Kolkata: It’s been thirty years since Shabana Azmi has been Kolkata and everytimes she comes over here, she gets mesmerized with the beautiful audiance. As she dedicates her speech to her father Kaifi Azmi, she said that her father had a belief that art should be created as a pathway to bring social change. The phrases that Kaifi Sahab had written on the women , those phrases are still there in the young hearts. Shabana Azmi recites one one of Kaifi Sahab’s phrase “Zindegi jehad mai hai, sabra k kabu mai nehi, urne tulle maihai nikhat, humne gesubi nehi, jannat ak aur hai jo mard k pehlu mai nehi,usko azad ramesh par bhi machalna hai tujhe, uth meri jaan mere saath hi chalna hai tujhe.”
Speaking about the event Actress Shabana Azmi said, “I must thank Firhad Hakim Saab for the invitation and providing invaluable support to host centenary celebrations in memory of my father Kaifi Azmi in culturally rich Kolkata.”
From 16th to 18th January, the City of Joy will witness a three day monumental celebration of the birth centenary of the illustrious poet Kaifi Azmi, organized by Indo Occidental Symbiosis.
Day one of the event will feature enactment of “Kaifi aur Main” at Kalamandir. Renowned artist like Ustad Zakir Hussain, Shankar Mahadevan, Javed Akhtar and the late poet’s daughter Shabana Azmi will perform the “Raag Shayari” at Nazrul Mancha on the second day. The conclusion of the three day event will be devoted to a “Mushyara”, at Rabindra Sadan, where shayars from around the country and globe will take part. One of the highlights of the evening will be participation of the table maestro Bickram Ghosh.
“We are very happy to bring this programme to Kolkata. Indo Occidental Symbiosis is one of the custodians of traditional and classical art forms and we are providing continuous and tireless effort to make this event a success,” said Shouvik Dasgupta, Founder Indo Occidental Symbiosis.
Text and Photographs by Soumyadeep Dasgupta
