Rabindranath Tagore's plays got its due in city of palaces

When the Bahuroopi National Theatre festival concludes on Sunday, the city would have added another feather to its cap - of paying fitting tribute to the legend on his 150th birth anniversary and playing host to more number of Tagore’s plays and dance drama.

An exhibition of photography documentation of the these plays on display at the Kalamandira provides an understanding of the nobel laureate’s influence on Kannada theatre.

Rajashekara Kadamba of Kadamba Ranga Vedike has documented Tagore’s plays in Kannada staged in different parts of the state. Out of the total plays staged, a maximum number of dramas are enacted in Mysore and the Kadamba Ranga Vedike has the credit of directing three of it.

A similar sentiment echoed at the second and final day of the National seminar on Tagore at Central Institute of Indian Languages on Saturday. Dr K Shiva Reddy of Kannada University, Hampi said writers and translators in Mysore were the pioneers in bringing Tagore’s works in Kannada.

People like Krishna Shastry, Narayana Swamy Iyer, Shankarananda prepared the ground to introduce Tagore to people of state. “The way Mysore opened and exposed itself to Tagore is inspiring. Later, there were more translations of his works in Kannada,” he added.

Speaking on “Tagore in Kannada”, he said Masti Venkatesha Iyengar contributed richly to the understanding of Tagore in the native language. While, Rashtrakavi Kuvempu also worked on select poems from Gitanjali. Both great writers from Kannada were inspired from Tagore, he said adding that Gopala Krishna Adiga, Dr Da Ra Bendre and Govinda Pai also brought out few translations.

Noted translator Ramanatha Bhat said Tagore and Mahatma Gandhiji are  relevant for all periods.

M H Krishnaiah, president of Karnataka Sahitya Academy, critic Prof K Marulasidappa were present.

The two-day seminar concluded with the rendering of the translated poems of Tagore by Ramanath Bhat, Manu Baligar, Naveen Halemane, Mahesh Harve and Ja Na Tejashree.