Oh, God, bhajans! could well have been the initial reaction of a music critic. But a house-full Kala Mandir listening reverentially to the Kush-Anuradha couple on the occasion of Janmashthami, last Sunday, was a revelation. After setting the mood with some glorious Krishna bhajans, the couple shifted gears soon enough to old Bollywood melodies. But one was enthralled to get a new insight into and another layer of meaning in Sahir Ludhianvi’s Yeh mehlon yeh takhton (Pyaasa) as religious poetry. Likewise in “the best shastriya sangeet,” as Kush described Laaga chunri mein daag (Dil Hi To Hai). But still, what’s Ae dil mujhe bata de, Na jaao saiyyan, Babuji dheere chalna, and the like got to do with a bhajan sandhya? Judging by the farmaiyshes and taalis, guess it’s Bollywood that rules even the heavens. Thank god no one requested, hands folded, for a Dhoom machaale.
Anil Grover
The fourth exhibition of the Association of Freelance Photographers and Art Pictorialists was held at the Academy of Fine Arts. Of the 55 exhibits, 41 were colour photographs. Sankar Dasgupta’s The body painter depicted the creative involment of both the model and the painter. The rhythmic posture of the model and the painter, so completely absorbed in his work, lent it a certain lyrical quality. That the image is a little out of focus only adds to the overall effect. Another striking photograph was Riders of the Sea by Biswapati Mukherji. The artist uses the top angle view of a struggling boat in rough sea. The enormous stress and strain revealed in the faces and the body language of the tough boatmen bring the photograph alive.
Sunil K. Dutt
Ancient manuscripts found in Orissa’s Ganjam district helped to weave a story in which Lord Krishna portrayed various roles like those of lover boy, king and politician. This was the theme of Krishan Madhuri, presented by Gurukul at Rabindra Sadan on August 22. Under the direction of Sutapa Talukdar, noted dancer and disciple of Kelucharan Mahapatra, the students depicted the canvas of Krishna’s life beautifully. The movements were well-synchronised and choreography interesting. The music, by V Balsara, was a real treat. Dhanurdhar Reddy lent a commendable support on the khol.
Sharmila BasuThakur
