This troubles Olaf Van Cleef, now on his 47th visit to India. For this painter from Paris, "Delhi is the city of babus, Bombay of Bollywood stars, while Kolkata is the city of Tagore, Aurobindo, Vivekananda, Ramakrishna." Kumartuli, College Street, Ganga ghat, "these spell a classy lifestyle," says Olaf who, as advisor to Cartier on high jewellery, would mostly meet the royal India. "Now I want to do things for the forgotten India," he announces.

His intimacy with India took another turn last year with an exhibition in Chennai. Now it's growing towards his first show in this city of forgotten palaces, come January.

The paintings he's showing in Chennai, Pondicherry or Kolkata have been "specially done" for India. "With Swarovsky diamonds," adds Olaf. With spots, circles, squares, oblongs, zigzags, triangles, dots and dashes, the painted surface could well be the layout for a carpet or a royal garden. "I inherited a rich carpet from my grandfather and I'd spend hours looking at it. That may be the source of my inspiration!" And the garden? "Well, my first job was designing gardens!"

Interestingly, Olaf 's work is reminiscent of tribal art from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthani miniatures. But Olaf puts his signature by designing these so as to add up to an elephant, monkey, tiger, parrot, Jagannath or Kali.

Why does Olaf still evoke India through these stereotypical images? "Because of Kipling!" he responds. "Jungle Book was my most precious possession as a child. And by painting Sher Khan and Balu and Ka, I return to my childhood."