Yuva Prativa Samman to Prabhat and Himansu
26th OMC Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival
Bhubaneswar( Kalinga Voice) : Veteran cinematographer Shri Raj Gopal Mishra has been awarded with Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award 2020 for his invaluable contribution and lifetime achievements to the world of Odia Cinema. His Excellency Hon’ble Governor of Odisha Prof. Ganeshi Lal presented the award to him. Shri Raj Gopal Mishra has made many blockbusters such as Chaka akhi sabu dekhuchi, Asuchi mo kalia suna, Pua mora kala thakura, Jor jaar mulak taar, and many others. For his versatility and pioneering cinematography, Raju Mishra received this coveted award which carries a respectable allocation of Rs. 1,00,000/- and a citation. This was followed by the presentation of the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Yuva Pratibha Samman, which focuses on reviving the all-important role of the solo artiste in the classical idiom. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 25,000/- and a citation. Hon’ble Governor of Odisha Prof. Ganeshi Lal presented the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Yuva Prativa Samman 2020 to Pravat Kumar Swain for Odissi dance acknowledging his continued dedication to the art and in recognition of his inspiring performances, and to Himansu Sekhar Swain, recognising his inspiring work and commitment to the field of Odissi music. The entire award ceremony was conducted with strict adherence to all the government mandated COVID-19 safety guidelines, while maintaining the required social distancing norms.
Founded in 1993 by Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, Srjan symbolises Guruji’s humble offering of the classicism of Odissi dance, music, and percussion to our rich national ethos. Today, under the able direction and vision of Shri Ratikant Mohapatra, Srjan has evolved into one of India’s premier Odissi dance institutions. In these times of the ongoing pandemic, Srjan hosted the 26th OMC Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival live on the Srjan GKCMON Facebook page and YouTube channel, from September 5th to September 9th, 2020, at 8 p.m. each day.
On September 8th, the penultimate evening, Purvadhanashree, accompanied by harmonious musical support, displayed great technical prowess and depth of abhinaya in her Vilasini Natyam performance, while Pt. Tarun Bhattacharya’s Santoor recital, accompanied by the versatile Hindol Majumdar on the Tabla, was a testament to his years of experience and professional excellence. After four consecutive evenings of spectacular classical presentations, the 26th OMC Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival culminated in the award presentation ceremony and the finale by the Srjan ensemble.
The programme also featured two short video presentations of the 60 Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Awardees over 25 years, and the Yuva Pratibha Samman recipients over the years. The much-awaited finale was a presentation by the Srjan ensemble, who, under the direction of Shri Ratikant Mohapatra perform extensively within India and overseas, presenting compositions with fast-paced movements, innovations in dance and music, and depicting popular themes, within the Odissi idiom. This evening Srjan presented Anweshanaa- In search of excellence, a bouquet of neo-classical choreographs in Odissi dance, the presentations of which were carefully conceptualized, and choreographed by Shri Ratikant Mohapatra.
They began with an invocation to Lord Rama, Antara Rama, a devotional song by Sant Kabir exploring the transformation of Lord Rama’s devotees from mere human to a state of divine grace. It incorporated a beautiful story from the Ramayana visualizing the deep devotion of Hanuman who reveals the complete form of Sri Rama lodged in his heart. Set to Raga Jogia, and Adi Tala, the original music was composed by Pt. Nikhil Ghosh with the support music of Rupak Kumar Parida.
Their second presentation was Tarana. In this neo-classical piece, Srjan embarked on new pathways of innovation, by creating an amalgam of the classical and the contemporary and introducing novel elements in both the music and the movements. The music for this was composed by Dr. Vyzarsu Balasubrahmanyam. In their third presentation, Rase Harim Eha, the dancers portrayed the various amorous episodes of Lord Krishna with the Gopis while Radha recollects the loving moments with her passionate lover, Krishna. This dance was set to the music composition of the late Sangeet Martand Pandit Jasraj.
Srjan concluded with an Abhinaya, Shri Ramachandra Krupalu Bhajamana, in Raga Malika and Jati and Adi Tala, set to the music composition of Pradip Kumar Das. In praise of Lord Rama, this song, composed by Sant Tulsidas, invoked the blessings of the Lord and prayed for the purity of devotion as experienced by the great saints in their worship of the divine. The dramatic element was extended, by depicting, in Sanchari bhava the episodes of the Sita Swayamvar, and the conflict between Rama and Ravana. The synopses for the presentations were written by Aditya Mahapatra.
The performing artistes for the evening were Rajashri Praharaj, Ritu Sengupta, Aishwariya Singhdev, Sipra Swain, Riyanka Chakrabarty, Preetisha Mohapatra, and Reebdhita Barua. The dancers displayed perfect synergy and coordination in their energetic and captivating presentation of Anweshanaa. Their rigorous training and near 365-day practice routine showed in their skilful performances. Aided by the brilliant light designing of Debiprasad Mishra, they were ably and effortlessly accompanied on the Mardala by Shri Ratikant Mohapatra, on vocals by Dr. Bijay Kumar Jena, Rupak Kumar Parida, Mahalakshmi Iyer, and Harapriya Swain, on the violin by Suramani Ramesh Chandra Das and Agnimitra Behera, on the flute by Srinibas Satapathy, on the sitar by Rabi Shankar Pradhan, and on the vibraphone by Bibhu Prasad Tripathy. Upholding their commitment towards diligence and professional excellence in their service of art, Srjan conducted the programme seamlessly on the online platforms. The festival was also attended virtually by several dignitaries, influential citizens, luminaries from the world of Art, and audiences from across India and abroad. The entire festival was curated and designed by Shri Ratikant Mohapatra, with the programme execution by Debiprasad Mishra. The MC for the festival was Maya Krishnamurty, member of the Srjan ensemble.
