It was a star-studded evening. Saat Dashak, Tobu Basanta celebrated the 70th birth anniversary of Pandit Manas Chakraborty at Science City Auditorium on March 31. The programme commenced with a performance by Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma. He presented Raga Yaman. After the initial warm-up phase of alaap and jor, he started playing bandishes in this particular raga.

The first bandish in math taal (nine beats) was critical and he managed to create a soulful ambience with nice vistaars and taans. He also played two other bandishes in drut teentaal that were able to create the perfect magic for his intricate playing style. He concluded his part with a dhun in Raga Kirwani. The next attraction was the presentation by Pandit Manas Chakraborty himself, who started his performance with his self-created bandishes in Raga Bihangini, the first being in vilambit ektaal and the second in drut ektaal. Panditji, an ardent follower of the Kotali Gharana, tried to present a perfect form of this particular raga, with vocal support from some of his leading students.

But the sluggishness of age restricted the full bloom of his voice that created an unwanted disturbance throughout the performance. Although small vistaars and taan presentations in three octaves were not lacking in the special touch of the artist, they somehow did not touch the heart of listeners.

He concluded his performance with a Holi-special genre named Faag. The song in Mishra Malavi, influenced by Rajasthani folk song, was really enjoyable. The programme concluded with a performance by the Kathak maestro, Birju Maharaj, and his disciple, Saswati Sen. Whatever the art form, the artist’s age hardly stands in the way of practice, skill and talent. With effortless footwork and wonderful expressions, Maharaj was able to prove this eternal truth. He started his performance with Krishna Vandana, Varanata Chhabi Shyam Sundar, a creation of his own. After this, he presented some theme-based compositions on human relationships, friendship, love, conjugal life or the daily life of a bird in a nest that brought these subjects alive for the audience through an exceptional style and tricks of beat and tempo.

Saswati Sen’s short but proper Kathak presentation, with complicated bols and tatkaars, was appreciable. In the last phase, the audience enjoyed some electrifying tihais performed by Maharaj and his student, accompanied perfectly on the tabla by Pandit Shubhankar Banerjee. The programme was quite lengthy. Yet the duration seemed insufficient for the proper enjoyment of the performance by the three stars of this evening.