Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
That whiff of a golden era
SIDDHARTH SHUKLA
|
Ujjain’s 50th annual Kalidas Samaroh offered a plethora of art events.
|
Eyebrows were raised at the generous portion allocated to Hema’s performance
Star Appeal Hema Malini at the Mahotsav.
Sanskrit, culture, art, literature, classical music and dance were all packed into a week in Ujjain recently. The occasion was the golden jubilee of the Kalidas Samaroh, an annual event that has become synonymous with this quiet town. With each day
divided into four sessions that included poetry in different languages, stage shows, lectures, competitions and debates, all centring round the works of the poet Kalidas, the schedule became a bit hectic. But there were plenty of options for spectators to choose from. The fourth session each day was a performance of classical music or dance.
Another aspect of the festival was the National Kalidas Painting and Sculpture Exhibition. More variety would have added to the quality of this exhibition. Pandit Gokulotsav Maharaj flagged off the celebrations with a Khayal recital. His selection of songs was apt. Among the highlights of the festival were Kalidas’s famous plays “Abhigyanshakuntalam”, “Vikramorvashiyam” and “Malavikagnimitram”, directed by Rajendra Awasthi, Kailash Chauhan and Suryamohan Kulshresththa, respectively.
Hema Malini too
Bringing in a touch of glamour was Hema Malini, who performed the dance dramas “Meghadootam” and “Kumarasambhavam” with her troupe. While Bollywood’s ‘Dream Girl’ pulled in the crowds by the thousands, eyebrows were raised at the generous portion of the entire event’s budget allocated to her performance.
“Ritusamhar” was presented by Teena Tambe and group. Ujjain’s connoisseurs got an opportunity to hear the rarely performed Rudra veena by Ustad Bahauddin Dagar, who rendered raga Bhoopali in his family’s typical Dagar Bani style.
Shambhauvi Shukla danced Kathak. A disciple of Pandit Rajendra Gangani, she was accompanied by Pandit Govind Chakraborty who provided absolutely befitting tabla support. Sarangi player Farookh Latif Khan and Abhay Mandkay provided enthusiastic support in melody and rhythm. Pandit Channulal Mishra’s concert that exemplified the Banaras gayaki was a big draw.
On the whole, the week’s celebrations, organised jointly by the Kalidas Akademi, the Madhya Pradesh Sanskriti Parishad and other agencies, were enjoyable. However, considering this was the golden jubilee event of the festival, it would have benefited from a better array of artistes and representatives drawn from countries other than India.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
|
