Imaginative in snatches

Having established herself as a leading Rabindrasangeet singer, Debarati Som is showing keen interest in the music of Tagore’s contemporaries. Her brief recital in Boitalik’s presentation (Rabindra Sadan, July 16) raised our expectations, installing a new faith in her ability to carry off different styles. What followed could be described a frugal meal made out of exotic flavours. Varshamangal was imaginative in snatches. That the eternal dialogue between the cosmos and earth could be analogous to another between man and woman had physical manifestation in the fluid movements of Polly Guha and Manojit Saha. Partha Ghosh and Gouri Ghosh regaled in the recitation bit. The stage d?cor was a big letdown.

Anshuman Bhowmick

Vacuum in conjugal life

The theme of domestic strife has been done to death in contemporary Bengali theatre. Yet Rashbehari Srishti’s Sunyata (Sisir Mancha, July 16) managed to explore it with a certain amount of originality. The loneliness of two people who find themselves drifting apart only after a few years of marriage is revealed through the eyes of a wise, elderly gentleman (the husband’s father, played by writer and director, Amit Sarkar), whose virtual-omnipresence is juxtaposed skilfully with his utter helplessness in preventing the crack in the relationship. It is Sarkar’s measured performance (and the smooth weaving in of flashback sequences into the narrative) which holds the play together. Sadly, he fails to bring out the best from the others. But what is absolutely disastrous is the dialogue, with malapropos English words.

Dola Mitra

D.L. Roy stylisation

The musical compositions of Dwijendra Lal Roy are winning admirers in Santiniketan as well as downtown Calcutta, as a commemorative concert (July 19) at the Home of Grace in Aurobindo Institute of Culture made us believe. The unique stylisations of Dwijendrageeti, combining elements from the Hindustani and Western classical traditions and kirtan, found able torchbearers in Sumarani Das, Sharanya Saha, Aniruddha Sinha and Gourab Chowdhury. Das, with a poised soprano and balanced recital, evoked the memories of Dilip Kumar Roy renditions with her interpretation of Eki madhur chhanda. Given her command in the hybridised top-khayal style, Das sounded the most promising. Debashis Basu’s free-rhythm treatment of Pratima diye ki pujibo spelt class.                (AB)