Age has taken its toll on her singing but Suchitra Mitra is as effusive as ever when it comes to recitation. Her ageless contralto does not betray an iota of fatigue. A morning session at Sisir Mancha (January 15) found her exploring the whole gamut of expressions of the endearing bond between a mother and her child after Tagore. There were short lyrics as well as narrative gems like Karna-Kunti Sambad. The one that impressed the most was a dramatic exchange between Gora and Manorama from the novel Gora which saw the hero getting his mother’s piece of mind about apartheid. This Arohi presentation also featured a Rabindrasangeet recital by Irabati Bose. Otherwise an average singer, Bose was handicapped by a tonal strain that she could not overcome by expression.
Anshuman Bhowmick
Manipuri exponent Preeti Patel, along with dancers from her institution Anjika, presented Agni, a dance ballet at Tollygunge club on January 20. Based on pure Manipuri dance style, God as Agni was viewed physically as a blazing fire in yajna and spiritually as Para Brahma. With a competent and well-trained troop of dancers, the choreogra-pher visualised an abstract philosophy in an innovative way, using martial arts, huge drums and other apt props and postures. Opened with an invocation to the Goddess Usha followed by Agni Manthan, where the fire was lit, this bold and beautiful production set the mood through melodious Vedic chants and ancient Manipuri rituals.
Sharmila Basu Thakur
The British Council hosted a charming photographic show ‘Cultural transitions of Aruna-chal’ in Calcutta. The exhibition, a dedicated effort to document the splendour of Arunachal Pradesh in the past 150 years, was a fascinating experience for any lensman. The technical and aesthetic qualities of the photographs added a sensual touch to the whole project. In addition to the imaginative typography, the captions were very imaginative. The exhibition showcased black-and-white as well as colour photographs. Some of the old photographs were in sepia tone and that lent an old-world charm to the exhibits. This particular section had works by many unknown photographers like Woodthroppe, Robert Siggins Kennedy and Simpson, among others. Most of the more recent and colour photographs have been taken by Michael Aram Tarr.
Sunil K. Dutt
