Sound of silence prevails in SNA’s recording studio

APATHY Room set up to record dying art forms not operational for over a year

LUCKNOW: This is definitely not music to the ears of performing artistes and research scholars in the field of music, dance and drama. The UP Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) has failed to utilise the potential of the studio set up to record and preserve the state’s traditional folk music and dying art forms.

Costly equipment is gathering dust in the recording room, which has not been operational for the last one and a half years. Artistes are being returned as authorities seem to be focussed only on the radio jockey course run by the Akademi.

Nothing explains the apathy better than the fact that a paltry amount of 50,000 has been set aside for running the studio out of an annual budget of 90 lakh for the SNA.

“The studio worth crores was set up with the objective of recording art forms on the verge of extinction and preserving them for future generations. But the very purpose of it is defeated,” said an artiste.

Artistes allege that it is due to the SNA chairman’s “arrogant approach and lack of understanding about traditional art forms” that the recording studio is lying defunct.

Worse still, it has been a long time since a play was staged in the SNA auditorium. Reason: the floor of the stage is not fit for movement of people as it is crumbling at many points.

Critics say the chairman is entirely focussed on the radio jockey course and things like ‘Navankur’ to promote new talents in folk, Dhrupad and the Sambhagiya Natya Samaroh are lost in oblivion.

An artiste said, “The problem with the chairman is his lack of knowledge about the art forms of Uttar Pradesh. He was a radio jockey and that’s why he keeps on promoting the RJ course in SNA. The Akademi has almost become a radio jockey centre.”

However, SNA chair man Naved Siddiqui refutes all these allegations. “Only those who don’t know about my background come up with such claims. My father was a noted singer. I am also a registered B high singer with Akashvani and have my ghazals album. I have performed a number of plays on stage besides anchoring a number of current affairs shows besides being a DJ with the All India Radio. There is a lobby of former officials that wants the old system to prevail.”

Siddiqui said the recording studio would not be lying idle forever as SNA has decided to record audio biographies of noted artistes like Channu Maharaj ji, Haji Mahtab Hussain (son of Ustad Bismillah Khan), Pandit Birju Maharaj and Shubha Mudgal. Besides, the studio would be used for promoting young talents and releasing their CDs.

He said there was no lack of funds for the studio and the money meant for cultural activities would be used judiciously.