Pandit Birju Maharaj dreams of a kathak village where learning will be imparted under the shade of trees, with a pond in the backdrop while his magical fingers explain moves through mudras. He speaks to Saritha Saraswathy Balan on why he wants to return to where he came from
As a young child, Pandit Birju Maharaj’s mother used to tell him not to pose for too many photographs, as she feared it would shorten her son’s life! Poised even at the ripe old age of 78, he chuckles: “I have been photographed thousands of times. Yet here I am.” Despite garnering many laurels over a lifetime devoted to kathak, Panditji continues to breathe and dream of still perfecting the art form and disseminating its passion to young practitioners. Every word that he utters and his every explanation is as good as watching him perform to bhavas on stage.
Ask him whether he favours his Radha Krishna over that of his latest production Romeo Juliet, a classic Shakespearean play done as a ballet, he responds: “All are love stories, be it Radha Krishna or Romeo Juliet. In the Radha Krishna love saga, there is an element of utter devotion. When love merges with devotion, it attains the highest level. I admit to being fascinated by their love which is integrated into the cultural fabric of our country. In Romeo and Juliet, too, however, we find the same level of love, sadness, jealousy…emotions are the same everywhere.”
True to being an exponent of the lucknow Kalka-Bindadin gharana, his composition is all about the mischievous Kanhaiya. “In the lucknow gharana, what you get to see is Krishna’s mischief, his naughtiness…how he throws stones at the gopikas….how they cry because of his antics while he laughs,” elaborates Panditji. The doyen is so enamoured with this very mischievous element that he often senses Krishna’s very presence while choreographing and performing a piece on him. He then lists out the subtleties of kathak. “In the Jaipur gharana, the initial focus was on rapidity of steps though practitioners later shifted focus. In the Banaras gharana, too, the dance movements matter most. But in the lucknow gharana, the emotions coupled with the body movements are of prime importance.”
Panditji finds rhythm in everything….right from the human heart-beat to the sound of birds flocking together. He reminisces about a performance in front of cardiologists. “They are familiar with heartbeats, which form the rhythm of the heart. There is a rhythm present in the heart, nose and lips,” he says, running his fingers over his face. He loves the beat or taal in dance, as for him, it comprises the highest element. “On the right, it is high, and on the left, it is deep,” he goes on while enacting how a woman takes notice of a man on stage, without enunciating words, but only through beats.
He loves to wake up to a new dream each morning, that of a kathak village in lucknow, where his ancestral home has been converted to a museum. “I want to return where I came from. Bengal is my mother and Maharashtra is my father as these are the places that shaped my career. I call Delhi my friend, though I would not set up the village here. It should be in lucknow, the place where I belong. There won’t be any buildings in the village. Nature will remain supreme. learning will be imparted under the shade of trees. With a pond and well in the village, water will be sourced in a traditional manner,” he dreams, while his hands “draw the water out of the well.”
“In lucknow, our home was like that of the Nawabs. We lived so happily in a joint family. We have taught so many people, irrespective of religion or place. I hope to carry forward that legacy. At present, there are 700 students in my dance school Kalashram,” he shares.
Being a Hindustani classical music vocalist too, he is optimistic about the future of traditional music and dance in the country. “Bad times are here, destructive in nature. But the younger generations are really talented and they are sure to take it forward. Good times for music and dance are sure to make a comeback.”
He is not ready to disown the impact of Bollywood too on the same, as it does contribute to keeping alive the traditional dance and art forms. “But only a few like Sanjay leela Bhansali incorporate these in the movies. In olden times, Waheeda Rehman and Vyjayanthimala were shown performing Bharatanatyam. The focus was solely on the hero and heroine and the sanctity of performance was maintained. Nowadays, 5,000 people are seen in the background,” he remarks.
Having worked with Satyajit Ray, Kamal Hasaan and Bhansali, Maharaj asserts that only directors endowed with an artistic vision can extract what they need from classical artistes. He is also quick to reiterate his love for Madhuri Dixit, claiming to have seen none like her in terms of sincerity to work, though he does concede Meena Kumari and Madhubala’s commitment among the earlier crop of actors. “It is kathak itself that is the performer, who tells the story through the eyes, face and the body as a whole. He who believes that it is the Creator who dances through his creation, fervently hopes that his sons and disciples never deviate from the original art form and never fear his audience.”
Maharaj performed for Sabrang 2016, a live dance and music show, presented by Kalahetu Academy on Monday.
