'I don't see Uddhav as politician. He is an artist'

A true artist carries his art with him Everything else follows Professor Vasudeo S Nibre 82 former head of department of photography at Sir JJ Institute of Applied Arts tells us when we ask him about his most famous student Uddhav Thackeray To me he is always going to be an artist I dont see him as a politician he saysThe professor has been keeping a close eye on Thackerays careermdashfrom being a photographer to sainik to party president and now the chief minister of the statemdashalbeit from a distance On a table in the drawing room of his Dombivli home is the coffeetable book Maharashtra Desha It has a collection of scenic aerial landscape pictures shot by Thackeray See these photographs he says You will know how talented he isAfter Thackeray graduated in 1980 he never really kept in touch with the professor If they met it was only at social gatherings where he Nibre remembers was always respectful Nibre was a teacher in the photography department when Thackeray joined the institute in 1975 In the fourth year when students are expected to choose a specialisation or elective course Thackeray who was also a gifted illustrator and sketch artist chose photography His cousin Raj went the other way says Nibre of his other popular student He told me Sir I think I am a better cartoonist And he was really brilliant at it Raj was also interested in other activities He doesnt share what thoughUddhav Thackeray felicitating Nibre at a photography competitionNibre however recalls Thackeray being very calm quiet and sincere We all knew he was Bal Thackerays son but he never threw his weight around When he was in class he was just another diligent student eager to learn he says The professor along with another teacher was incharge of teaching the practical side of photography This included showing students how to load film in the camera working on various lighting techniques shooting pictures and processing them Back in the day you had to take the prints yourself So we would work in the dark room where you prepared the developer using the chemicals All this required working for three to four hours straight inside the room sometimes the entire day Uddhav was always there Hed never skip these sessions he says When I met him several years later thats the first thing he remembered Sir I will never forget the dark room process Nibre would spend 15 of his 27 years at JJ inside the dark room Bending and working led to spondylitis Now I cant do it anymore says Nibre who retired from the institute in 1996His memories of Thackeray the student are slightly hazy He admits thats also because Thackeray never made an attempt to be in the spotlight He instead recounts fellow professor and artist MG Rajadhyakshas words of praise in a recent blog post In his piece Rajadhyaksha shared how Thackeray rarely spoke in class but when he did he was such an effortless orator that he would leave the rest dumbstruck He always took the Harbour line from Bandra to CST then VT and was the first one to make it to class even when it was pouring Rajadhyaksha sharedThe Sena leader also never forgot his gurus says Nibre Around 12 years ago when one of Thackerays classmates and friend started a photography institute in Thane Nibre was asked to design the syllabus and teach at the school Thackeray was invited for the ribbon cutting ceremony When he saw me in the crowd he said Sir tumhi aahat ikde tar mi kashala opening karu He took a step back and got me to do the opening Raj too made an exception for Nibre when the professor invited him to speak at his newlylaunched institute BS Bandekar College of Fine Art in Sawantwadi in the late 1990s His team said that Raj would only visit the college and not talk But when he came he not only spoke with my students for over an hour he also gave them a demo with a caricature of Mr Atal Bihari VajpayeeAnd what does the professor who is now enjoying a quiet retirement life away from the dark room think of Thackerays new political journey He was sincere then I am hoping he is sincere now But we will have to wait and see I must say though that I was surprised with his decision to become the CM He is somebody I have never seen lose his cool We will have to see how he prepares himself for the futureCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates