Deepika ist nach Chandigarh gekommen um Architektur zu studierend hat dabei erst mehr über das architektonische Erbe der Planstadt gelernt. Heute ist sie Direktorin dreier Museenund setzt dich für die Verbreitung der Geschichte der Stadt ein. Das Unwissen unter den Bewohnern ist noch gross. Sie ist überzeugt, dass man viel von den Ideen der Planer lernen kann.
PROTAGONISTS
G. S. Channi 1951 - 2021
Actor, Urban activist
Channi is a well-known personality in the city. In addition to his film and theatre projects, he is also an urban activist and a clown who addresses current problems through short plays in public squares. He came to the city as a twenty-year-old and was fascinated by the many open spaces, the freedom and the cultural community. Channi is a critic of the city government, which among other things keeps the Capitol complex closed off to the public.
Deepika Gandhi 1980
Architect &
Director «Le Corbusier Centre»
Deepika came to Chandigarh to study architecture. Today, she is the director of the Architecture Museum, the Le Corbusier Center and the Pierre Jeanneret House. She is committed to educating people about the city’s origins, as its residents still know little about its history. She is convinced that there is a great deal to be learned from the planners’ ideas when it comes to building today.
Diwãn Mãnnã 1964
Artist &
President Academy of Arts
Diwãn grew up in a village and moved to Chandigarh as a young man. He attended the College of Art in Chandigarh, later going on to become the head of the college himself, and today he focuses on promoting young creative artists. As an artist and photographer, he is interested in Chandigarh and the work of Le Corbusier, and talks about the influence of architecture on people’s mental wellbeing.
Siddhartha Wig 1967
Architect & Lecturer at the
Collage of Architectures
Siddhartha was born in Chandigarh. He runs his own architectural practice and teaches at the College of Architecture. He has a conflicted relationship with Le Corbusier and his work – while he admires his farsighted planning, he also criticises the strict building regulations, which make any further development of the city almost impossible.
RESIDENTS
Narinder Singh International
Cityguide & Retired civil servant
Narinder moved to Chandigarh as a government official after Partition. He loves to show tourists the everyday life of the city, and we spent days accompanying him on foot with our camera.
S.D. Sharma
Architect &
Contemporary witness
S.D. Sharma is an architect who has been involved in the “Chandigarh Project” since the city was founded in 1952, and worked with Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret. As a contemporary witness, he recalls an inspired time and a strong spirit of cooperation.
Manjot Kaur
Artist
Manjot spent six years studying at the College of Art, and has been strongly influenced by Le Corbusier, who also designed the college buildings.
Navtej Singh Johar
Urban aktivist & Dancer
Navtej grew up in Chandigarh and is now a dancer living in Delhi. He fondly remembers his youth and is enthusiastic about the possibility of growing up in a planned city that puts people and their needs at the centre.
Manhoman Sarin
Senior Advocate
Manhoman works as a lawyer in the high court, and his was one of the first families to move to Chandigarh in 1954. He loves the city, and always carries a 10-franc banknote in his wallet.
Sudhir Talwar
Shopkeeper Bhatura King
Sudhir came to Chandigarh in the 1970s, and runs the “Bhatura King” restaurant in the city centre. The city has changed a great deal, he says – not only the number of inhabitants, but also property prices have risen dramatically.
Bharath B. Sharma
Advocate
Bharat has his office outdoors, right by the Capitol Complex. He works closely with a clerk. Clients drop by unannounced, and use his services for their upcoming visit to the authorities. Despite this work, his life in Chandigarh is a financial struggle.
Uttam Jit Singh Sethi
Typewriter
Uttam along with lawyers and other clerks, sits in front of the Capitol Complex every day typing up written applications. For him, Chandigarh is “the city beautiful”. He is the town clerk in our film.
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