Cotton College students at a cultural rally to mark the college’s foundation recently. Picture by UB Photos (Top) Porag Sarmah, of the Bordoichila Theatre, receives the best actor award from transport minister Anjan Dutta at the recent Y’S Men’s Mobile Theatre Award function. (Bottom) The last surviving ivory sculptor in Assam, Tikendra Nath Bayan, at a recent workshop at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra. Pictures by UB Photos and Eastern Projections

lCity-based filmmaker Suman Haripriya, who earned accolades for her films Koina Mor Dhunia and Kakadeutar Ghar Jowai, recently completed the post-production work for her third celluloid venture Kadam Tole Krishna Nache, which will hit the theatres soon. The editing was done by Sanjay Sharma at Mumbai’s Arclight Films, owned by Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan.

The film, a Sattriya musical extravaganza, is based on Sankari art and culture. Biju Probha and Ranajit Chakraborty have penned the story for the film, while the screenplay has been written by the filmmaker herself.

More than a hundred artistes took part in the shooting, held at various locations. The film is expected to be off the beaten track with innovative direction, music and choreography.

Exponents of the Sattriya dance like Jatin Goswami, Jagannath Mahanta, Ghana Bora, Govinda Saikia, Saradi Saikia, Ramkrishna Talukdar and Jibonjyoti Dutta are the choreographers. Prabhat Sarma has scored the music, to which Anupam Saikia, Tarali Sarma, Parinita Goswami and others lend their voices.

The cast of seasoned artistes includes Nipon Goswami, Mahananda Sarma, Mridula Barua, Chetana Das, Ruma Devi, Tapan Das, Purabi Sharma, Jayanta Bhagawati, Hiranya Das, Sohani Goswami, Aaimee Barua, Rupsikha Saloi and Dinesh Das. Ranajit Chakraborty and Nirmal Deka are the cinematographers.

Musical melange

lTwo audio albums which have won the hearts of music and poetry lovers are Surar Melat Pulak and Barashun.

The first is a compilation of lyrical modern Assamese songs presented by Sangeet Prakash.

The eight-track album features a host of artistes ? both established singers and newcomers. Noted singer Pulak Banerji, Debajit Choudhury, Anindita Paul, Pardev, Soma Chakraborty, Pranita Devi and child artiste Pallab Medhi are the names that figure on this album.

Niketan Das, the music director, has penned all the songs, barring one, which has lyrics by Archana Kalita.

“This album is a melange of voices ranging from the new to the older generation,” said Niketan Das. “The combination of different artistes worked and the listeners are receiving it quite well. What more can we ask for?”

The second, Barashun, is an unusual album of Assamese poems recited to the accompaniment of music.

It features poems of new generation poet Saurav Saikia, whose first album was a hit among poetry lovers.

Stalwarts in the field, Tapan Das and Purabi Sarma, have recited the poems. National award winner Tarali Sarma’s music greatly adds to the album.

It has been produced by Tribeni Changkakati under the banner of Srijana Production.

Cheers to Charing

lThe recently-released Smriti Satadal Charingar Rahghara, is a book that elaborately explores the rich cultural and historical background of Charing.

The book’s co-editors Hari Prasad Chaliha and Madhurya Prasad Chaliha, a father-and-son duo, originally hail from Charing, now a flourishing hamlet in Sivasagar district. They have done a wonderful job of the book on Charing, a place known for its martyrs, poets, writers, educationists and commoners toiling to bring the hamlet to the forefront.

The book is a commemorative volume comprising memoirs and articles on Charing, which played a predominant role in the country’s freedom struggle. It was at Charing that martyr Maniram Dewan was brought up.

It is a detailed first hand account of the place with valuable literary inputs. It has already been acclaimed by literary giants. The book has also served as inspiration to many authors who now plan to document the places of historical interest in the state.

Dance festival

lPushpanjali Cultural Academy, founded by famous classical dancer Pushpa Bhuyan, organised a classical dance festival recently at the District Library auditorium. Three batches of the institution’s diploma-holders performed their arangetram before an appreciative audience.

The arangetram in Bharatanatyam symbolises the eligibility of the diploma-holders to perform solo on stage and to train young dancers in the art. About 200 students in the age group of six to 20 from both the city and the Maligaon branch of the institution performed at the festival.

Prof. C.K. Balagopal, famous Bharatanatyam exponent, appreciated the standard and discipline exhibited by the dancers in the arangetram. He had earlier conducted the practical examinations at the institute. He lauded the excellent choreography of Pushpa Bhuyan, her daughters, Vanita, Sangeeta and Rita and her disciples Moon Moon Medhi, Dimple Lahkar and Ananya Talukdar. He also praised the efforts of the other teachers at the academy.

Biren Lahkar, Sadhana Lahkar and Jyoti Medhi were instrumental in conducting the show to perfection.