Bhopal, The full force of the Cultural Kaarva’n visited Bhopal last weekend, serving up a two-day feast of cultural events at the Old Ravindra Bhawan Auditorium in Professor’s Colony.
The event was originally planned for Bharat Bhavan, but organizers switched to the larger Ravindra Bhawan Auditorium due to high demand.
Barely a seat was available on Sunday as Bhopal’s culture vultures indulged themselves in varied arts of an old world flavor.
The audience saw Urdu poetry, theater, classical vocalists, ghazal singers, and conversation with actors Meghna Malik, Sunita Rajwar and Jameel Khan.
“At the end of the day, it’s a business,” lamented Jameel Khan in conversation on the state of India’s commercial film industry. That conversation provoked plenty of laughter from the audience for the actors’ frank assessments behind the curtain of Indian cinema.
“OTT language”, “Reels” and other alleged modern ills received an unfavorable review.
At one point, an elderly heckler interrupted the conversation, though his complaint was not audible. “Things can get emotional here,” an audience member quipped.
Calm returned with the soft tones of tabla, sarangi and harmonium in a skillful performance of Indian classical music.
Sunday afternoon also welcomed extravagantly robed actors in Muslim garb performing Katghare Mein Ghalib, written by Danish Iqbal and directed by Anil Sharma.
Previously on Saturday, Sufi singers, a saxophonist, and Kathak dancers were among the performers who delighted the crowds.
In line with the spirit of the event, chai and water were available free to attendees, who were not asked to part with a single rupee for two full days of entertainment.
Fittingly, a large bronze figurine of Goddess Saraswati adorned with flower garlands watched over the weekend’s performances, directly below the auditorium’s large permanent impressionistic sketch of playwright and poet Rabindranath Tagore.
Sponsors and organizers included the Jashn-e-Adab society for poetry and literature, SBI, CCL, Bank of Baroda, IDBI Bank, the Income Tax Department, the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Culture, among others.
The Cultural Kaarva’n rolls on next to Shimla, Pune, Delhi, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad and Haryana over the final months of the year.
