Bhubaneswar: On the second evening of OMC Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival 2023, which is underway at Rabindra Mandap in Bhubaneswar, eminent Kathak exponent Shila Mehta and noted Hindustani vocalist Jayateerth Mevundi had the audience in their thrall.
After the customary lighting the lamp ceremony attended by guests comprising Ashwini Kumar Patra, Minister of State, Tourism, Odia Literature Language and Culture, Excise; Sudhi Ranjan Mishra, Head, Corporate Affairs, Paradeep Phosphates Limited; Manoj Sharma, General Manager, East Coast Railway; Pandit Lakshmikant Palit, Eminent Music Composer and Singer; and Guru Ratikant Mohapatra, Festival Director, the cultural evening started with a solo Kathak dance recital by Smt. Shila Mehta, a renowned Kathak exponent of the Lucknow Gharana and the founder-director of Nupur Zankar Academy of Performing Arts and Research Centre, Mumbai. She was accompanied on th live orchestra by Sunando Mukherjee on the Sarod, Vivek Mishra and Amitangshu Kumar Brahma on the Tabla, and Jaydeep Sinha on Vocals.
Her recital comprised three eclectic and beautiful dance presentations that stayed true to the integrity of her Gharana. Commencing with the powerful Shiva Stuti, the dance and music composition of which were directed by her Guru, the renowned Pt. Vijay Shankar, Smt. Mehta later moved on to an eclectic Bhava Tihai in Teen Taal, illustrating pure nritta sequences characteristic to Kathak, portraying Gopucha—the gaits of different animals, representing the rhythmic flow and ebb of the waves of the ocean through the movement oeuvre of Kathak, and bringing life to the bhava of the episode of Sita Haran from the Ramayana.
In the style of the legendary maestro Pt. Birju Maharaj, the incredible vitality of life was brought to the fore through the subtleties and nuances of the Kathak idiom as Smt. Mehta’s years of experience immensely enhanced the aesthetics of the performance.
Her third and final presentation was Geetasara, the epic dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjun and the episode of the Vishwarupa Darshana. This exploration into the divine vision that Arjun was bestowed with was a befitting finale to the dance recital.
The synchronous musical accompaniment, dramatic lighting, and appealing stage effects added to the climax of this composition.
The second recital for the evening was by feted Hindustani Vocalist and torchbearer of the Kirana Gharana, Jayateerth Mevundi with Smt. Anushula More on the Harmonium and Narahari V. on the Tabla, whose musical accompaniment added great depth to Jayateerth Mevundi’s harmonious surrender to the divine on the auspicious occasion of Shri Krishna Janmashtami.
With a diverse spread of bhajans and presentations in obeisance to the endearing Lord Krishna, Jayateerth Mevundi’s absolute Bhakti enraptured the audience, who were captivated till the very end by his mellifluous voice.
The artistes were aided by the radiant light designing of Debiprasad Mishra and Sujith Raj, the meticulous sound engineering of C. Anand Krishna and Bharath Krishna, with the elegant and striking visual media, both live and in the background, by Dhilip Kumar.
The entire festival has been curated, conceptualized, and designed by Guru Ratikant Mohapatra, with the programme execution by Debiprasad Mishra. Mrutyunjaya Rath ably conducted the proceedings of the evening.
The third evening of the festival on Thursday will feature a Bharatanatyam solo by the renowned Shri P. Praveen Kumar, known for his technical virtuosity and inspiring professionalism. This will be followed by a Sitar recital of Niladri Kumar, acclaimed world-over for his stellar Sitar performances and his pioneering work on the Zitar.
Photo courtesy: Srjan
