Hrushikesh and Sudipta Panigrahi at an event in Berhampur. Telegraph picture

Berhampur, Dec. 27: They have fine tuned the skill of introducing renowned artists on stage so that it has taken on an art form. But how does one present Orissa's first compere couple?

Meet Hrushikesh and Sudipta Panigrahi of Berhampur, the couple that has carved a niche for itself as a compere duo.

The audience at the Gopalpur Beach Festival 2010 was enchanted with the couple's skills at hosting the stage shows.

Hrushikesh’s innovative style coupled with his sonorous voice and impeccable Oriya is as soothing on the ears as is Sudipta’s crisp and spontaneous narration in English.

“Hosting stage shows is not everyone’s cup of tea. But the Hrushikesh-Sudipta duo have worked in perfect harmony to evolve an articulate style where there is seldom overlapping or intrusion. A profound love for the diversities of both Oriya and English and immense respect for the celebrities is reflected in their narration,” said V. Santosh Kumar, secretary of the Ganjam District Hotel Association (GDHA) and co-convenor of the Gopalpur Beach Festival.

The couple hosted one prestigious event after the other from the time of the Konark Dance and Music Festival in 1993.

The list of events they have already acted as comperes include the Mandei Utsav in Nabarangpur, Raghurajpur Festival, Pankaj Utsav, Basant Utsav, Gajapati Utsav, All-India Multi-Lingual Drama Festival in Cuttack, singer Udit Narayan's show in Berhampur, Jayadev Gita Govinda Samaroha at the ‘garbha gruha’ (sanctum sanctorum) of the Siridi Sai Temple at Siridi, kriya yoga by sages at Rishikesh near the banks of the river Ganga, Dil Mera India Function in Mumbai in 2001, the American Embassy Festival in New Delhi, Bhanja Mahotsav, New Delhi, Orissa Cultural Festival in Surat, and the Boita Bandhana Festival in New Delhi.

“We always compere together as a couple; never alone. We also prepare separate themes for each festival and compere accordingly after practising a lot,” said Hrushikesh.

Their children Suhrud and Sanhita have also inherited the culture streak from their gifted parents. While son Suhrud is a student of Hindustani classical music, daughter Sanhita is a student of Odissi dance. Hrushikesh and Sudipta have together imparted a touch of professionalism in their presentations; so far non-existent in the field in the state.