Delhi’s Proust Questionnaire – Artist Gauri Gill, Hazrat Nizamuddin East and Surroundings General by The Delhi Walla - January 25, 20200 The parlour confession. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The Proust Questionnaire represents a confessional game that owes its structure to answers given by celebrated French writer Marcel Proust in two parties that he attended at ages 13 and 20 in the late 19th century. The Delhi Walla have brought these Parisian parlour confessions into the Indian capital to explore people’s lives, thoughts, values and experiences. The series interview folks from diverse backgrounds. So today, say hello to Gauri Gill. One of the most acclaimed contemporary photographers, Ms Gill, 49, has her works exhibited worldwide, including the Venice Biennale 2019. Born in Chandigarh, she lives in central Delhi’s Nizamuddin East and is often spotted walking along its lanes. Your favourite virtue or the principal aspect of your personality Paying attention Your favourite qualities in a man Kind, intelligent, ethical, liberal, irreverent Your favourite qualities in a woman Similar Your chief characteristic Doggedness What do you appreciate the most in your friends? Warmth Your main fault Impatience Your favourite occupation Reading Your idea of happiness Awareness and immersion Your idea of misery or what would be your greatest misfortune? Losing loved ones, love itself If not yourself, who would you be? The perennial student of a great teacher Where would you like to live? Where I do, in the neighbourhood of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya Your favourite colour and flower Green; sweet peas Your favourite bird Sparrow Your favourite prose authors Too many to recount. Have been studying the Nalanda Buddhist master Shantideva recently Your favourite poets Vidrohi, Kabir, Bullehshah Your favourite hero in fiction Maharaj Kumar, the protagonist of Cuckold Your favourite heroine in fiction The Rose in The Little Prince Your favourite composers Musical loves include Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Nina Simone Your favourite painters Everyone must see the Sudhir Patwardhan retrospective at NGMA Mumbai this winter Your heroes/heroines in real life HH the 14th Dalai Lama; honest doctors and teachers in overfull and underresourced government hospitals and schools; all those who strive to overcome physical, mental or economic handicaps, using creative ways and means to survive and thrive; those who work behind the scenes in any capacity What characters in history do you most dislike? The insecure, cruel ones Your heroines in world history Aruna Roy, Medha Patkar, Arundhati Roy, the brave young student leaders we have seen emerge recently, mothers at large Your favourite food and drink Eggs, chocolate, coffee Your favourite names Commonplace, unpretentious ones What do you hate the most? Admin and accounts The military event you admire the most I believe in non-violence but have enjoyed reading about the Battles of Kalinga and Chamkaur. Asoka and Guru Gobind Singh are fascinating figures The reform you admire the most Most recently, the Right to Information The natural talent you’d like to be gifted with Perfect memory How do you wish to die? Easily What is your present state of mind? Pre-occupied Faults for which you have the most tolerance Lack of confidence, nervousness, lame jokes Your motto in life The Golden Rule Into the citizen’s heart 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. FacebookX Related Related posts: Delhi’s Proust Questionnaire – Jaya Jaitly, Hazrat Nizamuddin East Delhi’s Proust Questionnaire – Dawood, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya’s Dargah Delhi’s Proust Questionnaire – Mehreen Shah, H Nizamuddin West Delhi’s Proust Questionnaire – Proust Scholar William C. Carter, On Marcel Proust’s 100th Death Anniversary Delhi’s Proust Questionnaire – Divya Babu, Sector 54, Gurgaon