Shubha Mudgal sings Kunwar Narain's poetry

NEW DELHI: When people came together for a concert to celebrate the life of Jnanpith recipient Kunwar Narain, they were greeted with everything the litterateur stood for. His modern poetry rendered into classical musical compositions by singer Shubha Mudgal on Thursday was perhaps the best tribute to the giant who remained unhoused in any literary category.

Mudgal’s concert to mark the birth anniversary of Narain, who passed away in November 2017, was the culmination of a three-day-long event, which had started with a lecture by social scientist Pratap Bhanu Mehta. The event was also attended by Times Group chairman Indu Jain.

On the sultry summer evening, Mudgal’s voice soared through the auditorium as she performed nine poems by Narain with Aneesh Pradhan on the tabla and Sudhir Nayak on the harmonium. The evening started with ‘Ek Sham’.

“One evening, I go on setting within myself… What evening is this that goes on becoming mine in so many ways?” narrated Jitendra Prasad before Mudgal began her rendition. Prasad, who has been reading out Narains’s poetry for years, also introduced the audience to eight poems by the author – Kavita Ke Bahane, Ayodhya , Bahar Aayi Hai, Varsha, Amaltaas, Palki, Naav Mein Nadiya and Begum Akhtar – which were performed by the Hindustani classical singer. Mudgal’s soulful renditions enthralled the audience who had come to pay their respect to the poet.

The Padma Bhushan awardee, who had the ability to turn an ordinary experience into something extraordinary, wrote about laughter and reflection, flowers and trees, times and seasons. But he also rebelled. He rebelled against materialism, instrumentalism and dualism in society, Mehta had said in his speech. Mudgal brought that rebellion to life when she sang Ayodhya 1992, where the author invoked Ram to lament about the state of his “Samrajya.”

“Isse bada kya ho sakta hai hamara durbhagya? Ek vivadit sthal mein simat kar reh gaya tumhara samrajya (What can be a bigger misfortune than this? Your kingdom has been reduced to just a disputed land),” sang Mudgal. And her rendition brought to life Narain, for whom poetry was not just a form of contemplation but an alternative philosophy.

Apurva Narain, while speaking of the love his father had for classical music, remembered their early days in Lucknow when the poet’s home was the spot for riyaz for the venerated ustad Amir Khan and the renowned Pandit Jasraj. “Narain understood that in genuine culture and thinking there can be no boundaries,” Mehta had said.

On Wednesday, artists from the National School of Drama had performed readings of his stories under the guidance of former NSD director, Devendra Raj Ankur.