27/09/2026
What’s life without art?
It was a pleasure enjoying the lovely art curation, Palette Infinity, by my dear student Vikram Rawal of Sagar’s Art Stream at Gallery West End today!
Every time I visit an art exhibition, it brings back so many wonderful memories of my father.
Having spent my childhood accompanying my father, Malay Chaudhuri, to various art galleries on weekends, art left an indelible mark on my life. His love for art was so immense that he would invite artists home for dinner simply to listen to them. Later, he became the creative director of three short films in Bangla, all aimed at bringing about socio-political change in Bengal. He would often tell me that without an appreciation of art and culture, life would lose some of its greatest charms.
He never had enough money to buy expensive art, but I vividly remember his excitement when he managed to buy an expensive piece of sculpture that still stands at the entrance of our house. He loved bargaining, and when he finally got it at a price he could afford, his happiness knew no bounds!
He even introduced a compulsory subject at IIPM called The Art of Living, taught by Prof. Utpal Banerjee, who also taught MIS and Computer Applications at the time, with a focus on appreciating all forms of art and culture in life. And when he first sent me to Europe, visiting the Louvre was a mandatory condition.
Two of my father’s most precious gifts to me are sculptures that now adorn the two personal office rooms where I work.
Art, to me, need not always belong to branded or expensive artists, so I have always tried to support and encourage artists around me. Among others in my family and circle of colleagues whom I have supported and encouraged, I’m especially proud to have played a small role in helping more people across India discover the potential of my colleague Biswajit Das’s colourful creations through a special commissioned art arrangement. Support for the arts has also been an important part of the Bharatiya Manavata Vikas Puraskar (BMVP), which has recognised contributions across art, culture, literature, journalism, education and social transformation, with recipients including Mahasweta Devi, Soumitra Chatterjee, Suchitra Mitra, Selina Hossain and internationally acclaimed artist Jatin Das.
When I made my own journey into cinema, it began with a film about an ageing artist and his relationships—Saanjhbathir Roopkathara. At its launch, Bengali artist Shubhaprasanna created a live painting that was auctioned, and my father proudly bid the highest for it.
Through Planman Motion Pictures, I went on to produce eight more films, including Faltu, Do Dooni Chaar and The Last Lear, and they were screened at major international festivals including London, Toronto, Rotterdam, Rome and Melbourne. In my limited capacity, and to further my father’s vision, I have tried to use awards and institutions as a means of celebrating the creative community. To further the same cause, in 2017, I launched the Power Brands Bollywood Film Journalists’ Awards, designed around an open online ballot of leading film critics—an initiative intended to give film journalism and critical opinion a more transparent role in recognising cinematic achievement.
My love for the arts has extended beyond films. Through Planman, I also had the opportunity to promote major international music concerts in India, including performances by Air Supply, MLTR and Boney M.
My involvement has thus included patronage, participation and institution-building—through discovering and encouraging artists, commissioning their work, placing them in influential spaces, creating networks of patrons, recognising established cultural figures through awards, and building platforms around cinema and the creative industries. Taken together, I proudly believe that I have done justice to my father’s love for the arts by continuing to stand for much more than a conventional corporate association with the arts.
