Tagore’s rich repertoire of songs and writings was put to good use by Smarto Majumdar in his solo programme of songs, Kaler Jatra, on December 8 at Kalakunj. Directed by Srabani Sen, the programme was segmented into two distinct parts — Pother Katha and Prakritir Katha (though it left one to wonder whether the wandering minstrel on the road was not an intrinsic part of nature as well!). Tunefulness and a fresh timbre to bank on, young Majumdar however, was stiff in terms of creating mood, leaving the well-rounded meends in the song Aami tomar shongey bendhechhi incomplete. Spiced up with readings from thoughtfully chosen pieces of Tagore’s prose and poetry, tasteful stagecraft and a wide range of musical support, Majumdar’s songs were enriched with a visual appeal that would have been otherwise difficult for him to attain at so early a stage in his musical career.
Mohua Mitra
Predicament of Man, the exhibition at Samokal Art Gallery, attempted to explore temporal reality in contemporary painting, as a tribute to the late veteran artist and sculptor Somnath Hore. The exhibition had works by 22 contemporary artists on display. While Jogen Chowdhury’s skeletal ‘torso’ vivified the crisis of physical existence, the Self Portrait by Sunil Das depicted myriad human emotions. Partha Pratim Deb’s works weaved a visual dialogue on social existence, while Habibur Rahman reflected on the history of mankind. Among the younger artists, Parag Roy’s Babu I & Babu II was an inquisitive glance at the bygone era of babu culture, indulging viewers to confront and question the historical past and Chhatrapati Dutta’s Diptych was a comment on the existential crisis of mankind.
Mrinmoyee Paul
On December 7, Natadha (Howrah) presented two short plays directed by Shib Mukhopadhyay — Karno Ekhon and Lata — at Buildwell Theatre. Karno Ekhon, based on characters of Mahabharata, shed light on the evil effects of war, a theme relevant in the present war-stricken world. Bedana Bandopadhyay as Krishna and Arno Mukhopadhyay as Karno were convincing. Lata revolved around the plight of an innocent woman (enacted by Sadhana Mukhopadhyay) during the British reign. The second half of the play, however, was monotonous.
Jayasri Mitra
