150th anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore
– Pankaj Mullick, Rabindra Sangeet and the Indian Film
The South Indian subcontinent celebrates annually the birthday of Rabindranath Tagore: “Kabi Pranam – A tribute to Tagore “. On 7th May we can remember on one of the last universal genius of the 20th century. R. Tagore (1861-1941) was poet, writer, musician, painter, author of dance dramas, publisher and social reformer …
Uruguay Stamps – 150th Tagore Anniversary
In 2011 Bangladesh and India, particularly West Bengal celebrate heavily the 150th anniversary of Tagore. Over a whole year with innumerable events at public places, in theatres, schools, in book shops among the literary friends millions remind of Tagore’s (art) works.
From given cause of the 150th anniversary the government in SriLanka and Uruguay appreciated the first Indian Nobel Laureate for Literature with a special stamp edition. Tagore had visited Sri Lanka in the years 1922, 1928 and 1934.
from left to right: Tagore as painter, Argentina Edition, Tagore’s PlayPost Office
(Source: All the stamps on this website with courtesy to Kumar Kamaleshan Nair (Trivandrum) – www.collectindianstamps.com )
The ceremonies which take place since 7th May show once more that the spirit of Tagore is alive through over all generations and within all social classes. The “Daily Star”, presently the biggest English-language daily newspaper in Bangladesh titles Tagore as “An internationalist through and through” appropriate to his global meaning.
dates of broadcasting …
2nd January 2014 – 03:00 pm EST (09:00 pm CET) @ radio multicult.fm (DE)
(premiere: 16th May 2011 – 11:00 pm CET (05:00 EST) @ TIDE Radio)
broadcasting plan | streaming (Internet Radio & Mobile Radio) | podCast
IMC – India meets Classic presented with it’s show “Rabindra Sangeet – A Voice for All!” the outstanding Rabindranath Tagore already. Rabindra Sangeet is a category which was established in the 20th century by Tagore himself.
It is a musical-literary concept where Tagore embedded equally poems and songs into Indian classical music, same North Indian (Hindustani) as South Indian classics (Carnatic).
Pankaj Kumar Mullick was as singers, actor (debut in the film Mukti, 1937), composer (as music director, conductor / arranger), radio maker and as a film producer. Mullick is India’s most prominent interpreter of Rabindra Sangeet.
Pankaj Mullick’s interest in Rabindra Sangeet came off by the contact with the Tagore family, first by meeting with Dinendranath Tagore, a grandnephew of Tagore, and himself composer and music arranger as later Mullick became on his own.
When Rabindranath Tagore heard Pankaj Mullick’s singing for the first time he embraced Mullick spontaneously as it is reported. And Tagore permitted Mullick to set all his writingsinto music which should not be mastered by Tagore himselve during life times. This granted Tagore uniquely only to Mullick instead Tagore self-confidently understood himself as the most important poet of India. Mullick was also first who added the Tabla as accompanying instrument. The Tabla is a percussion instrument (drum pair) of North Indian classics (Hindustani).
Rabindranth Tagore was 44 years old, when Pankaj Mullick was born on 10 May 1905 in Calcutta. Mullick should accede the world to make Indian history as famous singer, actor, independent music director and film producer. Pankaj Mullick lived until 1978 in Calcutta. Differently than many of his colleagues he did not move to Mumbai, India’s film capital. He followed only some few orders for Mumbai productions like Zalzala in the year 1952, a filming of Tagore’s novella Char Adhaya and Kastoori (with film director: Gyan Mukherjee).
Pankaj Mullick was a pioneer of Indian film. He introduced the Playback singing together with the film director Nitin Bose (Dhhop Chhaon, 1935), as we know it these days in the Bollywood blockbusters.
As it was very usual for Mullick’s time and as all film activists (actors, composers) and playback singers experienced, also Pankaj Mullick was trained comprehensively in Indian Classical music, e.g. in Dhrupad style, the oldest vocal form of North Indian classis or the Khayal, a more modern form. Mullick inherited his musical interest from his father, who demonstrated a large interest in the traditional forms of Bengali music.
Till in the high ages Mullick was active as a music director. His last film was Janhabi Jamunia Bigolito Karuna in the year 1972. One year later Pankaj Mullick was distinguished at the age of 68 by the Indian government for his lifework and his earnings for Indian cinema. Mullick received the most important Indian film prize, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
IMC - India meets Classic presents ... 