Following the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919, the Indian freedom fighter and poet, Bismil Azimabadi wrote the immortal verses: ‘Sarfaroshī kī tamannā ab hamāre dil meñ hai’ (The desire for revolution is in our hearts). It became an anthem for freedom fighters and were depicted on popular posters, like the one we see here. Along with the representation of the motherland as a woman holding the tricolour—reminiscent of Abanindranath’s Bharat Mata—the words create a powerful emotional connection with the familiar faces, making them appear timeless and iconic. Women, when they made it to such popular posters, were usually represented in symbolic forms.
Various Litho and Olio
Untitled
Offset print on paper
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Various Litho and Olio
Untitled
Offset print on paper
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