EZCC goes empty, talk of too many shows in Salt Lake
Is Salt Lake seeing an excess of Rabindra Jayanti programmes? Empty chairs at three of the four venues which hosted the top professional artistes indicated it was either that or the tortuous weather that kept some listeners away. Purbachal community hall, the smallest of the venues seating less than 400, was the only one where the chairs were taken up.
The programme at EZCC, which was inaugurated by director, EZCC, Ashish Giri, on the morning of May 9, featured a host of artistes like Ashis Bhattacharjee, Pubali Debnath, Shantanu Roychowdhury, Apala Basu, Srabana Bhattacharya and Kingshuk Roy as also elocutionists like Kajal Sur, Prabir Brahmochari, Ratna Mitra and Debashis Basu.
But audience presence at Bharatiyam that seats over 900 was scanty. In fact, around 11.45am, there were barely 10 people in the spacious hall. Apala Basu expressed disappointment at the sparse attendance. “Technology may have brought the world at our doorstep but it also seems to have made the next door seem miles away. In our youth, people would throng Rabindra Sadan braving the summer sun to listen to the open-air programme. They would sit on the pavement outside if seats were not available under the pandal. But nowadays such quality audience, who are connoisseurs of music, is hard to find,” Basu, the last artiste of the morning session, told The Telegraph Salt Lake.
Kingshuk Roy, who took the stage just before her, echoed the feeling, blaming a “degeneration in interests and values” in the once-culturally inclined Bengalis. “I am really shocked to see that today even in such a beautiful air-conditioned auditorium, most of the seats are empty. Earlier, wherever we performed, even in open air, people would be drenched in sweat but there would be no dearth of listeners.”
Veteran elocutionist Bijoylaksmi Barman, who performed past noon, thanked the handful who were present. “There’s a heat wave outside. Even then you have come here,” she said.
Srabana Bhattacharya, a Salt Lake resident, performs at the EZCC show
The administrative officer of EZCC, Abhijit Chattopadhyay, believes the multiplication of organisations in Salt Lake organising Kabipranam in the morning was resulting in the audience getting divided among venues. “People are possibly chosing a venue according to their convenience,” he said, pointing out that EZCC would have programmes for three consecutive evenings too.
There were empty chairs at Central Park too, though footfall here was far higher than at EZCC. An outdoor event being held under a pandal, it was filled to over half its capacity of about 700. There were a lot of fans but that did not provide complete relief.
Secretary of Bidhannagar Sanskriti Angan Anindya Pal blamed the weather. “It is too hot and humid today but bad weather cannot deter our celebration. The audience strength seems to be less possibly also because several other organisations in Salt Lake are hosting Rabindra Jayanti as well. So the audience has got divided in different areas.” He expressed hope for better footfall in the evening session at Central Park when more artistes would perform.
But Chattopadhyay of EZCC was not perturbed by the dearth of listeners. “We don’t put much emphasis on the volume of audience since in this era of technology, physical presence may be scanty but the show is being webcast on the ministry of culture’s Facebook page. Thousands of viewers from all over the world are watching it online from all parts of the world,” he said. The post with the recording of the live performance of the morning session, within a week since the programme, has notched up 2.8k views on Facebook.
Bharati Kanjilal
Footfall low at civic body Tagore show as well
Seats were free at the Laban Hrad Mancha show. Arijit Jana
This year, the Bidhananagar Municipal Corporation organised Rabindra Jayanti at Labanhrad Mancha in BD Block. The 400-seater venue too suffered from low turnout of residents.
“The ongoing heat wave in Calcutta is killing the spirit of Rabindra Jayanti. That is why we organised the show in an air-conditioned auditorium. Even then, some people have not turned up,” said mayor Krishna Chakraborty.
Residents from the township were in the minority in the audience. Many seats were taken up by members of the party cadre. They were attending the show on her request, the mayor said.
As the day progressed, the audience in the hall slowly became sparse. “The morning is the time when most people are busy with household chores. Even if today is a holiday for government offices, private companies are all open. Also nowadays people watch everything on the internet. I think that is why so few people turned up today,” said Shampa Kundu, a resident of BD Block. “The weather too is not very friendly,” she pointed out.
Singer Agnibho Bandopadhyay was happy with virtual viewership. “Now we have an added audience base on online platforms which watches us live on YouTube and Facebook.”
Several other well-known artistes like Apala Basu, Suman Panthi, Chandrabali Rudra Dutta, Manisha Nair and Swati Pal had come on invitation from the mayor.
The programme was a blessing for residents of the block who did not even have to cross the main road but some others did come from afar.
Kestopur resident Debopoma Mukherjee, who teaches in a Baguiati school, had come with her colleagues. “We are coming after concluding Rabindra Jayanti in our school. Getting to listen to so many artistes under one roof is a rare opportunity,” she said.
“Tagore is our inspiration. He makes us laugh and cry; he has a song for every emotion,” the mayor said.
Showli Chakraborty
Seats too few at New Town tribute
Full house at Rabindra Tirtha, which hosts the only show in New Town with professional artistes. People even sat on the floor in the aisle
If several venues in Salt Lake had seats going empty on May 9, Kobi Pranam at Rabindra Tirtha, the single big Tagore tribute in New Town, was a housefull affair. The programme was organised by Hidco in association with the information and cultural affairs department. Those who did not get a seat stood at the back. Some even sat on the floor to enjoy the morning’s performances.
So engrossed were the listeners that some were seen making dance mudras with their hands to the songs of Bhanusingher Padaboli being sung on stage while a few stood leaning against the auditorium wall with eyes shut.
Not everyone could manage without a seat. Octogenarian Sujit Chowdhury found it difficult to keep standing after a while and had to leave. Jahar Chowdhury, a 72-year-old from BE Block, did not linger and left on not getting a seat.
Bijoylaksmi Barman
Manoj Murali Nair plays the harmonium as Manisha Murali Nair sings
Seats were so precious that though complimentary tea and water from a food outlet were on offer outside for the audience, hardly anyone came out of the hall lest they lost their seats. Only those who were leaving availed of the choice of a drink on the house.
Some, like sisters Indrani Bose and Shivani Mallik from Eastern High, were even ready to pay for their seats. “Lack of space is a problem. A ticket system could have been a better option than this ‘open-to-all’ entry. Or else the arrangement could have been made in a bigger space,” Indrani said.
Some even came from outside New Town. Antara Mukherjee from Salt Lake had come with her mother-in-law Mala Bhattacharya and 12-year-old son Riyan. “We come here every year. Earlier it was not so crowded. The purpose of bringing my son here is to familiarise him with our culture. Though the Western influence is much more among kids of the present generation we play Rabindrasangeet most of the time at home for his benefit,” said Antara.
The packed auditorium energised the artistes. “The elements cannot stop us from celebrating this special day; rain or shine, we are ready to pour our hearts out,” said singer Parnabha Banerjee.
Chandrabali Rudra Dutta had hardly slept the night before but was travelling from one venue to the other with a lot of energy. Her daughter Deepawali, who also featured on the programme list, said: “It’s a great feeling to dress up on this morning, adorn the hair with a jasmine garland and set out for different places to pay tribute to the poet. This is our practice for years.”
Veteran elocutionist Bijoylaksmi Barman charmed listeners with recitation of the poems Sahajatri from Gitanjali and Ahaban from Balaka.
“If my song gives joy to even a single person that is Tagore’s blessing on me,” said Pubali Debnath, before starting
Maharaj eki saje.
Manisha Murali Nair sang songs of all phases — puja, prem, swadesh, bichitro and even Bhanusingher Padabali. A touching moment was created when she asked for a child as volunteer. When a toddler in a frilled frock was sent up on stage, she made her sit on her lap and prompted her to sing Fule fule dhole dhole.
Sovansundar Bosu, a resident of Kestopur, grew up in Salt Lake and said he considered Rabindra Tirtha to be the epitome of culture in New Town. He recited the poem Ek Gnaye, on two adjacent villages, comparing them to the neighbouring townships Salt Lake and New Town.
Veteran elocutionist Pranati Thakur brought tears to the eyes of listeners with her heart-touching recitation of Bidushak. The morning’s last artiste Manoj Murali Nair provided a fitting finale to the morning with a fine rendition of Oi ashontole.
Urmimala Dasgupta
Why were there less listeners at Rabindra Jayanti shows in Salt Lake this year? Write to saltlake@abp.in