Rabindra Nrityanatya by Indrani Sen [Hardcover]

At the age of ten, she played the role of a young girl in Balmikipratibha, opposite Ashoktaru Bandopadhyay as the dacoit Ratnakar. Before fully establishing herself as a singer, she had an active life on stage in Kolkata, regularly performing as a dancer. In her teenage years, she rigorously trained in dance and portrayed roles like Arjuna and Uttiya in dance dramas. During this time, her voice resonated with the melodies of Sagar Sen and Chinmoy Chattopadhyay. In school events, she might have sung alongside her classmate Mamata Shankar, while Indrani performed the dance sequences.

A devoted disciple of Debabrata Biswas in Rabindra Sangeet, Indrani Sen lent her voice to numerous dance dramas throughout her life, embodying different characters through song. She had the privilege of working alongside many distinguished artists and being part of remarkable productions.

This book traces the history of Rabindranath Tagore’s dance dramas, starting from their original stagings under his own direction. The author intricately weaves meticulous documentation with compelling and often astonishing narratives. The research extends beyond Santiniketan, exploring creative productions of Tagore’s three dance dramas in urban and rural spaces, as well as international stages. This dedicated study captures the evolution and diverse interpretations of these works across various styles and traditions, offering an essential chronicle of their artistic journey.