Meet Divya Kumar Bhatia who has been pushing the folk music of Rajasthan on to newer platforms

FEW can boast of a more enviable line of work. Divya Kumar Bhatia, who has been the festival director of the Jodhpur Rajasthan International Folk Festival (RIFF) for a little over a year now, has a multi-dimensional work life, but it's the art and craft of Rajasthan that occupies a large part of it now. He's just returned from a study visit to Poland. "I met some puppeteers there and want to develop string puppetry in Rajasthan," says Divya, when we meet during one of his shuttle trips between Mumbai and some part of Rajasthan.

A prolific theatre personality, who has been a part of Naseeruddin Shah's theatre group Motley, Divya's 'work' also includes attending some of the most vibrant, culturally rich festivals held across the villages of the desert state. With the support of Faith and John Singh, the two pillars of the Jaipur Virasat Foundation (JVF), Divya has been instrumental in identifying and promoting unheard talent from Rajasthan (see box).

Most of the talent is spotted at the Regional Arts Program (RAP) that the JVF kicked off in 2003. "We watch artistes perform in their own setting and then invite them to larger festivals, collaborations they can come to at RIFF. This is a process that was started by John Singh. He funded it with his own money to begin with and later applied for funds," explains Divya.

For someone who started out as a tabla player in a university jazz band that played at pubs in UK for "free booze and food," Divya fell in love with Indian folk as soon as he returned to India in the late 80s. He tuned into All India Radio for his daily dose of the "phati hui awaaz" and knew right then that he would be associated with traditional art and music someday. Divya moved on from being the festival director of the Prithvi Festival for eight years starting 1995 to being on board with JVF since 2004. "I want to work across the spectrum and do everything that I can for performing arts in the country," says Divya.