Hello Mumbai City Desk :

News Input by : Dipannita Banerjee

When Spring rings the bell…
The morning of Sunday, the 20th of February was slightly different for this group of Probashi Bengali residents in the western suburbs of Mumbai. The breeze was extra pleasant, the birds seemed extra cheerful, and the colors around appeared extra vibrant. This day of ‘extras’ had this group of Tagore enthusiasts waiting with bated breath for the clock to strike 6 in the evening. The mood at the Banquet Hall of a local highrise at Kandivali East was one of expectation and excitement as the invitees walked in. Clad in different shades of yellow, they gathered to welcome the onset of Spring as the evening turned itself into a wonderful celebration of life through some soulful music, song, dance, and drama.
Fondly titled “Faaguner Mohonaay’, meaning “At the confluence of Falgun” (the Bengali month ushering in Spring), the Basanta Utsav celebration had four sections:

“Surer Abir” (radiant colors of music) kicked off the evening, introducing the audience to the multitude of hues of mother nature in Spring through Tagore’s songs and dances. “Raktakarabi”, the second segment named after the all-time Tagore classic, was themed around the triumph of human love against all odds in the backdrop of a colorful Spring. Some wonderful renditions of folk and love tunes, interwoven with dialogues from the drama elevated the mood to a different level. The third segment – “Rong Jano Mor Morme Lage” (colors that embrace our soul) – was a musical drama based on Tagore’s poem “Rong Rejini”. A collaboration between senior citizen members and millennials, it was indeed touching to see a seventy plus grandmother performing live with her teenage granddaughter with effortless ease. The final segment was titled “Ros Tattwo” and was themed around the blossoming of spiritual love during this time of the year. The magical evening came to an end with some foot tapping Bengali folk numbers and Baulgeet by member participants. The performers set the spirits high and the heart wanting for more with their enthralling and riveting performances.

With smiles and loud cheers all around, the spectacular evening came to an end and finally it was time to draw the curtains on “Faaguner Mohonaay” only with promises to come back bigger and better in the coming year and beyond.