Tagore’s works recreated through prose, poems and play

NAGPUR: On Tuesday evening,

Scientific Society Hall

was filled with city Bengalis who had gathered to partake in the 156th birth anniversary celebration of Rabindranath Tagore. Organized every year by the

Bengali Association

and

Bengali Education Society

’s cultural wing,

Unmukh

, the programme attempted to introduce Tagore and his works and philosophy through analysis and varied presentations for the viewers.

The programme began with organizer Kaushik Chatterjee touching upon Tagore’s influence in literature, music and modern movies. Neel Majumdar spoke on ‘Pratinidhi’, one of Tagore’s memorable poems where he hailed the idealized form of kingship preached by Sant Ramdas to his disciple

Shivaji

Maharaj. The poem is based on the saint telling Shivaji about how to be an able administrator. “Tagore started writing at the age of 10, and wrote till he was 70. How did he manage all that?” Majumdra reflected.

Eight song compositions based on ‘Path O Pothik’, the journey of life, were presented through ‘Geeti Alekho’, a rendition of music and poetry along with musical instruments such as keyboard and tabla. “A lot of Tagore’s poems have road as a central motif,” said Nina Shah, who recited the prose. Popular poems such as ‘Ami Poth Bhola Ek Pathik Esechi’, ‘Aamar Bhanga Pothayer Ranga Dhulay’ and ‘Gram Chara Oi Ranga Matir Path’ were presented by singers Sharmishtha Jha, Arpita Bagh and Deepak Choudhary.

“We have attempted to focus on various aspects such as the structure of his poetry. His writing style, political consciousness, his thoughts of democracy, and so on,” Chatterjee told TOI. He also compèred the programme.

Tagore’s supernatural story ‘Nishithe’ was presented in a play directed by Anjan Biswas. The plot revolves around a wealthy zamindar whose wife dies mysteriously. Once he remarries, he keeps having visions of his previous wife, borne out of his guilty conscience.

“Programmes like these bring the community together. Otherwise, except for the puja, we don’t usually get a chance to meet. This is an occasion for us and all local artists are doing a fine job in rendering his works,” said Rahul Guha, general manager at a private company.

Debashree Chatterjee

, a social worker, said, “Such programmes are instrumental in helping Bengalis like me, who have been born and brought up in Nagpur, stick to our roots. It makes me feel connected.”

(With inputs from Deblina Dasgupta)

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