Durga Puja is perhaps the reason behind many Bengalis across the world returning to their homes. But a couple from Kolkata is travelling to Norway and Germany to satisfy Bengalis living there through their art and culture.
Rajib and Moumita Saha, students of legendary danseuse Thankamani Kutty, will travel to Frankfurt and Oslo next week on invitation from the Bengali community there who could not make it to Kolkata during the Durga Puja, which starts on Monday.
Rajib and Moumita were so elated with the invitation that they decided to sacrifice their Durga Puja celebrations in Kolkata and perform in Norway and Germany with their dance group, Udok. In their mid-thirties, the duo will perform on Durga Puja itself—its uniqueness and tradition, through their performing arts.
Their dance style is an amalgamation of folk dance and Indian classical dance, and they have performed in USA, UK, Australia, Singapore and Bangladesh.
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"We have been experimenting, exploring and discovering ourselves in the various Indian folk dance arts as well as the Indian classical dance styles. We have had the opportunity to perform in various venues all over the world, entertaining and educating the culture-loving audience," said Rajib.
They have specialised in Bharatnatyam, and have also mastered the art of Rabindra Nritya Natya, a dance form established by Rabindranath Tagore.
"Actually, we perform all kinds of Indian dance, including to Bollywood numbers. But this time it would be a special occasion to recreate the occasion of Durga Puja abroad," said Rajib.
One of the dance dramas to be performed in Norway and Germany is called DEVI—The Power, which depicts Durga's killing of Mahishasura. The performance would have Tagore's songs as background music.
Rajib and Moumita will also perform a dance drama based on a real-life story of a couple from India and Bangladesh who met in a foreign country and got married. During Durga Puja, they would look back to what their lives used to be in different motherlands in their childhood.
"We are very proud to be part of the Bengali community of Germany and Norway for some days at least. And we would love to get this opportunity again," said Moumita.
Back home, the couple says that they spend time to encourage youngsters to adopt classical form of dance which is on the wane.
"So, through our performing arts we want to motivate and encourage our youngsters about classical dance," she said.