LEKHA SHANKAR

The 150th birth anniversary of India's Poet Laureate and probably the country's greatest literary genius, Rabindranath Tagore, is being celebrated around the world. Many of Tagore's stories have been translated into films,the best-known ones being by India's greatest film-maker ,Satyajit Ray -' Charulatha, Devi, Teen Kanya, Ghaire Bhaire.'

Infact,Ray even made a memorable docu on Tagore, which was one of the highlights of a 2-day Seminar on Rabindranath Tagore, held at Bangkok's well-known Chulalangkorn Varsity,which the Indian poet visited and gave a lecture in,  during a tour to Thailand in 1927!

The Seminar is being followed by the screening of two of Ray's films,based on Tagore's stories,which will be a great way of introducing two of India's greatest cultural icons,to the youth of Thailand.

One understands that Tagore's 150th birth anniversary is being celebrated in other parts of the world,with similar screenings of Ray -classics,including at Portugal's Cinematheque.

Viva Tagore- and Ray.