As we have seen repeatedly throughout the works of Indian director Amit Dutta, art can indeed come to life for the spectator. If you approach the creation with an open mind and the willingness to embrace the experience has to offer, there are simply no limits to the variety of connection it can offer. Considering the concept of the “museum of imagination”, a term which can be traced back to Indian art historian and critic B. N. Guswamy, who has been featured in Dutta’s work many times, a work of art can connect to our life, our experiences, knowledge and memories, paving the way to a rich tapestry of moments and images. In his 2005 short “Ka” Dutta explores ancient Indian paintings, showing folklorist depictions and themes of myths, and blends them together to tell the story of creation, of art and life in general.
Similar to his approach in later works such as “Chitrashala”, Amit Dutta’s camera captures the richness and beauty of a variety of depictions, all different in style and the themes they are exploring. Through the use of animation and sound, each painting comes to life little by little, and eventually their characters and features blur into each other, thus creating an interesting unity as well as a shared story, in this case one about the creation of life. You may be inclined to view “Ka” as a work about the development of a human being, from infancy to early adulthood even, which again highlights the connection of art and life that is at the core of Dutta’s work.
Furthermore, there are many other details and aspects which underline the impression of the feature being a story about creation. The sound of a clock or of hoofs give the idea of movement and change, supported by the aforementioned use of animation. Additionally, the recurring theme of unity, of the image and its reflection, seems to suggest a stronger bond between the work of art and the reality it aims to depict, or rather the themes it aims to portray.
In the end, “Ka”, like many other features by Amit Dutta, highlights the connection of art and life. Through its sound design and use of animation, the director creates a rich story with many references to philosophical themes while also showing the unique way of art approaching universal themes and how it can broaden the horizon of the spectator.
