Biswajit Mandal’s solo exhibition of paintings, showing at the Academy of Fine Arts, West Gallery, till August 20, can be summed up in one word: disappointing. Mandal works primarily with oil, and has a predilection for flora and fauna. He uses red, black and green liberally, but with a singular lack of imagination. And this leaves little scope for further critical comment.

As one moves into the North Gallery, the disappointment turns into depression. One is confronted with an assortment of garish colours, amateurish shapes and derivative subjects. The participating artists include Panchu Gopal Dutta, Bijoy Chakraborti, Biswaroop Dutta, Bageshree Dutta and Millie Basu Roy (till August 21). Depictions of Indian deities abound alongside figure studies. Anxieties of influence are also embarrassingly pervasive. For this reason, it becomes difficult at times to distinguish between works by different artists. Durgadas’s terracotta sculptures — particularly the ones depicting a reclining man with a newspaper — provide some relief from this dreary array. Such tritely decorative works of art inevitably leave the viewer with a mixture of boredom and sadness.

Somak Ghoshal

Right pace

The annual programme of Meera Chhandam at Rabindra Sadan (July 25) was choreographed and directed by Molly Roy, a senior dancer who excels in both Bharatnatyam and Kathak dance styles. The programme had an array of traditional numbers in colourful costumes and synchronized group compositions. The evening commenced with Dasavaparam, followed by a Kathak presentation based on taal dhamar. Subrata, Dwipayan, Swati and Debarati proved their taiyaari in this presentation. The Ganesh Stuti was an enjoyable presentation by the younger students. In Alarippu, the participants earnestly showcased their initial training. The Swara Jati was delightful although the Tarana , a rhythmic number, was an average presentation. The compositions with Tagore’s songs were refreshing. A school programme invariably has its limitations, given the fact that it has to accommodate all the students. This sometimes leads to poor time management and an amateurish presentation. But Molly — together with Sutapa, Tanushree, Ivy, Radha, Swati and Subrata, her team members — maintained a steady tempo throughout the evening.The dancers were accompanied by Sanjay Biswas, Chandan Dey, Samiran Acharya and Shula Beet. Molly Roy rendered able support on the Natubhangam.

SBT