A gala Cultural Evening was the perfect conclusion of the 3-day National Cultural Workshop organised by the Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) in the cultural capital of India, Kolkata last fortnight.
Mohurgunj, the cultural hub of Kolkata, witnessed thunders of applause in recognition to the performances of students coming from different states of India. Drama, mimicry, poetry, solo singing sequenced the evening’s entertainment list. The cultural evening was an initiative of SIO to provide a platform for the young and talented participating in the workshop.
Speaking on the occasion, Mohd. Azharuddin, National President of the organisation, said the talents of the young need to be oriented towards the constructive initiatives of the society, to which SIO is committed. He further opined that the 3 days workshop and the cultural evening were an effort to orient the cultural talents of the budding artists into prosperous and successful individuals who will contribute to the society.
S. Ameenul Hasan, Former President of SIO, spoke on ‘Modern Discourses on Culture and Islamic Response’. He, in a very lucid manner, differentiated between modernism and post-modernism and underlined their impacts on culture. He drew the line of distinction between the culture promoted by the west and the culture promoted by Islam. He pointed out that Islam only lays the laws of function and the practical application is the individuals’ freedom. Unlike it, the west gives the idea as well as the application.
During the workshop the participating students were mentored on various fronts. Atanu Pal of the Third Eye, Kolkata taught lessons on the ‘Art of Photography’. He focused on setting the frames for the perfect picture. Guiding the students on handling the camera, he led the participants into the world of unedited photography and tipped the students for the right shot.
Prof. Sanjay Mukherjee of the Jadavpur University inspired the participants to view films critically. He spoke on ‘How to Review a Film’. After screening a part of a film, he eventually mentored the students on the essentials of watching movies beyond the perspective of just entertainment. He helped the students understand focal points of film reviewing.
Sultan Ali, an acclaimed Bengali writer, gave a patient hearing to the young poets and writers who presented before him and then sought his comments over their performances. He opined to the young artists that a writer is like a bird which keeps humming regardless of who is listening. It is the heart that is followed while writing and therefore they are called ‘divinely mad’, he added.
Mohd. Nooruddin, President, JIH – West Bengal and noted columnist, taught lessons on ‘Creative Writing’. The participants were inspired to think beyond the normal and visual and spread the wings of thought.
Noted Bengali film maker Subrata Sen guided the students on ‘How to Write Script’. He, at the outset, drew the line of distinction between story writing and script writing. Through examples of some of the great scripts of movies and plays, he then touched the depth of script writing. He immensely influenced the young writers.
Irfan Hassan, Commonwealth Scholar at the Government Art College, Kolkata, in his presentation on ‘How to Read Art’, held the students by their nerves as they were excited to learn the art of reading abstract paintings. During his presentation he generated enthusiasm in the young and inspired them towards the art of painting.
Prof. B. Diwakar of Jamia Millia Islamia engaged the participants on ‘Stages of Documentary Film Making’ and ‘Cinematography’. From conceptualising the idea and then skilfully using the camera to make the documentary, he oriented the participants.
Ajit Kumar and Bhupendra Kumar of Akshara Arts, Patna engaged the students on the workshop on Nukkad Natak. After explaining the basics of the stage and its necessities, they then guided the students on practical performances. Participants were given an opportunity to get acquainted with the art of performing street-play by extempore learning and performance of Nukkad Natak.
Shahnawaz Ali Rehan spoke on the topic ‘Cultural Activism as a Tool of Social Change’ and inspired the participants to look beyond the normal surface. He pointed out that cultural means is a strong medium of expressing one’s viewpoint and thus serves as a tool for social change.
Earlier, PM Salih, Secretary General of SIO, at the beginning of the workshop, welcomed the participants and set the orientation of the participants in gaining the utmost from the workshop. He further added that the youth who have a potential to do things differently should pursue the field of means to deliver their ideas. He called upon the students to give their best in the learning process as well as in the future endeavours.
Special Award winning documentary, Revolve was screened during the workshop and the maker of the documentary Zakariya was invited to share his experiences. The documentary focuses state terrorism and harassment of youth.
The 3-day Cultural Workshop was followed by the cultural evening organised at Mohurgunj – an open air theatre. The evening concluded with the Award distribution ceremony.