HERE’S LOOKING AT YOU, APU: Sharmila Tagore and Soumitra Chatterjee will be the biggest names at the three-day London Ananda Utsav from March 19

A P.C. Sorcar magic show. A Soumitra Chatterjee play. A Sharmila-Soha narration. A Dona Ganguly dance recital. A musical play by Anjan Dutt. A Kumar Sanu-Alka Yagnik concert. All this and more, not at Rabindra Sadan, but at Alexandra Palace in London.

Come March 19 and Bengalis in London will get a chance to celebrate their cultural roots with the three-day London Ananda Utsav. The all-action weekend will see around 20 hours of Bengali entertainment from some of the best in the business.

Bengalis constitute about 0.8 per cent of the UK population with London leading the way. Almost 30 organisations under the banner of Central Bengali Association are part of Anandabazar Patrika presents PC Chandra Jewellers London Ananda Utsav, in association with Kingfisher Airlines.

“While we have foreign shows in different parts of the world these days, bilet for Bengalis has always been London,” said Mir, who will anchor all three days of the festival. “Also, to go to British soil and do something by Bengalis, of Bengalis and for Bengalis, is a great kick. The tagline puts it perfectly: Thames-ey ebaar ilish uthbe.”

But Sharmila Tagore feels that the event will draw more than just the non-resident Bengali. “While there will be lots of Bengalis coming to watch the shows, a programme like this transcends language,” Nayak’s Aditi told Metro. Sharmila and daughter Soha will narrate Robi O Radha, an adaptation of Tagore’s Bhanushingher Padavali. “It will have music, dance, poetry, lots of beautiful clothes… together it creates a kind of festive atmosphere that everyone enjoys.”

A highlight is the mix — a Soumitra Chatterjee and a Babul Supriyo, an Arati Mukherjee and an Usha Uthup.

“While nostalgia is definitely a key to an event like this, I think it’s also important to give the Bengalis there a glimpse of contemporary Calcutta,” says Anjan Dutt, whose Bhalobashar Nandini will feature everything from Rabindrasangeet to Bengali film music to Bangla band songs.

“When I performed in London last year, I could feel that an entire generation of Bengalis wanted to update themselves about what’s happening here,” said Dutt, who having attended such a sammelan in America previously, doesn’t see “why London cannot be the hub for such an event”.

The ticket sales for the London Ananda Utsav (http://www.londonanandautsav.com/) sure bear that out. Says Feltham-based finance professional Rajarshi Dasgupta: “Alexandra Palace is quite far from my place, but in those couple of evenings, I will get a chance to catch up with the Calcutta I miss so much.”