignorant mind is engaged and intrigued forever to underst and the mysteries of life and art.

Once in lifetime one comes across a person, who can uplift the entire universe just by his presence and every other human also gets uplifted because of his powerful and captivating aura.



Padma Bhushan Krishen Khanna 94, one of the most celebrated artists of the time and one of the last surviving beads of the modernist era; he still shines like a bright sun and glisten the room with his presence. Very suave and charming personality, which forces anyone to think how one could have easily mistaken him for the silver screen. Cutting it today, his all white hair and sublime smile gives the calmness of the moon, his larger than life image gives the feel of an ocean, he sits like a banyan tree giving shade and peace.

There was a cascading light in the hall, he was reading his poetry book, with many journals,some art work, pictures f his children and grandchildren adorning the space. His wife Renu, like a true partner was sitting with him and occasionally made some conversation. Both in nineties, looked like an embodiment of love and friendship. A strong union of seventy years felt more than a lifetime of togetherness. It felt mesmerizing to be in their company, everything felt so overpowering and suddenly there was a deep silence for couple of minutes before the gripping conversation.

Six decades of long career, expansive body of work that ranges mainly from figurative and brief delving into abstraction and photography. Most of the canvas creates a common exploring link between emotion, poetry and colour.

The visual magic that started in the moon-lit, eventually shined bright in the day and created a revolution through the art. Krishen Khanna banker by chance and painter by choice was all set to set many examples and create history through his brush.

There was so much so to ask, with a work experience of more than six decades and an artist who has been celebrated time and again; also gave me a perplexed feeling of where to start from. I thought why not initiate something which is most talked about in 2019 and what could be better than the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabah elections. After listening to his views and some discourse on life and politics,I had something to ask.

Ritika LallChakravartty :This Lok Sabha election 2019, I see lot of artists from all genre forming group, promoting political dogma they strongly believe. Don’t you think artists once acquire the title of an ‘artist’ becomes more a preacher of a belief and philosophy what they think is right. I often witness lot of philosophical discourse than an art these days.


Krishen Khanna :Often political groups want the artists to be their loud speakers because of the mass connect, genuine image, natural ability of convincing and trust of the people.They also want the artists to be emancipating the philosophies of the parties, adopt their manifesto and propagate their ideology. Some do get swayed and some form collective group and promote an ideology that is inspired by the party. People do gettogether and form group of same the mental agreement and flag their view. One does witness a very proactive participation of artists in the public domain these days.

Now the question is, if the artist is posed in the conflicting situation, where he follows an ideology or forms an ideology. I don’t have to follow anybody’s ideology; I have lived long enough as compared to any leader of ruling party or the opposition today.

I know what I want, I always knew what I wanted. I have been through the partition, which was quite a fearful thing. These are temporary bubbles, which will subside right after the elections. I don’t disturb myself and don’t let these waves touch my peace any further.