DISCOVER ARTISTIC INDIA program at NJ State Theatre

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 7 PM
DISCOVER ARTISTIC INDIA program AT NJ State Theatre

Featuring Legends of Indian Classical Music and Dance
Location: State Theatre, 15 Livingston Avenue New Brunswick, New Jersey
Tickets: P $48.00; A $33.00; B $23.00; C $23.00

Presented by New Jersey State Theatre in association with Indo American Cultural & Religious Foundation (IACRF) and One World Entertainment.
Jugalbandi between Carnatic and Hindustani music maestros–

Dr. Bala Murali Krishna and Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty.

This is the first time ever that music aficionados of New Jersey will be treated to a concert featuring these two stalwarts performing on the same stage.
Also: stunning performances in Indian classical dance by a group of visually challenged dancers from India.

$13 Tickets for Seniors & Students!*
Valid ID required (maximum 1 ticket per ID). Discounts valid for the last 2 rows of A1 and all of B & C seating, box office window orders only.
Discounts are not retroactive and cannot be combined. Subject to availability.

Ticket Fees
There will be a $2 per ticket facility fee applied to each ticket. Additional fees apply.
Tickets on sale Friday, August 3 at 10am to the GENERAL PUBLIC.
To become a STATE THEATRE MEMBER and get the BEST SEATS, call 732-247-7200, ext. 512.
STATE THEATRE MEMBER presale is limited to 4 tickets per order.
Phone (732-246-SHOW) and window orders only.

BHARATIYA KALA KENDRA presents “Tauryatrika”

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BHARATIYA KALA KENDRA
An institution of authentic Indian Music and Dance
presents
“Tauryatrika”
September 23rd 2007, Sunday, 4:00 – 7:00 PM

Rap Around Ragas
An unforgettable blending of musical fragrances. Essence of Indian Classical Music with vibes of Rap music. Bharatiya Kala Kendra Members join hands with Rap singer Anee, accompanied by Dibyarka on Tabla, Krikeya on Drums.
Melody Mando
The one and only Snehashis Mozumder on Mandolin with his electrifying talent and stunning knowledge. Accompanied by Dibyarka Chatterjee on Table.
Allusion
Sukalyan Bhattacharya on contemporary dance with his inimitable creativity. Parthasarathi Muykhopadhyay with his composition on songs of Kabeer.
Insight
A message of eternity flowing from the holy verses of Shwetashwatah Upnishad – with a humble offering of our own self to the eternity through song of Rabindranath Tagore. A presentation by members of BKK family.
Rhythm and Theme
A variety entertainment event with a thoughtful collection of songs and dances presented by
members of Bharatiya Kala Kendra family.
Endless
Streaming melody of Indian Classical Music with the divine posture of Indian Dance.
An endless musical journey – with members of Bharatiya Kala Kendra.

George Street Playhouse, 9 Livingstone Ave, New Brunswick

“The Namesake”: A Personal Experience

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Sudipta Bhawmik
[Previously published in Anandasangbad]

On the setOn 7th of March 2007, I had the opportunity of watching Mira Nair’s latest film, The Namesake”. The film had officially premiered the earlier evening which unfortunately, I was not able to attend. However, the producers of the film were kind enough to arrange couple of seats for me for the special screening for the Museum of Moving Images which included a Q&A session with the director Mira Nair (and surprise guests Tabu and Irfan Khan).
Being a participant in the filming process (in a very limited way in the role of Subroto Mesho), I was especially curious to see the final result – the big picture as you may call it. At the end of the screening when Mira asked me how I liked the film, I was sort of speechless. I did answer something like “great” or “wonderful”, but that was only a gut reaction – I was still trying to figure out my feelings towards the film. I was not able to give Mira the right answer. I figured, maybe, if I try to jot down my thoughts, I’ll be able to come up with a better answer. Continue reading →

Satyameva: A New Play to Premiere in Kolkata

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“Satyameva Jayate” – a phrase from the Mundaka Upanishad is the national motto of India and all Indians. Literally it means, “truth alone prevails” – implying that truth is all that we should strive for, since truth only can lead us to success and happiness. But this hypothesis has been proven wrong time and again. Through bitter life experiences we all discover that “truth” hardly leads us anywhere – it is the “untruth”, the “false” and “deceit” that we need to master in order to attain our goals and objectives. Or is it that our goals and objectives need to be re-examined? Are we chasing the right goals? Goals for which we do not have to rely on the “false” – goals that can truly be achieved by truth alone?

“Satyameva”, a play written by Sudipta Bhawmik, tries to explore this age old question in a setting in North America where the immigrant Indian population tries to deal with this issue in their everyday lives.

Sanjoy, a young software professional, has arrived in the “land of opportunity” for just over six months and works for a software body shopping company “InterSoft” owned and operated by Bill (a Bengali American living in the States for over thirty years.) On the day of the play Bill fires Sanjoy and asks him to go back to India. Sanjoy, however, is not happy with this decision and refuses to oblige. He informs Bill that he is not going to return to India under any circumstances. He states that returning to India is synonymous to signing a death warrant. He cannot subject himself to such a grave risk. And to justify himself, and to win his ultimate motive, he has to make a choice between truth or deceit.

Cast:
Bill : Sankar Ghoshal
Sanjoy : Indranil Mukherjee

Written and Directed by Sudipta Bhawmik
Produced by Ethnomedia Center for Theater Arts (ECTA)
Presented by Ganakrishti, Kolkata

6.00pm August 20, 21, 22, 23 2007
Sujata Sadan, 7, Hazra Road, Kolkata – 700 026.

Phone- 2476-6131

Please inform your friends and family in India to come and watch this play that tells our story.

Satyameva Scene

Staging Ron in Kolkata : Part 1

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Kolkata has been always acknowledged as the theatre capital of India. The rich tradition of modern Bengali theatre that started more than two hundred years ago is still revered by the cultural elite of the country. Hence, an invitation from Ganakrishti (one of the top tier theatre groups of Kolkata) to perform at their seventh annual theatre festival came to me as a major challenge. Continue reading →

Water: A Film That Surfaces our Shame

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Recently I had the opportunity to watch Deepa Mehta’s film, “Water”on DVD . Most of you may have already seen this movie as well as its predecessors, “Fire” and “Earth”. “Water” is the third segment of Deepa’s elemental trilogy. I am not a film critic by any measure. However, the reason for me to write about this film is because it deals with an issue which has always been a controversial and sensitive one in our culture and religion. Continue reading →

Trip To Calcutta: A Chiaroscuro

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pujor saari webTrip to Calcutta: A Chiaroscuro
Amitava Sen

I could hardly see her, behind the pile of sarees stacked on the shop counter; nevertheless, I recognized her and was pleasantly surprised to see Gouri of New Jersey at the Gariahat ladies tailoring shop. I confess that although not a customer, I am a frequent visitor to this place during my not so long stays in Calcutta. My wife always carries a big order of blouses from her friends during our annual trip to Calcutta and then she has her own stuff. That calls for more than a few visits. From logistical considerations we found that we save time and gasoline if we could drop-in at the tailor shop on our way to other destinations. Continue reading →

Do we need these social clubs?

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On 26th of March Kallol of NJ, one of the major Bengali social and cultural clubs of this area, will be holding their annual general body meeting. On this day the current executive committee will hand over the reigns of the club to the new committee who will be looking after the club activities for the next two years. In the larger scheme of things, this may not seem to be a matter of any significance. But if we think a bit deeply, few issues may surface and tickle your thoughts. If you come to the Kallol AGM on the 26th, most likely you’ll see the following. Continue reading →

Our Golden Years

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Sudipta Bhawmik

(Originally published in AnandaSangbad January 2006 issue.)
We are getting old! We maybe in denial, but the fact remain true. Those of us who belong to the so called baby boomer generation (that is born between 1946 and 1964) are quickly approaching the age about which we need to think and plan about. Yes, financial planning, like IRAs and 401(k)s are important, but I am talking about social and cultural planning. What are we going to do in our “golden years”? Did we ever think about it? Continue reading →