Chandigarh was born out of the ashes of India’s tragic partition on religious grounds at independence in 1947. A fruit of the vision of Nehru, India’s first prime minister, and the genious of one of the masters of modern architecture, Le Corbusier, it reflects India’s secular ethos.
Based on rationalistic principles, its urban design provides for ample greenery, while seperating the various functions of the city into zones – a design that has its positive and negative aspects.
Le Corbusier’s genius manifested itself especially in the Capitol complex, especially in the High court and the Assembly buildings. The sculptural use of raw concrete and the feeling for the sacred are some of the aspects explored in this part of the film.
A voice-over, accompanied by electronic music, archival footage, live images of the city and its buildings, are intercut with computer graphics to tell the story of Chandigarh.
