After being translated to English, Gitanjali gained Rabindranath Tagore the Nobel Prize in literature in 1913. But the book wasn’t written with the intention of winning the Nobel Prize; what Tagore wanted was to record his observations of society. His intuitive understanding of humanity led him to create works that are relatable, moving and timeless. He has made extensive and important contributions in the fields of literature, painting and music and is an inspiration to creative souls all over the world. This month is remarkably special to Tagore lovers, as it is his birthday month. To celebrate this month, Tagore fans are organising a range of activities in the city.
One such activity was an event organised by the NCPA, which showcased three dance groups performing Rabindra music, poetry and dance. ‘Robir Rongey — Tagore through colours and moods’, by Shana, The Tagore Centre for Indian Music and Culture, was the first performance of the evening. The dance-training institute’s production explored the association of colours with emotions and mood through an innovate blend of Rabindra Sangeet, dance and poetry. The result was a show that stimulated, provoked and entertained the audience. “Our performance is based on Rabindrik dance that has a mix of Manipuri and Bharatnatyam. We used contemporary costumes to explore Tagore’s relevance in today's times,” says Anushree Bonnerjee, the creative director of Shahana.
For those who are unfamiliar with the nuances of Rabindrik dance, Dr. Sarmishtha Chattopadhyay, an eminent Odissi and Rabindrik dance performer, provides enlightenment. “This is a specialised dance form and is part of the educational syllabus in many universities in India,” she says. “The dance form was curated by Tagore’s daughter-in-law in Shantiniketan. It combines elements from Manipuri Tandav and Kathakali. People are experimenting with the form these days,” adds the veteran dancer.
To pay tribute to Tagore, Dr. Sarmishtha Chattopadhyay’s group performed a routine titled, ‘Reminiscence and reflection — with ragas and keertans from Tagore’s songs’. Through their performance, the group of
10 performers highlighted Tagore’s meaningful narrations. “My performance is based on beautiful ragas like Ramkeli, bhimpoloshree, Malhar as well as Tagore’s fantastic keertans and different folk songs, like Baul,” says Sarmishtha.
In her performance, the dancer has used different forms of classical dance like Mohiniattam, some elements of Odissi with Ramkeli and regional Baul dance for the Baul performance. She also used Manipuri angika (physical movements) for her second performance of Samkritha Pamakari. “Rabindra Sangeet is versatile and I choreographed my performances with original composition of Tagore. My performances have different folk forms and I bring Lord Krishna and Radha on stage,” says Sarmishtha.
The evening ended with a performance by TV actor, singer and dancer Kamalika Guha Thakurta’s performance, who is from the Srijon Institute. With a group of seven dancers, she performed a dance routine set to Rabindra Sangeet. The dance performance showcased the love, longing and divinity in Tagore’s music.
