From Chitrangada to Alokdhara, Shahana’s Golden Jubilee Finale Leaves Mumbai Spellbound

Shahana’s Golden Jubilee Finale Celebrates Tagore, Tradition and the Power of Womanhood

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Mumbai (anil bedag): Shahana (Tagore Centre for Indian Music and Culture) concluded its 51st-anniversary Golden Jubilee celebrations with a spectacular cultural evening at a packed Veer Savarkar Auditorium, Dadar. The finale brought together classical dance, theatre, Rabindra Sangeet and poetry in a memorable celebration of India’s artistic heritage.

The highlight was Rajendranandini – The Warrior Princess, an innovative adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore’s Chitrangada, directed and choreographed by Shahana’s Honorary Creative Head Anusree Bonnerjee.

“Tagore is not only for Bengalis, Tagore is for India and to the world,” Bonnerjee said, highlighting the play’s enduring message of gender equality and inner beauty.

Manipuri exponent Purbita Mukherjee portrayed Chitrangada with grace and emotional depth, while Bharatanatyam and Rabindrik exponent Anilkumar Singh impressed as Arjun.

“The most powerful moment was realizing that Arjun’s greatest victory was not on the battlefield, but within,” Singh reflected. The evening also featured Alokdhara, a soulful Rabindra Sangeet tribute to Shahana’s founders Indrani Acharya, Sunanda Majumdar and Snigdha Basu. Performances by Shramana Chattopadhyay, Megh and Palashi Ghosh, with poetry by Upamanyu Bhattacharya and musical direction by Arup Chowdhury, brought the Golden Jubilee to a fitting close.