Culture Desk
Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre organised an evening of Rabindra Sangeet by Rabeya Akter at Sufia Kamal Auditorium, Bangladesh National Museum (BNM), Shahbagh on January 7.
The artiste was accompanied by Md. Faruk on tabla, Md. Moniruzzaman on flute, Asit Biswas on esraj, Md. Baten on mondira and Ifthekhairul Hossain Sohel on keyboard.
The singer rendered several songs like Tai Tomar Anondo, Tomarei Koriachi, Promode Dalia, Je Keho More, Venge Mor Ghorer Chabi, Na Chahile Jare, Biroho Madhur Holo, Tomar Khola Hawa, Bhalobese Sakhi and Jonaki Ki Sukhe.
Rabeya Akter was devoted to music since her childhood and got many prizes in ‘Jatio Shishu Kishor Protijogita’ during her school days. She completed her certificate course in Rabindra Sangeet from Bulbul Lalitakola Academy in the year 2000. She has got a Master’s degree in Philosophy from Eden Mohila College.
Rabeya regularly performs in various TV channels and is a Special Grade Artist in Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television. She has also given performances in many stages including Bangla Academy and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. She is a member of organisations ‘Rabi Rashmi’ and ‘Bangladesh Rabindra Sangeet Shilpi Sangstha’.
She is well known for her performances in Tripura, India, where she has performed in Agartala in ‘Rabindra Sommelon-2015’ at Sukanto Academy, ‘Venguard club award’ -Feb, 2016 at Rabindra Shata Barshiki Hall, ‘Rotary club of Agartala 15th installation Ceremony’, ‘International Little Magazine Utshob-2016’ at Agartala Press club. She also performed in a live program arranged by ‘News Venguard’ TV channel , Agartala, and ‘Channel PB24’. Other programmes by her in Tripura include ‘Tripura Bangladesh Moytree Shondha’ arranged by Learner’s Educational Society & Natto Mancho; ‘Mela Ghar Shanskritik Uttshab-2016’ arranged by ‘Jagannath Bazar Muktto Mancho, and ‘Tripura Sabroom, Sorodio Onusthan’ in October 2016.
She has also performed in Silchar, Assam, in ‘Rabindra Shondha-2016’ arranged by Barak Upattaka Banga Sahitto Shanskritik Sommelon at Bangabhaban Auditorium. Awards won by her include National Children’s Award Competition-1986, Bulbul Lalitkola Academy Inter Competition, Antara Sangeet Academy Award-2016 etc. She has released two CDs ‘O Bandhu Amar 2010’ and ‘Rangiye Diye Jao 2014’ brought out by Laser Vision. She is working as a teacher in Sunydale School. She is also the Managing Director of ‘Ashabori Sangeet Academy’.
That Om Puri was a close friend of Naseeruddin Shah is well-known, but little is known about the time when the ‘Ardh Satya’ actor saved the latter’s life during a knife attack.
The incident during which Jaspal, one of Shah’s former friends stabbed him with a knife at a restaurant, finds mention in Shah’s autobiography ‘And Then One Day: A Memoir’. Shah writes in the book that Puri, who passed away recently following a cardiac arrest, had jumped across their dinner table, subdued the attacker to prevent further strikes, took Shah to the hospital in a police van, and saved his life.
“While the shooting for ‘Bhumika’ (1977) was on, Om and I were in the middle of dinner when Jaspal, whom I had kept well away from for some time now, also entered and greeted Om. We ignored each other but, eyes fixed on me, he passed to sit on another table behind me, so I thought.”
“After a while, I was reminded of his presence by what felt like a short sharp punch in the middle of my back. I started to rise, wearily preparing myself for another free-for-all. Before I could move, Om with a strangled cry lunged at something behind me. I turned to see Jaspal holding a small knife, its point dripping blood, his hand raised to strike again, and Om and two others grappling to subdue him,” he narrates the episode in the book .
As a debilitated Shah struggled with pain, Puri dealt with Jaspal and argued with the hotel manager who refused Shah to be taken to the hospital until the police arrived. “Om returned to inform me that Jaspal had been taken to the kitchen and was being given the treatment. He wanted to take me to a doctor but was thwarted by the restaurant staff refusing to let us move till the police arrived.
“A size able crowd had collected by now, the muscle in my back was beginning to go into spasm, blood was soaking my shirt back and had begun its progress down my trouser seat,” Shah writes in the book. He recalls how Puri had riled the policemen by climbing into the police van without permission before the ‘Ishqiya’ actor was taken to the hospital in a bleeding condition.
“Om made the cardinal error of climbing in as well without permission and managed to rile the boss-man, thereby asking the cops to be gentle with me. He was ordered to get off and after considerable pleading with the goon in charge was allowed to stay. Neither of us had an idea where we were headed but I prayed it was not the police station.
“The bleeding had not seized, the pain was getting intense and these cops obviously had not quite understood the situation. After a few cursory questions to us, and some garbled transmissions over the radio in Marathi, we arrived at Cooper Hospital in Juhu,” the memoir notes.
Shah said he was thankful to his ‘guardian angel’ that Puri was present during the incident to take charge and save his life. Both actor, who were among the most prominent faces of the ‘new wave cinema’(1980s), not only worked together in several films like ‘Maqbool’ and ‘Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron’, but also studied together at the National School of Drama (NSD) and Pune’s Film and Television Institute (FTII) reports Times of India.
