srbnewsbanglaAn ode to her homecoming
Concept and execution : Srijan Chatterjee and Mounita Chatterjee
The programme is based on the annual homecoming of Goddess Durga and will be
staged over two consecutive days under two different titles.
Duggi Elo Oi
Date – October 7, Saturday, 2023 I Time- 5.30 pm
Venue- Najrul Mancha, Near Rabindra Sarobar, Dhakuria, Kolkata
In this segment, we seek to showcase Bengal’s cultural tryst with Durgotsav, both from antiquity and modern times. Over the centuries, myriad artistic expressions such as dance, music, painting , theatre have got intertwined into the cultural fabric of Durgotsav. Many such traditions have perished and some continue to exist. Our goal is to engage our modern audience in a programme of modern sensibilities but at the same time stringing together the threads of the past. To achieve this , we seek to represent various old cultural aspects such as the near extinct tradition of ‘Ramayan Gaan’ which in recent past formed an integral part of rural Durga worship. Keeping in sync with the martial spirit of Devi, we will also stage the traditional war dance of Bengal called ‘Raybenshe’. We also want to present Dhaaker Lodai’ – the fight of two traditionally skilled drummers, which once formed an integral part of Durga puja culture and was a favourite pastime of the zamindars and aristocracy. Traditional musical formats which have shaped the cultural identity of Durgotsav over the ages, such as Kirtan, Agamoni, Bijaya , Tappa, Baul and others will also be staged in this segment .
But our engagements with the past have not made us forget the relevance of the present. Pujar Gaan is a modern time culture which continues to form and enrich the Bengali cultural narrative over at least the last seven decades. The period of Durga Puja Puja has witnessed the birth of many immortal compositions in the world of music. We also want to offer a befitting tribute to this continuing culture through our programmes. Artistes and performers who have come forward to turn this dream into a reality need no new introduction to the audience. For Adhunik Pujor Gaan, our stage will be graced by eminent vocalists such as Haimanti Shukla, Lopamudra Mitra, Manomay Bhattacharya, Jayati Chakraborty, Aritra Dasgupta, Gourab Sarkar, Sujoy Bhowmik, Somdatta Banerjee, Chandrika Bhattacharya, For ‘Shruti Natak’, eminent recitation artistes Jagannath Bose and Urmimala Bose will present their well-known productions. The folk songs will be represented by Dipannita Acharya, Pousali Banerjee, Tirtha Bhattacharjee and Rishi Chakraborty. Ramayan Gaan’ will be presented by Bibhabendu Bhattacharya .Kirtan will be presented by Aditi Munshi. ‘Dhaker Lodai’ will be presented by the internationally reputed ‘Mahaprabhu dhaki sampradaya’ led by Mona Das. Srijan Chatterjee and Mounita Chatterjee will curate the whole programme as well as perform solo and duo. Our goal is to present a beautiful autumnal bouquet of the cultural legacy of Bengal’s Durga Puja.
Navadurga o Mahishasuramardini
Date – October 11, Wednesday, 2023 I Time- 5.30 pm
Venue- Rabindra Sadan, 71, Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Rd, Maidan, Park Street area, Kolkata
1.NAVADURGA: A production, which interprets the stories of the nine goddesses in light of our lives presented through recitation and interspaced with instrumental music and vocals. This theatrical
presentation will be staged by the well-known anchor and elocutionist Mounita Chatterjee and aided by reputed flutist Soumyajyoti Ghosh, respected percussionist Somnath Roy, the talented sitarist Subhas Bose.
2.MAHISHASURAMARDINI: The famous All India Radio programme needs no introduction. However, through our revisiting the same, we envisage to churn up the same evocative emotions through
contemporary artistes and modern music arrangement, but represented as the same old timeless classic. This team production is perhaps the only one of its kind to showcase the timeless classic ‘Mahishauramardini’ as a professional live choir performance on the stage .
The production has been brought together and set in motion by Srijan Chatterjee who is a reputed vocalist, composer, music director of contemporary times . This production is one of his widely-acclaimed and praised creation ever where he himself is the narrator and the ‘Chandi Pathak’. The musical arrangement will be done by the very talented music composer and arranger Deborshi Mukherjee. The legendary songs of ‘Mahishasuramardini’, which continue to stir the imaginations of the Bengalis have been specially brought to life by established musicians and reputed contemporary artistes such as Shamik Pal, Ivy Banerjee, Rageshri Das, Indranil Datta, and Trisha Parui etc .
