Refreshing memories
I read with much interest the write-up, "Goodbye to Gokhale Hall" (Friday Review, February 23).
The Indian Fine Arts Society, stepping into its 75th year, conducted their annual music festivals and conferences at the Gokhale Hall till 1962, and due to parking problems and limited accommodation at the hall, moved in 1963. It now conducts the festivals at the Bala Mandir German Hall, T. Nagar.
As per our records, C. Saraswathi Bai, Harikatha exponent, was conferred the title, Sangeetha Kalasikhamani by the Indian Fine Arts Society in 1954 by Rajaji at its 22nd South Indian Music Conference and festival at Gokhale Hall.Dance recitals were held mostly at the Gokhale Hall under the banner IFAS and the Bharatanatya exponents Kamala, Gopinath-Thangamani (ballets also), Lalitha-Padmini-Ragini (oriental dances) and Vyjayanthimala performed at the Gokhale Hall, and all of them glittered on the silver screen later.
N.C.Vasanthakokilam was one of the first to perform on the inaugural days till she breathed her last. .
Our institution was inaugurated on January 17, 1932, at Gokhale Hall.
This popularised the Hall where, later on, many sabhas in George Town conducted their monthly programmes.
We conducted our programmes at Gokhale Hall for more than three decades!
N. Srinivasan,
(Hony. Secretary, The Indian Fine Arts Society, Chennai.
Interesting development
With the reference to the article "Big time for small screen" that appeared in Friday Review on March 2, 2007, one is struck by the amazing victory for the small screen. It is indeed a pleasure to know, that in Bangalore, the small screen cast and crew are earning like IT professionals, which runs into several crores. The author B.V. Shivashankar, has rightly brought out the growing popularity of small screen with the audience. What he says about mega serials running into an endless churning is absolutely true.
Jayashree R.
Bangalore
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