New Delhi/IBNS: Theatre maestro and cultural critic Rudraprasad Sengupta is among the four distinct visionaries selected for the Legends of India Lifetime Achievement Award for 2022.
The other three awardees are internationally acclaimed flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia, Kathak dancer and choreographer Kumudini Lakhia, and painter-poet-art critic Ghulam Mohammed Sheikh.
The other eminent stage and theatre personality to have this award from West Bengal was late theatre personality Badal Sarkar.
Announcing the names of the awardees, Chairman of the Awards Committee and Former Indian Foreign Secretary Lalit Mansingh observed that this award is a humble recognition of the living legends for igniting young minds with the rich heritage of Indian Art.
A distinguished jury chaired by Mansingh met in New Delhi recently and unanimously agreed to confer the awards to these maestros.
The awards will be formally conferred in a ceremony to be held at New Delhi during September this year.
Legends of India (LoI) is a unique institution bringing together living legends and those in the making, trying to develop and promote young talent in the field of Indian Classical Music, through different initiatives for almost two decades.
LoI Lifetime Achievement Awards have been introduced to accord recognition to renowned and accomplished artistes for their unrelenting contribution to preserving and promoting traditional Indian Art Forms.
Maestros like Habib Tanvir, Sitara Devi, Girija Devi, Paritosh Sen, Sankho Chaudhuri, Satish Gujral, Badal Sarkar, Krishen Khanna Yamini Krishnamurthy, Ratan Thiyam, Pt.Birju Maharaj T N Krishnan to mention a few, have been the recipients of this award in the past.
According to Joy Nandi, LoI Director International Affairs, a Memorandum of Understanding has recently been signed with Neath Port Talbot College (NPTC) Group of Colleges, UK for a Cultural Exchange Program to provide their students a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the vibrant cultural landscape of India and interact with Indian students, artists, and cultural organisations.
Gagan Aggarwal, India Associate, Neath Port Talbot College (NPTC) Group said Legends of India will play a pivotal role in facilitating the collaboration. The objective is to create an enriching and immersive experience for students, fostering inter-cultural understanding and promoting cooperation in Creative, Visual, and Performing Arts and showcase this blend at the events planned in the upcoming months.
LOI also introduced Morning Ragas and Visual Art classes at the Tihar Jail in a bid to augment the rehabilitation process of the inmates through music and art. The objective is to give the inmates an opportunity to lead a normal life by equipping them with useful skills, education and the ability to earn a livelihood.
Morning Ragas and Baithaks for the citizens of Delhi in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Sangeet Natak Akademi has given LoI a very encouraging response.
Founded by Dipayan Mazumdar, Legends of India has been connecting the younger generations with classical music and other traditional Art forms of the country by holding regular performances and discourses in India and abroad since 1999.
The living legends of Music, Dance, Drama, Visual Arts and other related fields have simultaneously been conferred Lifetime Achievement Awards since 2002.
