Kathak performance casts spell at sammelan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 21

On the sixth day of the All India Bhaskar Rao Nritya and Sangeet Sammelan, a soulful vocal recital by young maestro Ambrish Das from Kolkata, along with a dazzling Kathak dance performance by Dr Samira Koser, at Tagore Theatre enthralled the audience here today.

The event opened to a melodic start with a classical vocal recital by Kolkata artiste Ambrish Das, who commenced with an ‘alaap’ in ‘Raga Yaman’ followed by ‘Vilambit ek taal bandish’. He also presented ‘drut bandish’ amidst applause, which was followed by another beautiful ‘bandish’, called ‘aae mayi aaj aaye ghar mitwa’. He concluded with ‘basant raaga’-based composition and was ably accompanied by Pt Debashish Adhikary on tabla.

After this soulful presentation, Kathak danseuse Samira Koser took the centre stage. She commenced with invocatory piece ‘Shloka’ to offer prayers to Almighty followed by Shudh Kathak dance with Jaipur Gharana with ‘gat’, ‘nikas thaat’, ‘aamad’, ‘uthaan’, ‘paran’, ‘chakradar paran’, ‘upaj’ and so on presented with captivating and graceful movements and fine footwork. Samira Koser then presented ‘abhinaya’ aspect of Kathak. This item is based mythological story of Ahilaya.

She was accompanied by Guru Brij Mohan Gangani on padant, Pt Madho Prasad on vocal, Shakeel Ahmed and Mehmood Khan on tabla, Saleem Kumar on sitar and Vinay Prasanna on flute.