Tagore songs go beyond music and lyrics. They reflect a philosophy of life that addresses humanity and awakens the human conscience. Taale Chhande Rabindranath in association with The Telegraph — an evening of music and dance dedicated to Tagore’s lyrical creations — was thus much more than a simple celebration of life. Organised by Calcutta Police Club on July 16 at Nazrul Mancha, it represented a noble initiative on the part of the club to financially assist three critically ill officers of the city police force.
Veteran Rabindrasangeet exponent Indrani Sen commenced the programme with songs of the rainy season and set the tone for the evening with her impassioned, sombre strains. Sujoy Bhowmik’s spontaneous rendering of Tagore songs in fresh, contemporary style was much appreciated by an enthusiastic audience. Sreeradha Bandyopadhyay and Sanjukta Das’s songs were about romantic love, love for nature and for the almighty. Lopamudra Mitra presented four Tagore songs in her distinctive style and won the hearts of the audience with her captivating stage presence.
During the programme, joint commissioner of police headquarters and president of Calcutta Police Club, Subhankar Sinha Sarkar handed over the cheques from funds raised from the event to family members of the ailing policemen.
Tanusree Shankar Dance Academy’s three stunning choreographic presentations that reflected the rhythm of life and its harmony with the universe, were perfectly in tune with the mood of the show. Curtains came down on the evening’s programme with a delightful performance by Iman Chakraborty, in which she frequently interacted with the audience and also sang her closing song on their request.
The programme was anchored by Madhumanti Maitra and arranged by Tochan Ghosh and Bony Ghosh.
“The purpose of this show was not just entertainment. It was an attempt to raise funds to support the treatment of our member colleagues, who are cancer-affected or fighting for life after suffering a road accident. We are overwhelmed by the enormous response we got for this show. We now plan to organise a bigger show in winter to help families of those in the police force who lost their lives in the line of duty,” said Mahadeb Chakraborty, honorary general secretary of Kolkata Police Club.
Pictures: Pabitra Das