Bhubaneswar, Aug. 25: From poetry slams to adult comedy shows - culture enthusiasts are gradually taking interest in innovative events instead of attending regular dance and music festivals and literary meets.
A literary phenomenon already popular in various parts of the world, slam poetry has recently made its entry here. Quite different from the usual reading sessions, slam poetry is recitation of original works but involves collaboration with other art forms such as music, theatre and dance.
A number of youngsters from diverse backgrounds took part in slam poetry sessions conducted by the city-based organisation, Bakul Foundation, at their library and the Xavier Institute of Management Bhubaneswar (XIMB) recently.
Ananta Prasad, a 26-year-old social worker who took part in the session, said: "This form offers scope for participation, along with acting as a source of amusement."
The decision to organise the event was taken after Odia boy Anshuman Dash had uploaded a video of his slam, The Toilet Seat, on YouTube. The video went viral and received huge response.
"In the city, there is a chunk of people, who are in the lookout for quality platforms for artistic release. People want options in their entertainment choices, so they are attracted towards anything that offers variation in their regular forms of enjoyment," said Bakul Foundation founder Sujit Mahapatra. They plan to organise poetry slams in other parts of the state as well.
Theatre lovers had a laughter-filled evening of an adult comedy organised at Idcol Auditorium two days ago. Staged by young artistes of Hyderabad-based theatre troupe Dramanon, the set of five plays titled That Four Letter Word portrays the complexities of love in a comical manner.
While in one of the plays a couple were seen discussing if lovemaking could be made environment-friendly, another was a hilarious take on the predicament of lust and passion in office.
For the audience, the experience was novel and exciting. "The theatrical scene is the state is very vibrant, but shows of this sort are quite rare. The witty one-liners were quite nice and provided a break from the regular plays that are mostly based on serious issues," said Kalpana Satpathy, a 30-year-old IT professional.
These apart, a number of jamming sessions and trivia nights are also getting popular in the city. A jamming session involving two rock bands was organised by a group of youngsters on World Photography Day recently.
"Classical dance forms and music are always a treat, but there is no harm in trying out new things and one needs variation in life," said Subrat Dash, organiser of the event.
