At the ongoing celebration of the platinum jubilee of Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Kuchipudi dancer Amrita lahiri and Kathak dancer Vishal Krishna teamed up with experts of other dance forms to present a unique fusion. By Utpal K Banerjee
Indian classical dances are today as sure-footed as they have ever been. Apart from the eight recognised genres (Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathak, Manipuri and Sattriya), a few others like Chhau, Vilasininatyam and Gaudiya are clamouring for recognition, holding one attribute in common: each has its own distinctive grammar as well as clear regional flavour — in music, costume, adornments and gesture-language. For instance, a Bharatanatyam dancer sways upper and lower torsos always in the same direction, while the Manipuri danseuse moves them contrary-wise. Again, Kathak regales in rich footwork aided by numerous, tied anklets, whereas anklets are a strict no-no in Kathakali in the South and Manipuri in the East. Now, what would happen, if some of the canonised gestures and movements are transported from one genre to anotherIJ Will such an innovation enrich the styles and, if so, to what extentIJ
At the ongoing celebration of the platinum jubilee of Gandharva Mahavidyalaya (GMV), this precisely has been done. GMV has featured some of the best talents amongst the young dancers today and attempted to bring “mentoring” to them: not available otherwise. In the process, each danseuse has been paired with a guru: an established and senior exponent of another style — with the underpinning of hope that the younger dancers would benefit from the novel association and be exposed to unique inputs: further enhancing appreciation of their own form. Interestingly, each dancer’s repertoire has been made to reflect this collaboration in at least one item — learnt from the mentor — being rendered in one’s own style.
The Mumbai-based Kuchipudi danseuse, Amrita lahiri, took stage first, with her invocation: Jayamu jayamu…, composed by Vempati Chinna Satyam for his dance-drama Shakuntalam. Born in 1980 and hugely talented, Amrita then launched her major item Murchchana (Spirit of Music), as mentored by the senior dance-guru Sharmila Biswas. With a low podium placed strategically on front-stage, Amrita both spoke and danced in a seamless manner. Murchchana — as the soul behind geeta-vadya-nritya troika — was brought alive with narratives on: Rambha’s celestial dance for which Brahma created mridanga as percussion, seductive dance of Vishnuu as Mohini to lure the demons away from nectar, and gopi Tungavadya’s coming alive after her fatal punishment for Krishna’s amour.
Sharmila elaborates the mentoring process, “We had — between Kolkata and Mumbai — many personal talks, telephonic discussions, exchange of write-ups and finally a script. Kuchipudi has this storytelling tradition which I wanted to revive for Amrita, allowing her the use of Telugu and English both with equal felicity. Between my suggestion of many tentative schemes and Amrita’s veering round to Murchchana, there was a long-drawn thought process. I didn’t want her to give up the seductive movements of Kuchipudi and — equally important — positive support from her musicians.” Substantiates Amrita, “Sharmilaji was hugely innovative and very supportive of my multiple suggestions. Most logically, Murchchana led to my traditional Moksha.”
Vishal Krishna — all of 23 — is Kathak’s torchbearer for Banaras gharana, from that city: in the direct line of succession from Sukhdeo Maharaj, the gharana’s founder. A grandson of the iconic Sitara Devi and nephew of another legend Gopi Krishna, Vishal carries a lot of legacy on his tender shoulders and has risen remarkably well. He began with natawari (dance-mnemonics): distinct from those of tabla and pakhawaj: that characterised the Gopi-Krishna style. His cross-over piece was a dhrupad in raga Khamaj: Yamuna ke neer teer…, with Krishna bestowing bliss upon gopis (milk-maids) in maha-raas dance: as a partner to each one. It was sheer ecstasy with Vishal covering the entire space with great verve and using considerable abhinaya (facial expression).
The noted Odissi danseuse Madhavi Mudgal — Vishal’s mentor — explains, “The idea was that people who have already made their mark would be introduced to another form so that they could distill the essnce from the latter and imbibe the same in own form. I didn’t choreograph an item for Vishal but developed it together with him. He’s so innocently talented. In his new abhinaya, Kathak was not overwhelmed, but Odissi bhramar (turn-around), sanchari (embellishments) and chari (movements) were only lurking!” Says Vishal, “The dhrupad-based abhinaya, as visualised by Madhaviji, was a new experience for me. Yet, once the lyric was selected, I could bring in the maha raas elements of Vrindavan. Now that I’ve learnt blending abhinaya with Kathak, I want to press on and create new items embedded in my Gopi-Krishna heritage.”