ANCHORAGE- The Cultural Committee of Shivaji College in collaboration with SPIC MACAY hosted the screening of their 54th film of Rendezvous Series ‘Fanny and Alexander’, a Swedish period drama by Ingmar Bergman, on 27th August 2021.
The Rendezvous Series is an attempt to bring to light some of the master pieces from all across the world which failed to popularise themselves in the wake of global glamorous film industries.
The movie screening was a wonderful and enthralling experience for all the participants, especially because it was followed by an interactive session with Ms. Prihtam K Chakarvarthy, a renounced Film actress and teacher. She acquainted the participants with various layers in the story making it an interesting classic. With her help the audience understood that the movie depicts realism at its best and tries to decode human relationships but at the same time reminds the viewers about the complexities of human emotions. The delightful narration with flawless direction and noteworthy acting makes it a must watch for any film enthusiast.
Events like these always open the students' mind to different cultures, time periods and ever-evolving human emotions. The quiz and QnA round made the event engaging and fruitful for all. It was a successful attempt at trying to show students and teachers alike that the world is adorned with many undiscovered jewels in the form of such beautiful films that one just needs to have an eye for!
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Shivaji College's Chapter of VIRASAT is held every year in collaboration with SPIC MACAY, the Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth, to inculcate the essence of our heritage and to promote its significance in Modern Era and stay connected to our roots.
Virasat, literally meaning 'Heritage' in Hindi, is one of the main cultural festivals of SPIC MACAY, comprising a diverse mixture of all aspects of Indian Cultural Heritage. It is a voluntary youth movement which encourages the traditional Indian values and creates awareness of the cultural traditions and heritage of India by organizing several events of Indian classical dance, classical music, folk arts, crafts, etc. in educational institutions.
Shivaji College and SPIC MACAY share the common vision of preserving the past for the future by enriching the quality of formal education with focus on increased awareness about different aspects of our heritage and inspiring the young minds to imbibe the values embedded in it.
Many great and renowned performing artists have visited our college under the aegis of SPICMACAY including Padamshri Guru Shovana Narayana, Pandit Rajan and Sajan Mishra, Dr. Deepti Omchery Bhalla, Janab Hasnain Nizami Qawwal, Ms. Geeta Chandran and Pandit Bhajan Sopori.
In the era of heavy metal, hip hop and rap music, classical music is a soothing and peaceful art that keeps us rooted and grounded to the true heritage of ours, touching the beautiful aspects of our lives.
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To enjoy the beauty of Indian art, Shivaji College, University of Delhi organized 'Virasat 2019', a cultural event in collaboration with SPIC MACAY on 18th October 2019 in the college auditorium.
The event was graced by Pandit Shubhendra Rao, an internationally acclaimed performer, composer, cultural entrepreneur and music educator; and our second artist Padma Bhushan Dr Uma Sharma, an incandescent kathak dancer, choreographer and teacher along with her disciples Sukriti, Divya and Shuriti.
Pandit Shubhendra is a synonym of a cultural tycoon. He is a protege of Pandit Ravi Shankar who was a well-known Indian 'Sitar Maestro'. Pandit Shubhendra is a classical musician as well as a collaborator, working with musicians from different genres across the world who is also awarded the ‘PhD Art and Culture Samman’ by the PHD Chamber of Commerce.
The audience was spellbound by the performance that lasted over an hour. Sri Pranshu Chaturlal, a tabla expert further beautified the melody of Pandit Shubhendra's sitar.
Dr Uma Sharma has been on performance tours to various countries and as a representative of the Department of Culture and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. Enriching her work with literary and intellectual substance by drawing upon and interpreting the works of great poets of our country from ancient to modern times. Running her own dance school, she became the youngest dancer to be conferred upon with the Padma Shri by Government of India in 1973 and Padma Bhushan in 2001.
She was accompanied by Shri Madho Prasad on vocals, Shri Mubarak Khan on tabla, and Shri Mustafa on sitar. They exhibited the true essence of classic music and Indian culture and left the audience staggered. It was indeed a wonderful treat for classical dance enthusiasts.
It was one of the most mesmerising and enchanting events the college students and faculty have witnessed so far.
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In an effort to promote the Indian art forms amongst the youth, Shivaji College (University of Delhi) organized 'Virasat 2018', a cultural event in collaboration with SPIC MACAY, on 8th October 2018 in the college auditorium. The event was graced by renowned Bharatanatyam Dancer and Vocalist (Padma Shri) Geeta Chandran and the Santoor Legend and Music Composer (Padma Shri) Pandit Bhajan Sopori.
Vidushi Geeta Chandran, the recipient of the Padma Shri Award and the 'Sangeet Natak Akademi Award' for dance, began her training in Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music at a tender age and today her brainchild organization ‘Natya Vriksha’ focuses on organic and holistic methods to teach children the classical dance.
With a spectacular rendition of Bharatnatyam dance, Ms Chandran enthralled the audience, students and faculty alike. She was also joined by her four accompanists S Shankar (Nattuvangam), K Venkateswaran (Vocals), Manohar Balachandirane (Mridangam), Rajat Prasanna (Flute) and her dance assistant Amrita Shruti.
It was indeed a wonderful treat for classical dance enthusiasts.
While the audience was intrigued by Geeta Chandran’s performance in the first half of the program, the magic of the Indian Art Forms was reignited in the second half by renowned musical genius Pandit Bhajan Sopori.
Awarded with titles such as “The Saint of Santoor” and “The King of Strings”, Sopori Ji has a double Masters Degree in Indian Classical Music, specializing in both the Sitar and the Santoor and is the only classical musician of the country to have composed music for around 6,000 songs in almost all the languages of the country including various foreign languages.
The Santoor recital by Pt Sopori Ji captivated everyone in the audience. He was accompanied by Mithilesh Jha (Tabla), Varun Rajasekharan (Gautam) and Rishi Shankar Upadhyay (Pakhawaj). The audience was spellbound by the performance that lasted over an hour.
It was one of the most mesmerizing and fascinating events the college students and faculty have witnessed so far.
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