Monday, November 18, 2013

ONE week, TWO encounters, THREE faded Gods - Part 2


The SECOND encounter was totally institutional and formalized, as in a balcony ticket - 200 Rupees - at the Music Academy to watch, to listen to, to experience the first day of the November Fest 2013.

Birju Maharaj and Hariprasad Chaurasia were the marquee names. I have seen and heard these two legends at the height of their prowess. I particularly, vaguely remember Chaurasia performing in Delhi during either the Asian Games or the CHOGM (82 or 83). The Maharaj, i have seen perform several times in Chennai.

This show was a microcosmic replay of the Sachin Tendulkar farewell farce. 

Only that these two faded Gods play in the shadows and the nooks and the corners of the media driven money trail. Such is the pathetic price of a faded God.

They performed for what their names were still apparently worth. They should have retired many years ago. Again, and again, and again, The Price that one pays the Devil (Pawar, for example) for holding on, and holding on, is always too high....

The Price is Prostitution.

The redeeming factor of the evening was the "young" woman seated in the middle of this farcical battle of the faded Gods - Kaushiki Chakrabarty. She held her head just above these turbulent, turbid waters that sought so badly to outflow each other and drown her. She was the one single joy of the evening.

What a curse it is to be a faded God.

No comments:

Post a Comment