✍️By Special Correspondent
This is another attempt by ‘Kolkata Anubhav’ to promote performing arts among the children and the youth. We at ‘Kolkata Anubhav’ strongly believe that by exposing the children and the youths to various forms of performing arts, we can create a better society. Over the last few years, the organisation has conducted programmes like‘National Seminar, Workshop and Performance on Frozen Images, Frozen Voice and Body Movements for the Deaf and Dumb’, ‘Nrittyer Taale Taale’, ‘National Mime Festival on Performance, Workshop and Seminar for Deaf and Dumb’, ‘The Journey into the Vibrant World of Lalitkala’. The scale and scope of annual show has increased over the years and the support from everyone has given us the encouragement to put together this year’s programme . We were honoured to have Dr. Haimanti Chattopadhyay, Member-Secretary, West Bengal State Akademi of Dance Drama Music & Visual Arts, Kolkata, as the Chief Guest of the evening.
There was an ‘Opening Dance’ which was very gracefully presented by Miss. Ayushmi Santra, student of Kolkata Anubhav. This was followed by the welcoming of the Chief Guest and the Guests of Honour of the evening. This was followed by the ‘Lighting of Lamp’ ceremony. The lamp was lighted by the Chief Guest of the evening.
The ‘Lighting of the Lamp’ ceremony was followed by the speech of the respective Chief Guest and the Guests of Honour namely Dr. Haimanti Chattopadhyay, Member-Secretary, West Bengal State Akademi of Dance Drama Music & Visual Arts, Kolkata, Mr. Dhruba Mitra, Ex-Producer, Doordarshan Kendra, Kolkata, & Mime Exponent, Prof.Tarak Sengupta, Prof.(Retd.), Drama and Theatre Arts, Sangit-Bhavana, Visva- Bharati, Santiniketan, Shri Naushad Mallick, Journalist & Telefilm Director, Shri Avijit Santra, Director & Principal, Ayushmi Film & Television Institute, Kolkata, Dr.Kausik Ray Chaudhuri, M.B.B.S. (CAL),M.D.(CAL), Consultant Gynaecologist & Oncologist & Urogynaecologist, Eminent Author & Social Activist and Dr. Debangshu Das, M.B.B.S. (CAL),M.D.(MEDICINE),FAGE, Bangalore Consultant Physician and Intensivist, Marina Medical Centre, Jalpaiguri and a Social Worker. Thereafter an extensive, Practical Structured Workshop, based on Pantomime, Theatrical Arts, Folk and Indegenous Arts and Visual Arts was conducted by Mr. Dhruba Mitra, Ex-Producer, Doordarshan Kendra, Kolkata & Mime Exponent.
The Cultural programme began with the main attraction of this year’s programme, ‘DEVI (The Celebration of Womanhood)’, a Dance Drama, that was directed by Theatre and Mime Exponent, Mrs.Krishna Dutt , Ms. Bijoya Dutt Odissi Dance Exponent and Disciple of Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra and Guru Poushali Mukherjee and Shri. Rajib Bhattacharya, Odissi Dance Exponent and Disciple of Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra and Guru Ratikanta Mahapatra. This was presented by Odissi Dance Exponent, Ms.Bijoya Dutt and and Shri. Rajib Bhattacharya, Odissi Dance Exponent .
The Concept, Script and Compilation was indeed very well composed and structured by the team of very eminent personalities in the field of Theatrical Arts and Education, namely, Krishna Dutt, Pabitra Kumar Ghosh, Sumana Ghosh Dastidar, Debjani Sengupta and Bijoya Dutt. It was based on the freedom and dignity of womanhood and women empowerment.
The theme of the Dance Drama promoted and propagated awareness about the theme of role played by women in cultural set up of the Nation and along with their contributions in nourishing and preserving the culture at personal space.The Dance Drama was performed in the Odissi Classical Dance Style and that show-cased the varied aesthetic aspects of Odissi Classical Dance and Theatrical Arts. The Audio Voice was rendered by the mesmerizing voice of Theatre and Mime Exponent, Mrs.Krishna Dutt. The Dance Drama was given a theatrical form by incorporating , the very eloquent recitation of Kabi Guru Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Ami Chitrangada’ by Mrs.Krishna Dutt.
The choreographic aesthetic of the Dance Drama would give an ecstatic experience to the audience. The gestures and moves of Bijoya Dutt and Rajib Bhattacharya were fluid, dynamic, precise, graceful, musical and rhythmic. This was followed by a award winning famous Short Play, ‘Naari, Shaktir Utsha’, that was presented by Theatre and Mime Exponent, Mrs.Krishna Dutt, Miss Ayushmi Santra, student of Kolkata Anubhav and Master Udbhav Das, student of Kolkata Anubhav. This play was based on the concept of “BETI BACHAO BETI PADHAO”. The play showcased the awakening of the ‘feminine power’ and the spread of women literacy in India, specially in the rural areas .The protagonist of the play was enacted by Theatre and Mime Exponent, Mrs.Krishna Dutt, whose realistic and convincing performance left the audience spell bound. Her immotive and passionate rendition of dialogues was indeed eclectic.
The performance by Miss Ayushmi Santra and Master Udbhav Das was indeed expressful and effective. Shivapriya Sengupta, a student of Kolkata Anubhav had paid a tribute to Late Pilu Bhattacharya for his contribution in the field of folk and contemporary music industry by a mind gripping recital of her poem. This was followed by a thought provoking Mime Act, ‘SWACHH BHARAT ABHIYAN’, that was presented by Swadip Bhattacharya, student of ‘Kolkata Anubhav’. This was followed by a bouquet of songs that was presented by eminent singer Mr. Sanjib Ghosh, whose great tonal quality and musicianship impressed the audience. The Song was followed by a very graceful and creative Dance Performance by Minakshi Chaturvedi, a senior student member of Kolkata Anubhav . The Dance was followed by a series of fascinating and interesting Mime Performances on current affairs and the concept of ‘Beti Bachhao and Beti Padao, by Sayan Dutta, student of Kolkata Anubhav and Dilip Bhattacharya, Senior Hearing-Impaired student member of Kolkata Anubhav. The show also witnessed the praiseworthy Mime performance of Shri.Baidyanath Chakraborty, Eminent Mime Artist and Director, ‘Mini Mime Mine’ and his students, Jit Chakraborty and Sujoy Roy. This particular Mime Act was followed by the vocal music performance of Rita Ghosh. The innovative dance composition of Bishnu Das, student of Kolkata Anubhav, was indeed commendable.
Thereafter a different shade was added to the programme with the RECITATION that was very eloquently performed by eminent journalist, Mr.Naushad Mallick. The Recitation was followed by a ‘MONOLOGUE’- that was performed by Sayan Dutta, student of Kolkata Anubhav. The Monologue was followed by the vocal music performance of Tanushree Mitra. The vocal music performance was followed by the enchanting Mime Performances of Eminent Mime Artists, Shri.Rupayan Choudhury, Director, ‘Nirbak’, Santipur and Shri.Ratan Chakraborty, Director, ‘Rangtal Theatre’, Halishahar.
The last performance that was very brilliantly staged by the students of ‘Kolkata Anubhav’, was a ‘PLAY’-‘Ghente Gha’- a play based on the Comedy of Errors, was directed by Theatre and Mime Exponent, Mrs.Krishna Dutt and Sabita Ghosh, student of Kolkata Anubhav . The actors of the play were Sabita Ghosh and Shila Chatterjee.
The Musicians of the evening were Sarbani Das on Tabla and Panchanan Dalal on Sythesizer. Programme was exquisitely conducted by Mr. Sudipto Roy & Mrs. Krishna Dutt . The overall presentation of the entire production was praiseworthy.