It was little less than pandemonium at Sisir Mancha on June 2. Organised by Sambitti, the programme began 35 minutes late as the harmonium was on its way. The otherwise innocuous instrument made a hurried departure seconds before the start-crossed Abbasuddin mimic took the stage. In between unfurled the tale of an elocutionist going overboard and a tabla-player whom Rajeshwar Bhattacharya had to stop in medias res as he went on playing jhamptal with Gahan ghana chhailo although the Tagore song required a tintal accompaniment. Apart from routine acts by Bhattacharya and Srabani Sen, the soiree salvaged some prestige thanks to Basabi Dutta and Ratna Mukhopadhyay. Chandernagore-based Mukhopadhyay braved a nervous start to offer a sincere interpretation of Amaar hiyar majhe. The monotony of Tagore songs was interrupted by Dutta’s smart work of Tabe preme ki such hata, wishful thinking put to words by Dinabandhu Mitra.
Anshuman Bhowmick
Blithe Spirits’ Plum Package, at British Council, repeated the modus operandi of their previous salute to Sir Pelham Grenville. The play renderings of Pighooey and Jeev-es and the Greasy Bird raised only occasi-onal smirks owing to desultory narrative links and director Prabir Ghosh’s obvious struggle with varying accents, talent levels and sartorial sense among his readers. The fittest tribute would be a fulltilt staging of one of Plum’s plum farces for Broadway: A Damsel in Distress, Baa Baa Black Sheep (a fitting riposte to Pighooey) or Leave It to Psmith. And most devoutly to be wished, mounting the musical Anything Goes, cowritten with Cole Porter.
Ananda Lal
Nataraja, the dancing Shiva, is the supreme manifestation of Indian dance. In Hindu mythology, Shiva is the symbol of protection as well as destruction. Highlighting this interesting duality in the roles assummed by the Lord, choreographer-dancer Aditi Bandyopadhyay of Nrityaneed began her performance at Gyan Manch on May 28. This item, titled Mangalacharan, was followed by pataka hasta viniyog (hand gestures) which included some spastic children besides Bandyopadhyay’s own students. Her solo performance was successful due to her smiling countenance, beautiful execution of rhythmic permutations and her admirable gait. But the concluding item, scripted by Aditi, failed to project the theme as announced by the compere.
Sulagna Mukhopadhyay
