An evocative evening of dance, theatre and music, under the banner of Ananda Sandhya — presented by Kailash, an institution founded by Swami Shivananda Giri Maharaj — brought together three veteran danseuses of the city, Purnima Ghosh, Polly Guha and Alokananda Roy, at Rabindra Sadan recently. The dance segment, titled Tin Kanyar Mudra, was a memorable confluence of grace, rhythm and expression that is to be expected from the three performers given their decades of experience.
These three doyens seldom share the stage; rarer still was the fact that their performances were all based on songs composed by Rabindranath Tagore. Opening the sequence, Purnima Ghosh presented “Majhe majhe tobo dekha pai”, evoking the shifting moods of longing and introspection. Her movements carried the quiet assurance of a seasoned performer. With restrained abhinaya and delicately-sculpted gestures, she translated the song’s poetic melancholy into a visual tapestry of emotions. Polly Guha followed with a meditative recital of “Sarthak janam amar”, infusing the piece with devotional fervour. Her interpretation emphasised the song’s spiritual resonance, her expansive arm movements and emphatic rhythmic patterns reflecting the sense of fulfilment and surrender inherent in Tagore’s composition. Guha’s stage presence lent the performance with solemnity.
The evening culminated in Alokananda Roy’s “Ogo shono ke bajay” and “Ami rupe tomay bholabo na” (picture). Roy brought to the stage the theatrical sensitivity that has long defined her work. Her nuanced expressions and measured pacing created a compelling dramatic arc, particularly in the latter piece, where the interplay of beauty, illusion and devotion found vivid embodiment. The programme celebrated the unique idiom of Rabindranritya — a style that eschews rigid classical grammar in favour of lyrical fluidity, expressive storytelling and an intimate dialogue with Rabindrasangeet. The recorded music accompaniment, though lacking the spontaneity of live musicians, allowed the dancers to shape their interpretations with precision.
Tin Kanyar Mudra turned out to be a meeting point of distinct artistic temperaments revisiting Tagore.