Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi has once again brought people together to appreciate poetry that cuts across all borders of age and class. Judging from the numbers thronging the Punjab Kala Bhavan, the Hasya Kavi Sammelan organized by CSA this evening was a great success. If Surendra Sharma, the cheif artist at today's event was a crowd-puller, the other members of his team were equally talented and their performance went down very well with the audience.
The programme began with Master Mahendra who began by poking fun
at his own emaciated appearance and then proceeded to regale the audience with
poem after poem recited in a strong Haryanvi accent. "Manney key laat
khani hai?" ("Do I wish to be kicked in the butt?") had the
audience in splits.
Ashok Swatantra was equally amusing, particularly with his poem
on a bus-conductor's wedding which described how professional habits die hard;
in this case, the bus-conductor of the poem takes his official duties to the
wedding ceremony in a manner that he is less of a bridegroom and more of the
bus-conductor he has always been!
Sita Sagar, who is a professor of Sanskrit, a poet of note and
gifted with a melodious voice, won everybody's hearts with a long-winded rhythmic
poem on Chandigarh which summed all the features of the City Beautiful.
Many of the poems recited this evening carried a social message.
They focused on changing socio-cultural patterns, the loss of values, and the
break-up of a familiar way of life. Baghi Chacha had a touching poem about a
man's relationship with a son who grows up and leaves him and a tree that
remains rooted in his courtyard.
Ash Karan Atal, poet from Bombay, had a different brand of
humour as he compared himself with former PM, Atal Bihari Vajpayee (with whom
he shares 1/3d of his name, as he put it). He had the listeners floored
as he recited "Highway ke Humdum".
The grande finale came with the star artist, Surendra Sharma who
held the gathering mesmerized for the rest of the evening. Each line that
he uttered was punctuated with a resounding applause from the audience as he,
through gentle satire, and in the manner of Addison, enlivened morality with wit and tempered with with
morality. Mr Sharma uses laughter as a tool for bringing about social
reform. According to him, what we need today is not religion but
philanthropy. Known for his subtle and not-so-subtle jibes targeting the
institution of marriage, Shri Surendra ji poked fun at men and women, not even
sparing himself. Laughter,he believes, is the best medicine and can work
wonders in bringing normalcy back to a fragmented world.
Today's session of laughter and verse was appreciated by the
audience that clamoured for more. CSA will continue to hold events
for the city and looks forward to bringing people together again in its
forthcoming events.
Stay tuned for more.
