Nature runs as a consistent motif in many of Rabindranath Tagore's creations. The poet's relationship with nature is more than an artistic abstraction, and his philosophy is based on a strong bond between man and nature. Chinton presented Green Earth - Shobujer Obhijaan at Kalamandir recently, keeping in mind global warming and climate change, both of which are important contemporary issues. Conceptualized by a sincere and competent singer, Sounak Chattopadhyay, the programme featured the veteran Rabindrasangeet singer, Pramita Mallick, along with the theatre personality, Kaushik Sen, and the actor, Churni Ganguly.
In the show, songs and narrations were interspersed with dance performed by students of Tanushree Shankar's institute. The multimedia presentation involved various forms of art, and nature was the main protagonist in this theme. All the artists were genuine and earnest. Grishma, barsha, sharat and basanta were chosen to express Tagore's love for the different seasons. Pramita Mallick, with her brilliant tonal quality and tuneful presentation, sketched the scorching heat of summer with " Darun agni bane re". This was preceded by a soulful narration by Churni Ganguly. The sensitive actor was splendid with her mannerisms. "Jharo jharo barishe baridhara" by Mallick was equally impressive.
Sounak is a trained classical singer; he has been nurtured by Swagatalaxmi Dasgupta and Pramita Mallick in Rabindrasangeet. His rendition of " Aji dakhino duar khola" and "Ei toh bhalo legechhilo" were splendid. The seasoned Kaushik Sen was dignified. However, the format of the presentation seemed to be a little confusing- at times, it took on the style of an adda between the singers and narrators, at other times, the narrative style was straightforward.
The dance segments were the weakest parts of the programme. This had nothing to do with the dancers and their competence, but with the injudicious choice of the dance style. It did not do justice to the theme of the programme, and looked superfluous. The accompaniment, too, was loud at times. But the introduction was elegantly done by Gouri Basu.
Srijak, in association with the ICCR and the Deutsche Bank, presented Agnishikha, a creative presentation for victims of violence. Fire has played an important role in the life of human beings and in the evolution of human civilization. Goutam Upadhyay and Rupa Upadhyay designed an innovative dance production to depict the plight of women, who are regular victims of violence, and showed how they can fight against evil with their shakti or inner strength. The show was marked by good choreography and teamwork. The costumes and make-up were dramatic and engaging. The English translation and recitation were done by Professor Sujata Siddhanta.
