Venkatesh Prasad HD

This Foundation Project implemented by IFA under Explorations will explore the making of a performance with a speculative fiction text in Kannada, on the life of an epigraphist. Venkatesh Prasad HD is the Coordinator for this project. 

Venkatesh Prasad HD is a multi-form artist with expertise in literature, art, and education, who has earned a Doctorate in Literature. He holds an MSc in Mathematics, an MA in Kannada, and a Diploma in Drama from Rangayana, Mysore. He has acted in several plays, including Julius Caesar and Devi, and directed productions like Sutrada Bombe and Parashadan. His published works include a poetry collection, Vichitra Pisumaatu. He has received accolades such as the Kumara Vyasa Award and the Kannada Rajyotsava Award for his contributions to Kannada literature. His play Naanu Aaru was successfully performed at the Dharwad Rangayana. Given his experience, Venkatesh Prasad HD is best placed to be the Project Coordinator of this Foundation Project of IFA.

This project titled The Scribe Duggama’s Entry on the Path of Finding Myself will be a speculative fiction on the lineage of epigraphists who created the inscriptions at Shravanabelagola, which will unfold as multi-form explorations. The project will address the relative anonymity of epigraphists who inscribed letters on stone slabs, who are marginalised in mainstream history in comparison to the celebrated stories of kings, high-ranking officials and feudal lords. For example, there are approximately 576 stone inscriptions in Belagula, yet the names of the epigraphists who created them are not clearly found anywhere.  

The artistic process involves finding the names, language, culture, and background of the epigraphists who created the inscriptions. This speculation will be based on the number of months that would have taken to create one stone slab of inscription, out of more than 500 stone slabs, and the differences in styles over the decades, and other markers of time and place. 

The speculative fiction will be weaved around the figure of Duggamaraja or Duggamaroja, through further inspection of the inscription that might provide more clarity, about this elusive, possibly fictional name. The exploration will happen in the form of an imaginary conversation between the project coordinator and Duggamaraja, as an intersection of the imaginary and the real, and self-reflections. The exploration aims to create a text and performance.   

The outcome of the project will be a performance based on a speculative fiction of an imaginary conversation with an epigraphist. The Project Coordinator’s deliverables to IFA with the final report will be audio-visual documentation of the performance.   

This project suitably addresses the framework of IFA’s Arts Practice programme in the manner in which it attempts to bring to life, through speculative fiction, the lives of epigraphists who immortalised the lives of kings on stone slabs, but ironically were marginalised in history.    

IFA will ensure that the implementation of this project happens in a timely manner and funds expended are accounted for. IFA will also review the progress of the project at midterm by convening an online gathering of artists coordinating Explorations projects. After the project is finished and all deliverables are submitted, IFA will put together a Final Evaluation to share with Trustees.

This project is made possible with support from the Sony Pictures Entertainment Fund.