Daijiworld News Network - Mangalore (MB) - Pics Praveen Tauro Kulshekar
Mangalore, May 10 (Wednesday, 8-00 pm IST): After an eventful tenure of seven years (initially a year as assistant director and then six years as director) at the Sandesha group of institutions, Fr Denis D'Sa laid down his office on Wednesday evening and handed over the baton to Fr Francis Xavier Lewis, public relations officer of the Mangalore diocese.
New director Fr Lewis and outgoing director Fr D'Sa
An official ceremony held in the Kala Bhavan auditorium of Sandesha with the Bishop's delegate Fr Gregory W Vas officiating the hand-over.
Fr D'Sa and Fr Vas speaking
The official handing over
Earlier, Fr D'Sa welcomed everyone and recalled Fr Henry D'Souza's good work which was only continued by him. Fr Gregory Vas spoke highly of both outgoing and new director and wished them both success in their respective missions.
Fr F X Lewis sought the support everyone involved in Sandesha's success story and promised to continue the good work of his predecessors.
Invocation dance
Earlier an invocation dance was presented by the students of the Sandesha Lalitkala Mahavidyalaya. Rajina Dinesh compered the function.
The function was followed by a cultural programme - Binodini, an audio visual docu-drama in English produced by Kumkum Majumdar from Mumbai, directed by Prabal Kishore Majumdar and supported by Udaya Chandra.
The chief guest at the programme was Karnataka Bank chairman Ananthakrishna. He was introduced by Fr Lewis. The guest artistes were honoured by the chief guest. A 'Stree Shakti' dance was presented by the college students. Principal Araty Shetty proposed a vote of thanks.
Sections of the audience
At the end, an interaction with the artistes followed.
About 'Binodini'
'Binodini’ is a research work of Prabal Kishore Majumdar. Bengali theatre on Proscenium stage, at its precise moment of birth was more like a Russian legacy than an English one. It was a Russian violinist and cultural worker Gerasim Stepanovich Labeddeff who founded the Bengali Theatre in Kolkata by adapting an English play in Bengali and staging it as the first-ever Indian Proscenium stage play in India on November 27, 1795, in an Indian language.
This was the first time over that the female role was enacted by women and these women had come from the socially outcast community of sex workers. The great dancer, singer and actress 'Binodini’ was highly talented with such rare versatility. She too came from the same community and she strove to preserve the social tradition and restored the ambience for the artistic creativity.
The play tells the true story of Binodini, a prostitute with a love for theatre sacrificing her time and money. She helps build the star theatre. The play's narrative unfolds with the help of audio-visual elements.
The script and music for the drama is by Prabal Kishor Majumdar and Kumkum Majumdar and the narration by Uday Chandra. Design and direction is by Prabal Kishor Majumdar.