The Pandemic has been a tough time for everyone across the world, with the number cases increasing every new day and uncertainty about its cure, but amid all the uncertainities, we found a retired couple Shri Partha Sengupta and Smt Amita Sengupta, who have been giving hope to people of her age and everyone by way of art and culture.
Partha Sengupta, a retired instrumentation engineer has to visit hospital 3 days a week for his dialysis and in the hospital he is popular for his care and concern for the Covid patients. Apart from this he is spending his days in his creative interests.
Speaking to News Sense, Shri Sengupta said, “I am fond of writing poetry, stories and performing arts since his early age, I was a prominent team member of thespian and legendary dramatist Badal Sarkar, but because of my professional commitments I couldn’t devote much time to these creative pursuits, now this lockdown caused by Pandemic has given me the time and energy to pursue and re discover my love for art and culture again“.
He is very active in social media now with his YouTube Channel – ‘Chander Canvas‘ where he regularly uploads his recitations after editing and composing himself. He is also a member of ‘Kabir Sarane‘, a group of Bengali Poets from Bengal and Bangladesh. The couple has been recently invited by a Television Channel from Delhi – Sonar Tori to do a live show.
Meanwhile, Smt Amita Sengupta, comes from one of the renowned cultural family of Kolkata and has grown amidst art and culture at her home. Her uncle, Piyush Ganguly was a renowned film director of 50’s and 60’s, who also worked as an assistant of Ritwik Ghatak. She recalls many writer, film maker, music directors use to visit her home in Park Circus, Kolkata.
After completing her graduation in Library science, she served Government of West Bengal as a Librarian for 34 years. After her service she involved herself in her creative pursuit and completed her training in Rabindra Sangeet from Sangeet Institute ‘Dakini’ for 6 years and earned her graduation in Singing. Her Guru is Shri Ranajit Guha Thakurata. She also learned singing from Barna Chowdhury of Bangladesh and is still learning from renowned Rabindra Sangeet Singer Pramita Mallick.
The lockdown has come as an opportunity for her to participate and conduct various cultural programmes online. She recently conducted an online symphony of various songs of Rabindranath Tagore by different artists including herself and released the same, online on the day of Mahalaya. Apart from singing she regularly practice playing tabla and harmonium.
She is also associated with various cultural organisations like Nobo Niharika, Surya Sen Stage, Tagore Research Organisation, Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture and more. Speaking to News Sense she said, “I have lost 20 of my beloved ones in 2020 to Covid 19, but I am determined to stay positive by doing positive and having a positive approach towards everything“. She has an amazing spirit at the age of 70 years, which inspires many around her.
The couple has not let age deter their spirit. They believe in being young at heart and enjoying life to its fullest. In times like this when the youths are tackling mental health issues this couple gives out a strong message of positivity and happiness to everyone.
