Indian artiste Pradip Ghosh recites, left, Nrityanchal Dance Company presents a dance piece at Shilpakala on Friday. — Snigdha Zaman

A houseful audience at the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy enjoyed the performances of leading Indian and local artistes, on Friday evening, organised as part of the two-day Indo-Bangla Nazrul celebration, marking the 113th birth anniversary of the National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam.
The second phase of the inauguration programme also featured an insightful discussion session on Nazrul. The celebration also marks the 90th anniversary of the publication of his epoch-making poem ‘Bidrohi’ (The Rebel). 
Both popular and rare Nazrul songs were presented. Recitation artistes presented Nazrul’s evergreen poems. And dancers presented colourful dance recitals.
 The cultural programme began with the chorus rendition of Nazrul’s patriotic song ‘O bhai khati sonar cheye khati’ and the rebellious song ‘Jaago anashan bandi’ by the artistes of Dhaka Sangskritik Dal.
Salauddin Ahmed rendered ‘Kabi sabar katha koile’ portraying a benevolent poet’s realisations of his unexpressed pain. The audience was also delighted by his presentation of Nazrul’s ghazal ‘Eki sure tumi gaan shonaley’.
Leena Taposi Khan gave a soulful presentation of Nazrul song ‘Meghla nishi bhore’, a popular Nazrul song with an influence of folk tune, depicting the immaculate beauty of a hill girl.
Nashid Kamal rendered a rarely rendered Kabyagitee of Nazrul titled ‘Bashite sur shuniye’ depicting an expected arrival of Hindu god Krishna on a rainy day. Ferdous Ara rendered ‘Ami kul chhere cholilam bheshey’.
Indian singer Sushmita Goswami entertained the audience with the romantic songs ‘Sai bhalo kore binod beni’, ‘Mor priya hobe esho rani’ and ‘Aamar jabar samay holo dau biday’. 
Indian veteran artiste Pradip Ghosh recited a compilation of Nazrul’s evergreen poems including ‘Pather Disha’ and ‘Sammyabadi’.
Sahadat Hossain Nipu, with his stentorian voice, recited Nazrul’s poem ‘Sammobadi’, a conscientious poem upholding the rights of the oppressed. Laila Afroza also gave a soulful recitation of another Nazrul poem, ‘Prabartaker Ghorar Chakai’, based on the mass protest against the oppressive British occupation in India.
Ten male and six female artistes of Nrityanchal Dance Company presented a colourful dance recital synchronised to Nazrul poem ‘Chol chol chol’, choreogrphayed by Mahuya Mukhapadhaya, following the traditional goriya dance form.
Artistes of Nritya Bahar from Khulna presented a dance recital choreographed by Enamul Haq Bachhu on Nazrul poem ‘Nari’, blending contemporary and classical dance forms.
Earlier, poet Mohammad Nurul Huda presented a keynote paper titled ‘Nazrul’s rebellious self and the poem The Rebel’. Professor emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury chaired the discussion while professor Mohit-Ul-Alam and Nabarun Bhattacharya from India spoke at the session.