Lucknow's Bengali Club celebrates Tagore's 165th birth anniversary with Chandalika dance drama
The 165th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore was marked with a cultural celebration at the Bengali Club in Lucknow on Saturday. The evening featured a dance drama based on the Nobel laureate’s play Chandalika, along with poetry recitals and musical performances in his honour.
Floral tributes were offered by members of the Bengali Club and the Nikhil Bharat Banga Sahitya Sammelan, setting a respectful tone for the programme.
The event began with recitations of Tagore’s poetry, followed by group performances of Rabindra Sangeet. The highlight of the evening was the dance drama Prakriti O Anando, adapted from Chandalika. Directed by Sanjeev Roy, who also performed as Rajdoot, the production explored themes of equality, dignity, and social discrimination.
Khushi Yadav took on the role of Prakriti, while Rupa Mukherjee portrayed Maya and Rishika Mukherjee played Ananda. Supporting performances were delivered by Anju Bose, Anjana Sengupta, Priti Das, Shreya Mishra, Babita Malhotra, Manasvi Srivastava, Pratishtha Rao, and Sanchita Choudhury. Behind the scenes, Vicky managed the lighting, Mrinalini Roy oversaw sound control and coordination, Satish handled makeup, and Nivedita Roy designed the costumes. Ashish Bhattacharya concluded the programme with a vote of thanks.
The evening paid tribute to Tagore’s literary and philosophical legacy through performances and artistic interpretations. The dance drama, in particular, brought his themes of social justice to life, engaging the audience with its powerful storytelling and visual presentation. The event reinforced the cultural significance of Tagore’s work in contemporary celebrations.
