Dance is a way of life for Pandit Birju Maharaj, the familiar face of Kathak dance all over the world. A unique phenomenon of creativity, Maharaj has now chosen a rare path which his contemporaries may not do. He speaks to Ila Sankrityayan about ‘Virsa’, an interactive online learning programme to teach the youth about the classical art form and reconnect masses to it
The legend was never reluctant to welcome technology and this has led him to be part of the interactive digital learning of performing arts, ‘Virsa’, launched by Routes2Roots in association with the Union Ministry of Culture. He will be giving Kathak lesson online through ‘Virsa’. “I think in the era on of internet and digitalisation, it is the best way to transfer our rich culture and heritage to the youth so that they would, at least, get a basic idea of the technique and other aspects of the dance form. An outline will be created”, he says
“Kathak is meant for common people too and even artistes don't prefer exclusivity. But unfortunately the audiences of the art form remain confined to elites or aristocrats. Before independence artistes would receive patronage from a king and were obliged to perform only in the darbar, though they had the freedom to refine it with the feedback they got from the audience. This lasted for a very long time and thus alienated the masses from the dance form. Even after Independence that lost connection with the masses could not be regained. Through ‘Virsa’ an attempt is also made to make Kathak more appealing to the masses that would in trun bring the performers and people closer to each other”, says the mastero.
When asked what more should be done to attract the youth towards classical art forms, he said, "a lot more need to be done. But it shouldn’t be one sided. The youth also have to come forward. Nothing comes easy and I teach the same Art can’t be used as a faster and shorter route to success. Copy work won’t last long in art. Indian classical music is widely appreciated. But in our country a few people appreciate it. I belive that this is a transitory phase and it will pass soon”, he adds.
Maharaj is a dynamo of creativity. His graceful gaits and pirouettes are symbolic of the cycle of life. His poetry reflects a playful use of words creating a visual treat that contains philosophy. And when he plays the tabla, professionals bow in bewilderment. He sings as beautifully as he dances. So call him a jack of all, a stalwart, a wizard in his own way. Brijmohan Mishra popularly known as Birju Maharaj has created path of his own that made him a renowned figure both at the national and international levels. Carrying tradition and style of the lucknow gharana of Kathak, he enriched it with innovations, so as to add contemporary appeal to the dance form. He has proved that an artiste grows with age.
For him dance is life. He describes it as ‘Nritya hi jeevan hai’. “When I view life through the window of dance everything seems ‘nrityamaya’. If life is a movement then all beautiful and magnificent movements are dance. In dance I celebrate every universal eternal emotion,” he says . “When Kathakiyas narrated the tales of Krishna leela in gat (movement) and bhumika (action) in temples, he needed only an accompanist or two to provide the rhythm and sur. These Kathakiyas used to roam from village to village narrating the tales of divine actions. My ancestral village Hadiya had 979 families of artistes - each had perfected one form of art or the other. It was called the village of Kathakiyas. Then kathak entered the darbars and mehfils of kings and aristocrats. And then to the auditorium where a solo performer started giving the repertoire. I tried to experiment with the dance form. For Ras leela where Krishna danced with numerous gopis I decided to use the entire stage to present a perfect blend of action and rhythm. In a dance form communication should be through your eyes and body language. laya or rhythm is equally important”, he adds. Thus for Birju Maharaj dance is like an ocean where all the waves have their own life and movement, but have just one goal - to reach the shore.
Belonging to the legendary Maharaj family of Kathak dancers his father and guru is Acchan Maharaj. Born on February 4, 1938 and trained by his uncles Shambhu Maharaj and lachchu Maharaj, he gave his first performance at the age of seven. “As a child I was made to dance on the stage even when I did not know how to hold my fingers. My father would open his performance with me dancing for the first fifteen to twenty minutes and it is from there that I carry a heritage which will be with me till the end,”says the legend.
The dance mastero had also joined hands with the master filmmaker Satyajit Ray. He composed music and gave his voice for two dance sequences in the film Shatranj Ke Khiladi, directed by Ray. Devdas, Gadar, and Dil To Pagal Hai are the other films for which Maharaj composed songs where as he choreographed for a song in ‘Bajirao Mastani’.
He recalled his experience of working with Ray and Sanjay leela Bhansali. "Both are extremely talented, but humble directors. They are very particular about minute details. Since Sanjay is trained in Odissi, he understands the intricate aesthetics of dance. Satyajit was also such a connoisseur of dance. Once he put a single black screen in a shot and when I asked why not more, he said he didn't want to hide the dancer and wanted to make sure that even a single nail of the dancer is visible. likewise the entire song of “Mohe Rang Do lal” was shot in a studio. It was a magnificent set and reminded me of the sets of Mughal-e-Azam with those mirrors and fountains. But I couldn't make out sense of a huge green screen which was set as the background. I asked Sanjay about the screen and he asked me to wait till the movie is released He was right. It was amazing to see in the big screen”.
The artiste is the recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, the Kalidas Samaan, the Andhra Ratna, the Nritya Chudamani, Filmfare Award for Best Choreography for song Mohe Rang Do laal from Bajirao Mastani - to name a few.
The founder of Kalashram and the legend who remained associated with Kathak Kendra has been conferred the honorary Doctorate degrees by the Banaras Hindu University and the Khairagarh University.