JOIN USFirst it was Sonu Nigam’s melodious songs. Then the crooning glory Alka Yagnik floored everyone. And on the concluding day of the three-day Bihar Diwas celebration, it was Daler Mehndi who doled out some foot-tapping numbers.
For three consecutive days, the maddening crowd thronged the historic Gandhi Maidan to watch live concert of their favourite singers from tinsel town.
If Sonu Nigam set the ball rolling with “Mera rang de basanti chola”, Alka’s soulful number from Zakhm – “Jane kitne dino ke baad, gali mein aaj chand nikla” made the ever-swelling crowd spell-bound. The icing on the cake was Daler Mehndi, who through his Na na, na na, na re, na re, had the GenNext audience panting for more.
Classical music
Those, who were class apart and loved classical music, Ronu Mazumdar of Mahihar gharana mesmerized them with his flute recital at a separate function. Besides, it was renowned Bharatnatyam artiste Malvika Sarukkai, who captivated the select gathering with “Suryanamsakaram”. In the composition “Aadi dev namastubhyam”, which was dedicated to Sun god, the veteran danseuse from South depicted Sun as the source of light as well as giver of life through various shades of mudras.
Literature festival
The Patna Literature Festival (PLF) was an additional attraction with noted lyricist adding glamour to the event which was being organised here for the first time.
A brain child of Pawan Verma, former diplomat-turned-cultural advisor to the Bihar Chief Minister, the programme saw Gulzar casting a magic spell on the select audience through his aura. So enamoured was Nitish at the huge turnout of veteran scholars, writers and poets from India and Pakistan that he announced that he would institutionalise the literature festival as part of the Bihar Diwas celebrations every year.
At yet another function, Gulzar’s play Paansa (the dice), which was a manifestation of Draupadi’s trauma after being placed on bet by Yudhisthira (the senior-most Pandava), was staged at Premchand Rangshala. The play got a wide applause. And so did Gulzar.