City Symphonies

City Symphonies (2022/English/60 mins). Dir. Subha Das Mollick. Prod. Films Division. In the late eighteenth century, Calcutta witnessed an efflorescence of musical experimentations. In the white town, memsahebs took keen interest in the music they heard at the nautch parties and transcribed the songs in western staff notation. They played these ghazals and tuppahs on their harpsichords. The new music acquired a new name – Hindustani Air. In the black town, Nidhu Babu composed tuppahs in Bengali and the kobis locked themselves in battles of musical wit. Keertans and Shyama Sangeet drifted from the temples and rent the evening air. There was music for every ear and every soul. Musicians and music scholars in Kolkata and London bring alive the lost era with their soulful renditions and scholarly comments. The screening will be followed by a conversation between Subha Das Mollick, director, and Anugyan Nag, author, teacher, and film scholar. Moderator: Dipankar De Sarkar, journalist.

Date & Time: 10 Feb, 7:00 pm
Venue: Gulmohar