Hindustan Times (Lucknow) - Hindustan Times (Lucknow) - Live
FROM DUSK TO DAWN AT FEST
It was the first time when ‘Tahkhana’ (basement) of Qaiserbagh Baradari was opened for public during the ongoing Sanatkada Lucknow Festival. Some exhibits were displayed there. The opening ceremony of the five-day festival was held at this majestic venue on Friday.
Thereafter, a fashion show ‘Dus Saal Bemisaal’ was organised. The event was curated by its members for their associates to appreciate and acknowledge their association with the festival over the years.
The event showcased the true essence of traditional Indian attire with a hint of western influence that came off as an honest adaptation of the past blending with contemporary culture. Core team members Mamta Verma, Rashida Zaheer, Dr Zaheer Saman, Habib, Noor Khan, Jay Shah, Lakshmi Kaul, Salim Kidwai and artisans Disha Shikhawati Sheela, Kailash Patwa, Mala Sinha and others walked the ramp.
A Kissa Goi (storytelling) was also presented by Valentina Trivedi.
Highlight of the day was mime show ‘Nazariya Badlo’ presented by CREA. It was performed by renowned IndoMalaysian Reshma Valliappan. The mime was a satirical bit based on how a blind man’s senses are better than a man who can see. It made children burst into laughter.
Reshma (39), a self- learned mime artist and a schizophrenia survivor, says, “Mime for me is a way to express my thoughts while language, be it any, fall short of words. It is a way of communication for me. It does not require any words or a certain language, it just connects you with people, irrespective of the region they belong to or the language they speak.”
On the second day, the Sanatkada Lucknow Festival elevated to reviving crumbling art of kite making by conducting a workshop ‘Kite Making with Tauseef’.
The workshop included insights on the process of kite making with Tauseef, an ace kite maker, telling how kite making is an ancestral business for him. “Though the art is a little lost but festival like these is an outstanding chance to make the present generation connect to this artform. I have dedicated my life to this art, like my ancestors did and I hope that the youth will also take interest in this artwork,” Tauseef says.
Mehfil-e-Shab, a play organised by Vijay Kumar at Lebua Saraca Estate, seized the second day of the festival. A play ‘Hum Bihar Se Chunaav Lar Rahe Hain’ was a socio-political satire on present day politics.
It was an early morning with Bhatkhandey Music University vice-chancellor Shruti Sadolikar performing ‘Sahar: Dawn Concert’ at Baradari.
She presented classical ragas of the morning. In the evening, a Qawwali by Mohammad Ahmed Khan Warsi and party was held at Salempur House. The day concluded with Ghatam (a South Indian percussion instrument) performance ‘Women of Rhythm’ by Sukanya Ramgopal and Sumana Chandrashekhar at Kala Khoti, Hussainabad.
She plays the ‘Ghatam’ in the Carnatic style. She has even designed a performance concept ‘Ghata Tharang’ that involves playing six to seven ‘Ghatams’ of different ‘Shrutis’ (pitches).
The musical performance was mesmerising and left the audience awestruck.
The fourth day of the festival saw two book launches during literary ‘Guftugu’ sessions held at Salempur house. ‘Lucknow: Wandering in the lanes of History 1700s1800s’ by Nasima Aziz provides an inside look into the Nawabi court.
Later in the day, national award winning author Yatindra Mishra’s book ‘Akhtari: Soz Aur Saaz Ka Afsana’ was released in the presence of Shruti Sadolikar, festival founder Madhvi Kuckreja and author Mehru Jaffar.