KOCHI: Passion and profession often run parallel to each other. But when they merge, its outcome can become magical. Rahul Varshney, founder and artistic director of New Delhi-based School Of Creative Hands (SOCH), can vouch for that.
Rahul, who has been running the school since 2015, said it was not easy. “It requires dedication. You should think, plan and act well. It might take some time to establish yourself, but the satisfaction you get is worth the effort,” said Rahul.
Rahul began learning Hindustani (vocal) under Odissi dancer Jyoti Shrivastava. “Though I was learning music, I was fascinated by Odissi. This led me to stop my vocal classes and begin learning Odissi,” he said. He is the first-generation Odissi dancer from his Baniya family, who are mostly into various business.
“My mother is my strength. Delhi is not known to have helped many classical dancers flourish, especially male artists, but she wanted me to learn any art form,” he said.
Back when Rahul began his career, Delhi was not ready to accept male classical dancers. “Circumstances have changed now. The government and society have begun to encourage and accept talented artists,” said Rahul.
The 28-year-old has been greatly influenced by Ramli Ibrahim. Rahul believes in bringing contemporary changes to the art form without hurting the the puritans’ sentiments.
“Younger artists haven’t faced many challenges similar to those faced by our gurus. Hence I’ve no intention to alter the art form that was gifted by them. At the same time, I want to make a few additions to the dance form to attract more youngsters,” he said.
Rahul hopes to gain expertise in the tandava compositions of Guru Deba Prasad Das to pursue Odissi at another level. He recently performed at Bharat Bhavan as part of the Young Talents Fest.