Art to overcome pain

QUITE A few artists come together to make this Sunday evening memorable one for the cancer afflicted.

CAN-STOP (Cancer Support Therapy to Overcome Pain) supporters, well-wishers and cancer survivors and those afflicted will meet on March 26 at the Park Sheraton to observe the second commemoration day of the organisation.

``There was no conscious attempt to invite celebrities or anything. It just happened. There were many who came forward and volunteered to help,'' says Dr. Vijaya Bharathi Rangarajan, executive director SMF and founder, CAN-STOP. ``No one is taking any payment for what they are doing here. It was so spontaneous. This programme could not have happened but for the interest and work out in by these interested people,'' she added.

Anita Ratnam and her troupe, Arangham, will present ``The Churning'' a short contemporary dance theatre, that evening. ``The show is based loosely on the myth of churning the ocean. There is a lot of spoken narrative too,'' says Anita Ratnam, who will feature in the dance-theatre and also handle the voice-over. ``There will be incidents drawn from Dr. Rangarajan's life which will be woven into the story,'' she says.

A highlight of the evening will be art director Thotta Tarani's paintings on sale. Six paintings, created exclusively for CAN- STOP, will come under the hammer that day. Apart from Totta Tarani's art exhibition- cum-sale, there will be his wife, Sarada, who will render a veena recital. Chitra Visweswaran, danseuse, will be the master of ceremonies. There will be a santoor recital by her husband, R. Visweswaran. The evening will also see Suhasini Maniratnam release a souvenir brought out by CAN-STOP.

At another level - the one which few understand and fewer still comprehend - the evening will be unique to some, momentous for some others and an occasion to look back at the pain-filled years for yet others. Three survivors - two courageous men and a women - will tell the afflicted and their families what it takes to stand up and tide over what seems like the unsurmountable.

Children from ICH, under treatment now, will light the traditional lamp to mark the inauguration.The event is being looked forward to by many as an opportunity to share and learn; look ahead and contemplate on what was. The evening will also focus on raising efforts for the activities of the Non Governmental Organisation, which is an out-reach programme of the Sundaram Medical Foundation Dr. Rangarajan Memorial Hospital.

``There is so much to be done. No time to rest. Awareness has to reach everywhere because I cannot fight the tobacco companies. The answer lies in telling people the effects of consuming tobacco and paan,'' says Dr. Vijaya Bharati.

By R. K. Radhakrishnan

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