Spot A “Warrior-Fakir” in the Dhobi Talao Subway

Pedestrians traversing the Dhobi Talao subway between 7.30pm and 9pm on Wednesday, July 25 are likely to bump into a figure in a giant white turban and robe, carrying a didgeridoo made out of a PVC pipe and a tree branch. The figure in question is 24-year-old performance artist Sahej Rahal, who will be enacting Brahmana II, the second instalment of a series of pieces played out in public places. For the first one, which took place in February on the Bandra skywalk, Rahal dressed in a patchwork robe similar to those worn by Navajo shamans.

Rahal, whose costumes are made from found objects, says that he draws heavily from mythology in his work. His latest avatar, he says, “looks like a warrior-fakir”. “When I play the didgeridoo, I hum as well. It sounds like Tibetan humming. So it’s a weird mix of multiple cultures,” says Rahal, who has been influenced by Joseph Beuys, the pioneering German performance artist who famously said that he viewed himself as a shamanic guide for society. The images and video of Sahal’s performance will be exhibited at Chatterjee & Lal, the South Mumbai art gallery that also represents Mumbai-based performance artist Nikhil Chopra, who Rahal counts among his inspirations.

Rahal’s walking route will start from exit No.3 of the Dhobi Talao subway, pass near exits No.2, 1, 9, 8, 7, 6, and 5, and end at exit No.4.