Pitching for not diluting the traditional aspects of Bengal's biggest festival celebrations, eminent danceuse-actor Mamata Shankar says Durga puja should not be commercialised at the altar of global consumerism.
"I am not against contemporizing the festival's celebration part. You can't stick to celebration pattern of a century back. But for publicity and competition the devotion aspect of the puja, the invocation of the demon-slayer as enunciated in our scriptures is just becoming a formality in many places and puja days have become synonymous with enjoyment only in a section of people's mind. We are also forgetting our roots, tradition and Bengaliness," Mrinal Sen's favourite actor Mamata Shankar told PTI.
Shankar, whose son Ratul is composing a musical score of Gariahat Road West Sarbojonin puja incorporating strands of Indian folk and western music, said the essential highlight of Durga puja, the worshipping of women's empowerment should not be lost in the din of celebrations and was supported by Chandroday Ghosh, eminent dance expert and another patron of the puja.
Shankar had co-starred with Mithun Chakraborty, who had debuted in Mrinal Sen's Mrigaya, in the spartan national award winner besides Anjan Dutta in many others including Ekdin Protidin in her younger days as an actor while turning up in more mature roles, age-wise, in Rituparno Ghosh's Abohoman and Pinaki Chowdhury's acclaimed Six Ballygunje Court.
Ace percussionist Tanmoy Bose, having composed the theme of Golf Green Phase two puja two years back, said Durgapuja also reminds us of ethnicity and he with "family friends Mamodi and her son" will recreate a soundscape to remind us of our rootedness in these times.
