Ravi Bedi

Ravi was born in India in 1939 and grew up in Jodhpur, the second largest town in the state of Rajasthan, India.  He is a writer, a musician and a self taught artist who has been painting in oils for the last last forty years. He is also a Retired Engineer (Wg Cdr) from the Indian Air Force.

Ravi has been happily married to Aruna for over forty years, confessing that he fell in love with her when they first met in 1957. After 14 years of marriage they were graced with the birth of their beautiful daughter, Mahima.

Ravi’s father died when he was young so he was mainly raised by his mother. Ravi admits this part of his life was not always easy but he feels this time instilled in him a good sense of the true values in life.  He also found great solace and joy by being creative – withdrawing into his own world of music, solitude and fantasies.

From Ravi:

I was a dreamer … I still am.

As I entered college, I longed for my own room, which was not to be. However, I settled for a tin-shed on the roof covered by temporary partition walls. You could bake a cake there under the hot-tin roof during summers! But I was happy, and the way I meticulously laid out my things, including the organ that my father used to play, impressed the whole lot in the colony.  It was my world where I shared my music with friends.

I wanted to be a musician or an architect, but I landed up doing engineering in Benaras. I did more music there than engineering. And then I joined the Air Force for the sheer lure of the blue uniform. I knew that I was in the wrong profession from day one. Despite a creative bent of mind, I had got into a destructive field. The creative urge in me, however, drove me to painting, of which, I have done a lot in the years to follow.

I did not rise much in the Air Force, but my wife and I had some wonderful, memorable times during the service. We made lasting friends, and some who did not last!  Eventually, I left the Air Force at the right time to convert my ancestral home into a small, but cosy hotel in town. I get to meet interesting people from around the world, besides making some money to put the meat on the table.  Now, in my retirement, I paint, play the Yamaha, play golf, and do some writing. The golf course is just across my house that I designed myself and built just before I retired from the service. I can Tee off from my roof- top, and play a par-three dog-leg on the third green!  What more can you ask? I have never enjoyed life better than I am doing now.

Writing is a recent indulgence, and a difficult one at that … for I learnt more abuses in school than English prose. I am trying to be better, although painting, golf or playing Yamaha is much easier.

But for the computer, I would have been lost in my own world. Now I can share with you all, my thoughts, my music, my writings, and my art. Oh … there’s a lot more to be done … time is running out. Let’s get cracking before it’s too late.

Interview with Ravi

When were you born?
1 March 1939.

Where did you spend your childhood?
In Jodhpur, the second largest town in the state of Rajasthan, India.

How has your upbringing influenced your writing and your art?
My upbringing was without my father, who had died very young, but I was influenced by the integrity and example of a couple of elders around me. Music and art (in that order) has been in my blood. I dreamt to be a musician and composer; I learnt to play the piano by ear on my own. But it was either engineering or medical those days, which put the meat on the table! I could have been a good architect, but I did not get an opportunity. However, I became a chemical engineer by chance (that’s another interesting story) and landed up in the Air Force. The creative urge in me, however, drove me to painting, and much later in life – writing.

Are you married?  What is your spouse’s name?  When/How did you meet?
Yes, happily married for the last forty-one years. My better half’s name is Aruna. Her father was my dad’s classmate in the famous FC College, Lahore (now in Pakistan). Her mother was my mother’s classmate. They got married because of my parents. So it was natural for Aruna and me to meet, for the first time in the year 1957. We knew instantly that we were made for each other, but it took a couple of years to disclose our feelings for each other. Communication was not easy; I was debarred to meet her for a couple of years. Eventually, however, I won her hand. By the way, she was sweetness personified and humble, but now she wears the pants in the house!

Have you any children?  What are their names?
We have one daughter, Mahima, our princess, who came into this world fourteen years after our marriage! She is in advertising and refuses to discuss marriage.

When did you first start creatively writing and why? What prompted you to become a writer?
English is not my first language. In fact, I learnt more abuses in school than English prose. The creative urge in me compelled me to share my stories and thoughts with others. However, I am not as gifted as Rod and Barbara, but I am trying to learn and be better.

When did you first start painting/drawing and why?  What prompted you to become an artist?
I was in the wrong profession and I knew it. I wanted to be in a creative field, but landed up in a destructive one, thanks to the lure of the blue uniform. I never went to an art school, but took to art to satisfy my creative urge. I have been painting off and on for over forty years now. Creating something beautiful on the canvas is my greatest joy, and a lasting one.

Who is your favourite artist/s and why?
Oh, there are lots of them, but Impressionists have impressed me the most, because they have a unique way to depict life. Modern art, of which I do a little, is not my cup of tea.

Is there certain style of painting your prefer?  Why?
Impressionism. It leaves the details and yet conveys a lot in its own unique way.

What is your favourite painting/s and why?
Once again, there’s a whole lot of them; some of them my own.

What is your favourite book/s and why?
I don’t read much. I have no favorites.

What is your favourite poem and why?
Sorry, I am not into poetry.

What is your favourite short story and why?
The stories written by RK Narain. You feel as if you are sitting in a cinema house.

Who is your favourite writer and why?
Khuswant Singh of India. He conveys so much with so few, and so convincingly. Besides, he has great sense of humor.

What is your favourite song/music and why?
“Unforgettable” and “Hotel California”, and also some old soulful Hindi songs of a bygone era. You have to listen to them to believe me.

What are your artistic goals?
To please myself and folks around me, including those who come to Bright Light Café.

What are you dreams and goals?
It’s too late in the day to think of goals and dreams. It’s time to enjoy what one has and leave the dreams and goals alone.

What are your hobbies?
Painting, music, driving long distances, writing, and golf. What more can a man ask for?

What is the artistic (art and writing) process like for you?  Do you sweat blood or do the words and pictures come easily?  Is there an approximate time it generally takes you to complete a project?
I can finish half a dozen paintings in a day or two, but writing is a phenomenal challenge; one is never satisfied. It’s tormenting, but very challenging. Once a painting is done, you don’t want to touch it again. Painting or composing music is a lot easier. Stories are never finished; you want to make changes every time you revisit them. It can be very tiring; one is never satisfied.

Do you have any advice you can share with other aspiring artists and writers?
Just go ahead and do what you like. Enjoy what you do and forget about success or failure. Remember, a lot of excellent artists or writers never tasted success in their lives. In modern times, however, a lot of trash passes off as works of genius. Today, a brand name is more important than the content.