BENGALURU MACHO TRAINING

In July and August 2015 I was one of the Bangalore Residents, invited by the Goethe Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan to live and work in Bangalore. 

 

Whenever I started sketching outdoors I was soon surrounded by men who wanted to see what I was 

doing or asked me to draw a picture of them.  

 

Most of the portraits of this series I made in the streets between KH Road and the Central Market.

 

During a book launch and party in 1 Shanthiroad, the place 

of my residency, I put these portraits on the wall and asked the guests to invent some characteristics of the depicted or some biographical detail.

 

With this I made a booklet and named it after a gym in Banerghatta Road.

Thimmappa Gowda. A local shop owner. Probably drinks 

a lot of cheap alcohol. Colleages since ever. He has a taste for the undisputed wilderness that his shop keeper life doesn't permit him to be indulged in. And he is thankful

to that, as 'madira' and 'asura' within him will take him

to uncharted laboratories, not dark but somewhere 

in the twilight. 

Jwalant. Very poor but finds happiness in the little things. He finds suits in shrift shops and dresses in them to remind him of his better days.  

Dog Jumption. Cool Coat-hand-me-down, not a penny to spare. But a carer of street dogs. A mahatma. Love him!

Why am I here! Damn Protesters. 

See my helmet. It's Ferrari. It is, I tell you! 

Michael Schuhmacher is a bad joke compared to me. 

My brother's wife's cousin brought it from Italy, promise.

 

 

Rajini-Sir was my buddy. Hey you! I look tough. 

Don't meddle with me – I'm not as tough as I look. I act tough, but I am actually really scared. I have my hands in my pockets so people don't greet me or shake my hand.

Best friends 4 life. 

Birds of a feather flock together 

So do pigs + swine 

Rats + mice will have their choice 

+ so I will have mine. 

 

They met through their parents who are neighbours. 

Coolest thing to do? Cruising around with their cycles. Arfath just got a new one from his elder cousin. 

 

My name is ABDUL MOHAMMAD - 25, 

and I am not a T........ 

KIND GENTLE CALM. 

Honk like you mean it. On Sundays I charge Rs.20 Extra. 

I am honest by virtue. 

   

Abdul is supposed to read the Namaz 5 times a day, but one day he forgets it, so his mother beats him & makes him sleep with the dog Raju.

Raja the toy seller. 

"My life is a leela/play 

As you buy toys to play, my life gets better...

 

O, my family. 12 siblings I have. Close to Aleppy I grew up. Nowadays, I stay in Bangalore. How my family keeps in touch? We have a Whatsapp Group. Also, we have a Face- book Group. 112 members. Not too bad, no?! Including all my cousins of course. Haaah, Family!

 

Raheem 

25 years old, born in Mumbai, started as a rickshaw driver. Found a wallet in his rickshaw. Belongs to French girl. Found her and gave it back, fell in love, got married - sells french toast now. 

Notorious rowdy, Harish alias Ravi alias Thomas, chainsnatcher & layabout.

 

Prakash 21 

*STUD MUFFIN*

Loves to play cricket and beat people up with his 

cricket bat. 

 

Loves to play cricket for himself.

 

Sampath. 
Carpenter. 
Age - 45. 
"Don't mess with this guy" 
(he's been working out all afternoon) 

Nirav

Gym Raja, owns a bakery and beats his wife. Although he knows that he'd be in huge trouble without her!

Dogrom Awary, truth is, I don't want to call him back. Totally sweet guy, lives with his mother.

Went to see one, met two! 
Have you seen the latest movie"Brothers"? Inspiring!

Auntie? Click a selfie?

Vadhana, 8 years is sitting in a chair and listening to what her father is saying.

9 like this 

Recently bought his first Royal Enfield. Feels so proud now. As if he had given birth to it himself. Still girls don't seem to be interested in talking to him though. 

I think I saw this guy in my gym.

I am running a shop. I like my work – a lot of people com-
ing to my place. Even I live in the my shop. I am grateful 
I have a place to sleep. Many people need to live on the streets. But actually since I was a kid, I wanted to be a Bollywood star. I love the songs and dancing. But I am sure in the next live I will be a big star – thanks to Kannan.

HE TOLD ME "BOKACHODA"

Originally from Ernakulam. Now fisherman in Fort Kochi, like his father and his grandfather and his grand-grand-father, of course. What's annoying him? Those tourists clicking pictures of the Chinese fishing nets 24/7

He's going to kill his daughter's lover.

Ramesh, 56, is a very strange guy...he is very obsessed 
with his beard.

Ismail is waiting, waiting for what. The driver of the cycle 
is back, or only is waiting till the drawing will be finished. And he is blue.

I do not belong to this city, but there have been too 
many years in exile. I cannot identify my 'home'

MANJUNATH
Age 58 
Goldsmith 
TIME STANDS STILL 
Uncle-reading Deccan Herald?  

 Pure Gold – 100%  
"These gemset creations are street poems in gold"
We love gold, I make jewels that adorn the body – woman x men. They say you should die with a little gold on you! It is anqu- metal for us. Gold makes people, makes marriage and even breakes them. There is gold everywhere on men, women, on --dings. I do have little, this ring I made out of left overs. I can die in peace.

Who needs Bollywood anyways? 
I AM Bollywood! 

My belt buckle is my raison d'etre

Waiting is my Job. They pay me for it. 
I stand and look at the world go by. Crazy! 
I watch and being watched. 
Waiting is a way of worship. 
Waiting for god, lover or a miracle. 
There is hope in waiting. 
I will meet my beloved. 

SENTRY DUTY 
There is always something to look at – and look beyond

I look askance at the world – I have no kindred. 
It is so hard being alone in Bangalore, where there 
are so many dogs. They know me by my secret name.
This I cannot tell you.

 

LONG DAY WAITING FOR THE CMK'S CONVOY 
When is he going to get here?
COPS!!! 
It is not easy being me. Please don't hate me. I don't 
want to be corrupt and get money from poor people 
on the streets. But my wife notices that all other cops 
bring more money at home. So, she stresses me - she wants to have a better life. But that's why I should be 
a criminal cop? 
I am very honest and SO ARTISTIC.

Girish 
Age-30
Loner, thinker, wanderer. 

Why am I a loner? 
Why am I a thinker?
Why am I a wanderer? 


WHY AM I

Looks like Anil Kumble?! 
(Know who that is?)

Anil Kumble is a great cricketer. He bowled 6 Pakistani cricketers in 6 balls. It was a wild -- <<<We have a circle named after him near MG Road. We are proud of him.
And I love people when they say-
"Looks like Anil Kumble."  ➔ we all know him.

William 16 student-school. Parents want IT specialist. 
He photographer. Lived in the village his whole life. 
First person in his family to get a degree. 
Lives in the big city, misses home. 
City folks are very strange, I say! 
They don't look me in the eye. 
I don't understand their hurry! 
I do have a girl friend, make me look awesome!

Deep within his hesitant visage is a man that is full of kindness and compassion. Rafeek is a gentle soul, just a tad bit unsure of himself, in an incredibly endearing way. Hope he meets more people like himself

 MUNIYAPPA 
AGE - 36 
He is working as a bus driver. He enjoys to be the king on the road. All the people are scared of his big buses. 
At home he is scared in the dark.

Mohan -36 years 
Just done voting. It really feels good. The city needs 
us to be active in thinking about ways to improve live 
and infrastructure. Go Bangalore!