Danseuse Uma Sharma has been bringing legends from Hindustani classical music under one roof to engage the younger generation. The 15th edition will focus on thumri and khayal. By Shrabasti Mallik
There is no dearth of festivals for classical music aficionados in the city. But how often does one come across an event featuring the maestros from different gharanasIJ Not often. But Kathak danseuse Uma Sharma has been working hard to ensure that her annual dance and music festival features the best from the field, so that the youngsters can make most of it.
“The young generation is always interested in our traditional dance and music, given that you present it to them in a way they can understand. Presentation plays a big role in generating their interest,” she says. This is the only reason that she has been organising the Swami Haridas Tansen Sangeet-Nritya Mahotsav for the last 14 years. The aim of the festival is to bring together the best connoisseurs from the field of Hindustani classical music under one roof. “It has been my humble endeavour to familiarise people with their roots and traditions,” she adds.
The 15th edition of the festival boasts of names like Hariprasad Chaurasia, Shubha Mudgal, Shujaat Khan, Gokulotsavji Maharaj, Aashish Khan Debsharma, Chhannulal Mishra, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande, apart from a Kathak recital by Uma. She explains, “I included Shubha Mudgal because she already is a popular music icon and in the festival people will hear her classical gayaki. Through Vilayat Khan’s son Shujaat, the audience will get to hear how the maestro played Imdadkhan gharana on the sitar.
Similarly, Aashish will share how his father Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and grandfather Ustad Alauddin Khan played sarod. The festival is an attempt to provide an opportunity to the people to listen to the works of the masters through their progenies,” says Uma. While the audience will witness the traditional thumri style of Benaras through Chhannulal, Ashwini will mesmerise them withkhayals of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana.
The danseuse has seen a tremendous change in the response to the festival. Not only has the number of audience increased manifold but she has also received positive feedback from youngsters. She says, “It gives me so much satisfaction when kids come up to me and request me to extend the festival and ask me to invite more artistes. I feel that the intention with which I started the mahotsav is being fulfilled.”
Uma has been translating poems of classical poets and incorporating them in her performances in a bid to popularise classical poets and their works. She says, “I choose popular poets like Surdas, Tulsidas and Ghalib. I have also incorporated Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s Madhushala. It is only though us that these legends will stay alive so it is our responsibility to recognise our tradition and take it forward.”
Uma has been instrumental in reviving the old classical dance form of Natwari nritya or theRaslila of Vrindavan. She has also choreographed full length dance dramas on various themes, thus widening the repertoire of Kathak. “My first full length choreography was Stree. It speaks about the enduring power of a woman and how when she reaches the brink of her patience can take the form of Durga. I have also done a dance recital on Kalidas’ Uttarmegh andPurvamegh and a piece based on Meghduta,” she shares. Her biggest achievement lies with Amanat Ali’s Indra Sabha. “The dance is a combination of Kathak,mujra and nautanki,” she says.
The three-day festival is not about classical music but she has made every effort to present the festival in, what she called, a “mehfili andaaz”. “To create the perfect ambience of a mehfil we will be serving puri and kachoris as refreshments,” she rounds off.