ISRO chief sings a different note

CHENNAI: It was a role with a difference for Indian Space Research Organisation chairman K Radhakrishnan as he opened his vocal chords to mark the inauguration of Good Knight Soorya Festival here on Thursday night.The bearded scientist, dressed in traditional attire, took the stage after lighting the lamp and enthralled the audience with his vocal renditions.Interestingly, his carnatic vocal concert marked the beginning of the week-long festival in Chennai, which is also recognised by the Limca Book of Records as the ‘longest duration cultural programme’ which ran for 11 days.When reporters sought queries on the space programme, Radhakrishnan, who donned a new avatar as a vocalist, parried away queries saying he will talk only after Parliament session gets over.The scientist performed six ragas, including Eanati Namu by Bhairavi, Vatapi Hamsadhwani, Vandanam Raghunandam and others. “It gives me immense pleasure to be part of the festival that has taken under its wings to spread the diverse art forms. I congratulate the organisers to have taken this step in nurturing the rich culture of India,” he added.Later, Bharatnatyam dancer Shobhna also left the audience spellbound by her flawless rendition of the classical art form.This edition of the festival includes dance and theatre performances by renowned artists and movie screenings of regional feature films at various locations across India for 365 days of the year, organisers told Express.They said the festival will strike the right chords with contemporary enthusiasts for the traditional art forms that it has to offer.