Editor's Note

The Importance of Mixing

The arts of a country are not watertight self-contained units. Outside influences will always enrich our culture and offer something new. Our cover story in this issue is about the Keralan dance form known as Mohiniyattam. In Bangladesh, our traditional dance scene is dominated primarily by Bharat Natyam and Kathak. Young people interested in dance have been deviatinga lot of these classical sub-continental dances and exploring other exciting dance forms such as ballroom, salsa and so on. Now, there is on offer a kind of Indian dance form they have not previously been exposed to, and the opportunity to learn it. The pages that follow contain an interview by Pallavi Krishnan, who is proficient in this ancient performing art.

Another story takes a look at the childhood home of legendary actress Suchitra Sen. Uttam and Suchitra are the screen couple that so many Bengalis fell in love with decades ago. They shared an on-screen chemistry that makes viewers keep coming back to it. This actress grew up in Pabna, although her house is now occupied and in pretty bad shape.

Abak Hussain
From the Insight Desk

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