The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : An event worth the wait

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 02, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

An event worth the wait

Special Correspondent

Ravi Shankar, Anoushka enthral

— Photo: R. Ragu

The sitar afire: Pandit Ravi Shankar and daughter Anoushka at The Banyan’s fundraiser event ‘Basant Utsav’ in Chennai on Saturday.

CHENNAI: Sometimes it is a good thing to wait for a long while. The wait multiplies the pleasure of the eventual climax.

It couldn’t have been truer at The Banyan’s fundraiser event Basant Utsav, an evening that was much awaited. And when it finally happened, it was more than worth the wait.

Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar and his daughter, Anoushka, made the stage sizzle, leaving the audience breathless when they finally took a bow.

Basant Utsav was deferred from its original schedule in February because of the maestro’s ill health. But, when the day arrived the sitar took over the night.

The magic begins

In her pink raw silk kurti, the lights adding an ethreal glow, Anoushka came to turn on the magic for the night, plucking a mere string.

She was joined by her father on stage after a truncated interval and by the plucking of yet another string the magic was enhanced multi-fold.

Though the Pandit seemed frail as he was escorted on to stage, the moment the sitar was in his hands there was a new man on stage. A man who was doing what came most naturally to him - playing the sitar.

Standing ovation

Not surprising then that at curtain call the standing ovation was louder than it was when he was welcomed onto the stage.

Earlier, The Banyan’s brand ambassador, Vivek Oberoi, handed over a cheque to the organisation as did Ranjani Manian of Global Adjustments.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu