A Tale of Two Photos

On 3/12/06, vasudev murthy wrote:

Doubts have been cast on the Bangalore pre-meeting meeting held yesterday.

Please find a photo of VM playing the violin for the Ghazal master KVK Murthy alias JJ. The framed photo of the Washington Doubter stares down from the walls, ensuring an active conscience.

Cordially

VM

Exhibit A:








On 3/12/06, David Raphael Israel wrote:

Dear Vasudev,
thanks for the photo montage. Kindly note my attached visual reply. Kindly pay special attention to the Korean cheeks and the Indian beard.

I ask you, is JJ wearing a false beard?
Has he developed a secret formula for instant prolific growth of a gray beard?
Or was the photograph falsely labelled?
But if the photo was falsely labelled, and then its veracity is defended (as for instance by Rupa, claiming JJ had explained away the Koreanness of he image), does this not begin to suggest a conspiracy of deception?

These are troubling questions that no friend should wish to pose to his literary confreres. I mention them solely in the interest of a candid examination and resolution in the light of high principles of journalism. It may be that the Korean publication accidentally substituted a photo of a Korean gent for KVK. It may be that the photographer was directed to photograph the wrong person. It may be many things. One thing I do not accept it as being, is KVK in traditional Korean dress. Good Lord, Professor, do you take us for Simpletons?

Most cordially submitted,
d.i.

ps: delighted to observe, Sir, you played yet more music for the Bangalore cognoscenti. Perhaps we can have you to NYC for our 2nd anniversary event next year, inshallah. With or without Mehdi Hasan.

Exhibit B:










Details are noted here:

JJ in the News Again! This time from Korea!

-- d.i. (en route to NYC 1st annual S. & Co. readmeet, with hat-tips to Prof. Vasudev Murthy and the redoubtable James Joyce aka KVK Murthy)