SPCkraft led by interdisciplinary artiste Sujoy Prasad Chatterjee and Mrittika Earthy Talks presented an evocative memorial to mark the birth centenary of Kanika Bandyopadhyay and Suchitra Mitra, the two doyens in the Tagorean oeuvre, at ICCR on December 2.
The evening kickstarted with a rendition of Aaji e anondoshondhya by singer Ritoja Chowdhury without any music, to reflect the tradition of full-throated learning in Santiniketan. MP Jawhar Sircar, the special guest of the evening, was felicitated by theatre personality Sohag Sen. This was followed by a dance performance by Indian classical dancer Arnab Bandyopadhyay set to a recording of Maran re by Kanika Bandyopadhyay.
Tagore veteran Pramita Mallick delivered a lecture on the ethos of music, independent outlook, distinctive styles and blends and the lives of the two legends. Acclaimed musician Shubhayu Sen Majumdar left the audience mesmerised with his brief esraj recital as he played Raga Behag culminating into Maharaj eki shaje. The artistes of SPCkraft presented selected readings of Bandyopadhyay’s biography interspersed with Rabindrasangeet by Suchhanda Ghosh.
An impromptu dance performance by thespian danseuse Purnima Ghosh had the auditorium burst into thunderous applause. Paramita Saha delivered an interpretative contemporary dance act set to the recording of Amar mukti by Suchitra Mitra. The show was crowned off with interactive dramatised readings by singer Shyamali Acharya and Sujoy on the life of Mitra, complemented by Rabindrasangeet by Jayati Chakraborty.
“This is my homage to the two artistes and a projection of their lives and their music as an example to lead and follow,” said Sujoy, the brain behind the show.
(Clockwise from left) Paramita Saha, Shubhayu Sen Majumdar, Arnab Paramita Saha Bandyopadhyay and Purnima Ghosh