She turns 75 today but is as sprightly as when she was 18 and had run away from her home to Bangalore to chase a passion called dance. When we meet danseuse SONAl MANSINGH at her Defence Colony home, she is busy poring over invitation cards for her big show tonight to celebrate the establishment of her dance academy. Her life is about milestones of all kinds — personal, artistic, physical and the spiritual. Her views are free and frank, her ideas bubbling and elevating, her energy infectious and enlivening. She doesn’t believe in looking back; she is still a beginner who is trying to change the world around her. Excerpts from her conversation with Rinku Ghosh
What is the overarching theme for this year’s edition of Kala Yatra, considering it is also your 75th birthdayIJ
Kala Yatra means a journey of the arts that never ends. last year, my dance foundation completed over 40 years in Indian classical arts. It was then that we decided to do a show every year, to keep the flow going. This edition is special because it’s my 75th birthday and my centre was established and registered on this day. There are many personal milestones that have been woven together.
And all this is because of the grace of Ma, the shakti. The theme is Devi, who resides within us. Did you know that our chief guest is always Goddess Kamakhya DeviIJ The priest of the shakti peeth comes with a chadar, which we place on the chair and then begin the proceedings. Students will then perform a dance drama based on the Devi shree stuti.
You have represented women’s issues through your performances. Now when there is so much talk about women’s empowerment, how is contemporary reality being reflected in your workIJ
I remember doing panch kanya, a series on women of contemporary relevance. I had presented Bhikaiji Cama as part of it. Though there is a road named after her in Delhi, few know of her, wondering whether she is a man or a woman. A philanthropist and freedom fighter, she not only crusaded for human rights, equality and freedom from Britain but also raised an awareness about gender parity and justice. In 1907, she attended the second Socialist Congress at Stuttgart, Germany, where she unfurled what she called the “Flag of Indian Independence,” and which later became one of the templates of our national flag. Yet her spirit has a contemporary resonance. My aim has always been to connect with the audience through metaphors and stories that are relatable in the current context. The symbolism is in our choice of stories and interpretative performances.
Having said that, we are invoking the Devi Mahatma, which in Sanskrit means a gender-neutral magnanimity, high-mindedness and majesty of the soul. She is presented as the soul, as the power to know, the power to will and the power to act. She is consciousness of all living beings, she is intelligence, she is matter and she is all that is form or emotion. The navarasas to interpret it came to my mind years ago. Now I have translated the Sanskrit lines into Hindi which go something like this: “I am a woman, goddess, wife, mother and the slayer of the evil and I will not tolerate any nonsense whether it be my father, husband or son.” This just amazed me; our ancestors have given us the answers and it is sad to see that we disregard a study of our cultural texts labelling it as revisionism.
The metaphors in the Puranas are timeless in their appeal. How do we disseminate our traditional cultural knowledge systems without making it a subject of political debateIJ
You’ve hit the nail on the head. You see, there is a lot of noise and buzz of the social media; the mad cacophony dulls your brain so much that you are as good as an unthinking creature. The more platforms for information, there is a flood of opinions and viewpoints, all of which are boxed in rather than being processed. The gentler way of communication is lost. As artistes, we still believe strong messages can be conveyed through dance and music. Arts is an untouched space because there is no agenda beyond presenting beauty, harmony and a universal balance.
I would like to say at this point more and more people are agreeing with me that there’s a disturbing imbalance between masculinity and femininity. There seems to be a very masculine atmosphere prevailing where few women are ministers and governors and only considered in terms of statistics. Achievements are still minuscule considering that overall, the position of women has actually gone down, the injustices against them have become fiercer. Yet women are the ones who are continuing the cultures.
I think there is a deficit of basic respect, affection and regard for humankind. Still, I wouldn’t say mankind is beyond rescue. My thinking is different from the Western template. In my civilisation, everyone is equal and balanced. Sati and Shiva, Radha and Krishna exist on equal terms. There is a balance of prakriti and purush, not a game of one-upmanship. Maryada plays a vital role in art and culture. You cannot cross it on the grounds of freedom of expression.
I think you said somewhere that Krishna begs for Radha’s love and that she counter-balances the masculine order of our divine trinity.
Yes, I was speaking in the context of the Gita Govinda. We are reading but not understanding these texts which lay down the grounds for equality pretty strongly. I always tell husbands and would-be husbands in my audience to take note of the harmony that both men and women can create. It is for this reason that I do not like the term women’s empowerment, as if it is grant of a largesse. I find it very patronising. Is it a donation from someoneIJ like daya kar ke chalo inko empower karo. Women don’t need empowerment, it is the men who need to empower their thinking and awaken to things as they are meant to be.
Why does this civilisational reality not get translated into other forms of popular communicationIJ
That’s because nobody wants us to share these beliefs and ideas on accessible media like TV. They have boxed me in as a dancer and don’t think that I’m worthy of making a social comment. But in my 75 years, I have experienced a society in transition. So the arts and performances are the only voice I have.
The media is so strong today that it dominates every facet of an average individual’s life. It has an outreach that is unimaginable. A lot of people tell me that we love to hear you talk. We learn so much more. Sometimes you are disheartened. I am proud of my country but sometimes, even while I was growing up, it seemed meaningless to give back. Because you can’t stand for those who need it and even if you do manage to stand for them, it doesn’t last. I have never seen so much aggression as I do now. Be it about a social issue or something as mundane as parking your car rightly in the parking bay. I have been driving since 1965 and yet today I encounter young drivers who insinuate that I don’t know how to manoeuver. Every man, irrespective of where he comes from, feels entitled to label and judge women.
I have been living alone in Delhi since decades but I have started feeling scared in the last three years. Because we have an army of literates without the real education that comes from social evolution, understanding or tempering.
When you get out of your house and look at people on the pavements and roads, their eyes are like glass. They do not move away and look at you like you are the one out-of-place. Some seem to say, “You bloody drive your car, I will walk on the road itself.” They are not bothered and usually plugged into their earphones, existing in an alternate universe. I often say that this technological addiction, the demise of common sense and sensibility due to the overuse of mobiles and smart devices are dehumanising us and deadening our possibilities. There is a self-culture promoted by technology that makes one immune to the needs and feelings of others. And that scares me.
Talking about the continuity of classical disciplines, do you think the younger generation can take it forward with as much passion as yoursIJ
We all have to try. And having worked with SPICMACAY in the early years, I can say this that there is no dearth of intent or talent. But they want fast results and are not patient about the pursuit. That’s a problem that is common to all disciplines. Take the case of Jahanvi here. (Her student joins the conversation).
Jahnvi: As guruji says, my generation wants instant results. And to fill up the spaces between abhyas, she teaches us other things, helps us become a better version of ourselves. She will tell you general things like how we should walk on the street, be alert and aware of our surroundings, not use phones callously and not to talk to strangers. Being with her is a lesson in personality development. She is with us in our ups and downs.
Sonal: The media is clearly failing in its social responsibility. So what can an individual doIJ I have even tried social media but a discussion about artforms does not get hits and perishes in the face of banal and self-indulgent posts of Bollywood superstars. Even when it comes to performance videos, classical dances do not make it to the top of the list on youtube. And you cannot refresh videos of dance moves every day. TV still can give you that space for the arts but apart from the public broadcaster Doordarshan, no private channel wants to devote time slots for cultural content, fearing they won’t get TRPs. Perhaps they should consider promoting it as part of CSR. Television talk shows revolve around Bollywood or cricket celebrities and is never about men of letters or artistes. Had they kept a balance from Day 1, the audience would have grown on a diet of some sane voices. Thoda sa to socho. Don’t be blind.
Photo: Pankaj Kumar