Kelucharan Mohapatra fest to go online

BHUBANESWAR: The 26th edition of OMC Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival will be held online this year from September 5 to 9. It will be streamed live on Facebook and YouTube. Veteran Bollywood actor Hema Malini will inaugurate the event through the virtual medium.

The Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award 2020 worth ` 1 lakh will be presented to cinematographer Raj Gopal Mishra for his invaluable contribution to the world of Odia Cinema. The Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Yuva Pratibha Samman comprising cash prize of `25,000 will be presented to Pravat Kumar Swain and Himansu Sekhar Swain for Odissi dance and music respectively. The awards will be given by Governor of Odisha, Professor Ganeshi Lal.

The festival will be dedicated to the memory of late Sangeet Martand Pandit Jasraj, who is known to have shared bond with Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra for decades. This year, the dance presentations include Odissi by Madhusmita Mohanty, Bharatanatyam by Praveen Kumar, Kathak by Gauri Diwakar, and Vilasini Natyam by Purvadhanashree.

The show’s curator has also incorporated host of soul-soothing performances by eminent Hindustani musicians, like Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Guru Dhaneswar Swain, and acclaimed Carnatic vocalist Abhishek Raghuram.

Renowned Santoor player Tarun Bhattacharya, will perform on the fourth evening. The award ceremony will be hosted on the concluding day of the festival, organised by SRJAN. Like always, the event will end with the presentation by SRJAN ensemble.

This year, Srjan will present Anweshanaa—a bouquet of neo classical choreographies in Odissi dance, conceptualised by Guru Ratikant Mohapatra. The festival is supported by Odisha Mining Corporation Limited (OMC), Odisha Tourism, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and Department of Odia Literature Language and Culture.