Sam Ved Society of Performing Arts, a leading cultural organisation of Mumbai’s western suburbs, is organising the Pandit Durgalal Smruti Samaroh on 20th February at the Veer Savarkar Auditorium, Shivaji Park, Dadar. The programme is conceived as a tribute to the legendary torchbearer of the Jaipur Gharana of Kathak, Pandit Durgalal, and will feature classical dance performances by two eminent artistes — Pooja Pant in Kathak and Meera Sreenarayanan in Bharatanatyam.
The festival is curated by veteran Kathak danseuse and SNA awardee Guru Uma Dogra, an ardent disciple of Pandit Durgalal and the Founder-Director of Sam Ved Society of Performing Arts. For the past several decades, Guru Uma Dogra has been actively involved in promoting classical performing arts. Under her guidance, the organisation annually presents two major festivals — the Raindrops Festival for young dancers during the monsoon season, and the Pandit Durgalal Smruti Samaroh, commemorating the great Kathak maestro who left an indelible mark on Indian classical dance despite his untimely demise.
Mumbai-based Pooja Pant is a highly accomplished Kathak exponent and mentor, widely appreciated for her vibrant and elegant presentations. Along with her team, she has performed at several prestigious festivals across the country. Meera Sreenarayanan, founder-director of Tatdhi Arts Academy, is recognised as a sensitive and accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer. She has featured in the National Award-winning Sanskrit film “Priyamanasam” and the music video “Aliveni”. Hailing from Guruvayur, Kerala, Meera is currently under the guidance of Guru Indira Kadambi and was honoured with the Best Performer award by the Music Academy in 2019.
Admission to the performances is available through donor passes.
_By Guru Vijayshanker_