Economic & Political Weekly: The gladiatorial spectacle of IPL has brought the worst of our economic and cultural life to the open. (April 17-23, 2010)
The new IPL team 'Sahara Pune Warriors' unveiled the name and logo of its franchise at a grand ceremony in Pune on Saturday April 24 2010.
As expected, the logo- embedded below- is gladiatorial. But does it look good?
Historian T S Shejwalkar becomes lyrical describing a member of Maratha cavalry:
"...a coloured fluttering flag used to be attached to the spear; because of that the sight of shining tip of the spear in daylight along with fluttering flag looked graceful from a distance..." Panipat 1761, 1961.
(त्र्यं शं शेजवलकर:"...भाल्याला फडफडणारे रंगीत निशाणही अडकविलेले असे; त्यामुळे उन्हांत चमकणार्या भाल्याचे टोंक व त्याखाली धावताना फडफडणारे निशाण यांची दुरून मोठी शोभा वाटे..." पानिपत १७६१, 1961)
When I first read this description, I closed the book and tried to imagine that spectacle. The process was exhilarating.
Has the logo captured even a tiny fraction of Shejwalkar's poetic description?
What would have an artist like D G Godse (द ग गोडसे)- who once worked for an advertising agency- done with the idea?