Powerful drama at Tagore fest
Tagore’s 150 birth anniversary celebrations highlight his best works, says RITAM MITRA
If there is anything in the world that transcends the borders of politics, race, religion and language, it is art. Art allows a connection between any individuals at a holistic, fundamental level. Music, poetry, painting, drama, story and dance bind us together, and enable us to communicate even through time. Through generations we pass on all these forms of art, and this very art is the birth and manifestation of a culture.
Bengalis are known around India for a culture hinged upon an absolute devotion to art, music and literature. It was Rabindranath Tagore, however, who brought this culture to the forefront of the country. May 7 marked the 150th anniversary of the birth of Rabindranath Tagore, and the Bengali community kicked off the celebrations with a weekend of song, dance, drama and colour at the Macquarie University Theatre.
The free event honoured the Bengali poet, novelist, musician, painter and playwright; although he will always be remembered as a Nobel Laureate for literature, Tagore’s talents were indeed wide-ranging. He was writing poems from the age of 8, and perhaps the greatest testament to his achievements is that, in all probability, Tagore is the only person to have penned the national anthems of two countries – India’s Jana Gana Mana (which many will be surprised to know is actually written in highly Sanskritised Bengali) and Bangladesh’s Amar Shonar Bangla.
The program opened with a song from Sydney’s very own Rabindra Sangeet nightingale in Chandana Ganguly. Chandana has been singing Tagore’s songs in Sydney for over 25 years, stretching back to a childhood raised with his music, and it was a momentous occasion for her. “I’m really proud and happy to celebrate this occasion staying so far away from our country, and really happy to celebrate Rabindranath’s 150th anniversary for two days with all our friends in Sydney,” she said enthusiastically.
Rabindra Sangeet (literally, “Tagore Songs”) comprise of some 2230 songs and it is their wide-ranging appeal that lends them a transcendence – for Bengalis and indeed Indians – that perhaps only Shakespeare can claim to have had, albeit for the English-speaking world. Poor farmers and rich landlords alike can find lyrics in Tagore’s songs to express their emotions and voices.
The festival continued with a number of plays and recitations from Tagore’s vast repertoire, including poems from the Gitanjali, and a short play Kankaal (Skeleton) directed by Ashis Bhattacharya. Ashis also helped direct the famous play Dak Ghar (The Post Office) with Jhiki Ray Choudhury, which was extremely popular. The story follows a sick young boy Amal (portrayed excellently by Rana Mallick), who, confined to the walls of his uncle’s house as a result of his illness, uses the power of his imagination to liberate his mind and allow himself to travel, explore and conquer. A brilliant young cast as well as some more experienced faces brought to life the English version of this play, and it was this theme that perpetuated the entire festival. Young talents came into their own on the big stage, and it was extremely refreshing to see this interplay of youth and experience.
While there was initially some confusion amongst the children Jhiki said, “They feel for it, I was so surprised that each and every child thought it was a great play. There was no loss of interest – they just didn’t really know about it. Someone only has to make them aware, and once they knew it, they loved it.”
The conclusion of the dance drama Shapmochan (The Curse Redeemed) then signalled the closure of the night with a wonderful interplay between a talented group of vocalists led by Chandana, and dancers, headlined by Anindita Mitra and Ajanta Bhattacharya.
In theatre, Tagore sought to articulate, in his own words, “the play of feeling and not of action”. It is this philosophy which allowed his works to travel around the entire world – indeed, The Post Office received rave reviews in Europe at the time. Dance dramas based on Tagore’s plays are commonly referred to as Rabindra Nritya Natyas.
The full house returned on May 8 to witness another packed program. The festival atmosphere was heightened by various stalls outside the theatre, which was once again full of action – the first session featured panel discussions, film screening and slideshows, while dancers and singers of all parts of India, from all across Australia, lit up the stage in a fantastic combination of costume, light, and colour.
The highlights were too numerous to acknowledge – however, the finale was fittingly superb. Chitrangada, a dance drama about love, illusion, and conquest, marked the end of a massive weekend of Tagore tributes.
As one of the main organisers, Asim Das was delighted with the outcome of the weekend. “The most rewarding thing was that we were able to mobilise a very wide community outside the traditional Bengali members, and also to have a different variety of items which are quite different to what we traditionally have. We involved the non-Indian community such as Macquarie University, as well as many non-Bengali Indians who helped make the festival a great success,” he said.
Perhaps the greatest success of the event though, was seeing children as young as three embrace this culture as their own, despite being this far away from India. Although Tagore passed away almost 70 years ago, his works continue to live on through time, irrespective of geography or age. Each and every participant is to be congratulated on helping maintain and preserving a sacred and unique culture created by one of the best minds ever to grace this planet. Happy 150th Birthday, Rabindranath Tagore!
