Muk Academy’s annual mime show (May 14) was distressingly under-rehearsed. The large cast of 15 displayed uncertainty about cues and the lighting, crucial to mime, proved dismal. The showpiece was a condensation of Pather Panchali, fragmented into so many brief snippets — virtually over before they began — that repeatedly disrupted the mood. Only towards the end did it touch us, mainly due to Disha Das’s earnest portrayal of Durga. The director, Mukul Dev, performed solo in some other sketches, most of which merely varied Marcel Marceau’s stock repertoire — as in Pose and Posture and On (sic) a Park. In Doll’s Shop, he initiated a few children by making them enact dolls.
Ananda Lal
Parampara, a programme hosted by Calcutta Club to felicitate veteran Rabindrasangeet singer Sumitra Sen on May 15, traced the tracks of traditional and contemporary music. Her two daughters Indrani and Sraboni Sen presented a wide repertoire of Bengali music — from Nidhubabu’s tappa, Nazrulgeeti, Tagore’s music, right down to Salil Chowdhury’s experiments with choir music. Sraboni’s Aakash bhora surjyo tara set the pace of what followed. Musical eloquence and the touchstone quality in her tone mingled with a rare insight, translating the underlying sensibility in the lyrics to create metaphysics in music. Indrani, very thoughtfully, chose to present a different variety of songs. The suppleness and dexterity of voice created a marvel out of old numbers like Suprava Sarkar’s Bhuli kemoney or Choley jeona.
Mohua Mitra
Deccan Touch, an exhibition of contemporary paintings and sculptures by artists of Andhra Pradesh, was made to coincide with the inauguration of Samakal Art Gallery. Jointly sponsored by the Department of Culture, Andhra Pradesh, and Reflection of Another Day, Kolkata, the event drew large crowds, if only to show the cognoscenti’s deep interest in artistic activities being carried out in that part of the country, few of whose major artists are frequently showcased here. The old Madras metaphor has surfaced in the works of some participants, while the influence of mentors such as Laxma Goud is clearly visible in some other works. A few of the artists have been students of the MS University, Baroda, while a predilection for pure abstraction is seen in the creations of Gouri Shankar, Devulapalli Rao, Jayanath, S.W. Kolhe and Chinta Narappa.
Samir Dasgupta
