Tales of the supernatural

As part of Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum’s Engaging Traditions exhibition series, which provokes conversations around the institution’s history and collections, artist and graphic novelist Sarnath Banerjee is currently showcasing his new works. Titled Spectral Times, they combine sound with illustrations and text and give viewers a peek into the museum’s vast treasure trove of objects.

Curated by Tasneem Zakaria Mehta and co-curated by Himanshu Kadam, it follows the exploits of the fictional character, Birjis Bari, who is a reporter for a local quarterly magazine and records otherworldly encounters with seven characters.

Sarnath describes Birjis as “an erstwhile fact checker in a newspaper, who joins a local quarterly magazine, Spectral Times. His editor believes that beneath the barrels of news and statistics, there is some kind of an uncanny force that holds news together. So, Birjis becomes a tonal reporter and starts doing this series of interviews with people who have had supernatural experiences in Mumbai.”

The German-based artist has not only created sketches and paintings chronicling these stories but also gives viewers an opportunity to listen to them through radio recordings.

One of the tales is titled Shehri Adamkhor. Sarnath says, “It’s about a man who becomes cannibalistic after he quits smoking. One day he realises that his appetite is not just for food but he also develops a taste for human beings. It torments him. As a solution, he writes a recipe book of friends in which he fantasises of different ways to cook them.”

Another plot, Giridhari Housing Co-Op, is about a railway housing society. The story starts off with an old woman talking about its residents till she recounts how she had a horrific death at the hands of her servant. That’s when listeners realise that her severed head is narrating the story. A man’s head, an ancient sword and a weathered book are some of the items extracted from the museum’s archives that complement these stories.

Apart from these, original pages from Banerjee’s earlier graphic series, and stories with supernatural elements that travel from Mumbai to Japan are also on display.

Sarnath Banerjee

As one walks into the museum, a giant panel featuring Thomas Browne, the famous English polymath from the 17th century, and naturalist Charles Darwin is on display. Sarnath explains, “The natural history of Rani Baug, where the museum is located, is important. There are amazing books about flora and fauna. So it was when it was suggested that a strong theme around natural history should be brought in, we decided that the two grandparents of genetics and evolution — Browne and Darwin — should be portrayed on canvas.”

Himanshu mentions, “The museum’s library has a collection of more than 400 rare books on all kinds of subjects ranging from natural history sciences to medicines. So, special exhibits corresponding the same are also being depicted.”

Quiz Sarnath about the essence of this show and he says, “The museum found objects which prompted to have some kind of a dialogue. The whole visualisation and aesthetics of putting together this show helped me to depict a slight diversion to reality. Moreover, sound is an integral part of the exhibition.” As for depicting the otherworldly side of Mumbai and its citizens, he explains, “Here, two different realities can merge in a traffic light. When you walk in Fort after darkness, you feel as if you are walking in some kind of wilderness. Buildings have fallen apart but the shadows remain. So, the whole show is dedicated to the inherent uncanniness of the city.”

Tasneem Mehta, who is the managing trustee and honorary director Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum, says the exhibition is a wonderful way to make visitors aware about the diverse objects that the historic institution houses. “It’s a space of enchantment. I was thinking about stories to do with museum objects, which talk about people, their lives, culture and bring back that magic again. When you say stories that have a sinister edge, there are so many layers to reality, how do you unveil all of them? 

Sarnath’s stories have a co-relation with our collection of books and objects. The exhibition also addresses the question — what is reality? You wonder what you see on the surface is real, or should you try to go beyond and see what is not visible.”

Spectral Times is on view at Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Byculla till May 26 from 10 am to 6 pm