Twin celebrations on TAGORE'S 156TH Birth anniversary

No amount of celebrations can payback the great poet for what he had gifted the civilised world, yet Tagore enthusiasts gather every year with beautiful cultural fests in respect to the polymath

If it's time to celebrate Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore's 156th birth anniversary, Kolkata is ready with various events to commemorate the special occasion. ‘Two Poets' is a unique musical conceived by versatile Assam based vocalist Chandrima Bhattacharya which deals a magical blend of Tagore's songs along with compositions of the legendary poet-lyricist Gulzar.

Both are poets from different times but this musical revolves around the similarities between their creative urges. Be it songs of love, Monsoon, philosophy of life, both poets connect well. It shows the way how a living legend gets inspired from another Bard of a different era.

Gulzar once said, “My first introduction to Tagore was when I came to India after partition. Tagore has this beautiful way of giving details. He wrote all by experience and living those moments. Nothing feels imaginary in his works. Being a lyricist, I'm deeply aware of sounds in poetry. People beyond Bengal don't even know the romantic poems of his young age. They don't even know that he wrote romantic poems. They don't even know that he was young! People know him as the bearded man who wrote the national anthem. So people take him in the line of Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Nehru. He was a playful young man too. One should learn about this side of him as well. Look at his poetry for the young. He wrote so much for children. It is sad that apart from a few of his writings, children today are not taught Tagore.”

Sudarshan Chakravorty, an ace choreographer, is all set to present the musical journey, performing as a story teller for the first time. People have watched him dance, and produce big dance shows before. Chandrima Bhattacharya, who will sing the songs of Tagore and Gulzar, said, “This is happening for the first time in Kolkata. I am thrilled as this musical deals with very unusual gems from both the greats. Gulzarji's ghazals, poetry, his personal anecdotes regarding the Bard will add a different colour to the whole

venture.”

Gulzar has often said that the ‘Geetanjali' changed his life and that one whole community (bengalis) lives on Tagore. The programme will include eleven songs in all, five from Tagore's ‘Geetanjali' and six from Gulzar. ‘Amare tumi ashesh korecho' by Tagore is to be paired with Gulzar's ‘Shyam se aankh me nami

si hai/aaj phir aapki kaami si hai', and Gulzar's ‘Ek ekele ek shahar mei' would be paired with ‘Amar

ei path chalatei anando' in the programme. The script has been penned by Angshuman Bhattacharya, supported by Romil and Sudipta Chanda. ‘Two Poets – Dui Kobi' will be held on May 18 at a tea lounge in South Kolkata.

A man for all seasons, Tagore's birthday is celebrated with aplomb and a plethora of cultural ensembles in the month of May. So where and how did Tagore spend his birthdays?

That is answered by ‘Jonmodine Rabindranath' – an initiative by interdisciplinary artist Sujoy Prasad Chatterjee comprising narratives by popular film actor Sohini Sarkar, medical professional Sharmistha Ray and Sujoy himself. “Sarala Devi first started celebrating Tagore's birthday when the poet was 27 years old. She gifted him a dhoti and a chador(shawl). This was after Satyandranath Tagore returned from abroad. There is another anecdote that Lady Ranu Mukerji (then Adhikari) gifted him a handkerchief on his 59th birthday. Another slightly tragic story would be of his elder brother Satyendranath Tagore and Rabindranath parting ways in terms of their estate on one of his birthdays. The Padma and Silaidaha were no longer part of his territory,” Chatterjee told Millennium Post.

Interestingly, this show encompasses anecdotes, stories and incidents associated with the celebration of his birthdays till the very end (80 years). The chronology is maintained and the changing social and political dynamics of the country also gets reflected in the script which documents all of this through songs and stories. The songs will be presented by Srovonti Basu Bandopadhyay.

The show is being organised by Highland Park Housing Society and opens on May 13 at Highland Park Club. Following the show, there would be a concert by acclaimed Rabindrasangeet vocalist Jayati Chakraborty.