HYDERABAD: The elegance in Madhuri Dixit when she is on stage or the excellent moves by Kamal Hassan, he is the hand behind it. Pandit Birju Maharaj’s influence is such, that even Prime Minister Narendra Modi bows down to him. From the age of seven when he started his career, this Kathak exponent has brought a difference to the dance form, also being the one who has taken the dance form global.
Hyderabad stint
In a show that lasted close to 100 minutes, Panditji along with his disciples, which specially figured his frontline disciple Saswati Sen brought out glimpses of the rich repertoire of the North Indian classical dance form.
Old and young, every person in the audience had their eyes glued to the veteran. His performance was a treat to classical dance lovers where he struck a rhythm with all things around us.
After performing at Shilpakala Vedika on Friday, as part of Krishnakriti Festival of Arts and Culture, decked in a blue kurta and cream pyjama, panditji looked like an embodiment of the art form.
His connection with city
The Lucknow-born artiste feels a strong connection to Hyderabad. First, his family. “My mama Ram Krishna Shukla taught dance in Hyderabad. I have my students in Hyderabad – Raghav Raj Bhatt and Mangala – who teach Kathak here,” he shares. Apart from this, the Kathak Maharaj has a special bond with the local language. “Urdu is what connects Hyderabad and Lucknow. Whenever I visit Hyderabad, I feel like I have some connection with people here,” he says. Appreciating the city’s hospitality, “I arrived in the city, the greenroom, the stage and lights on stage were all arranged so well that I could not find a reason to complain,” he beams with pleasure.
Most memorable moment
“Music is something that calms one’s mind. Makes a violent person, think sensibly,” he feels. Sharing one incident, he recalls, that time when he was stopped from performing in Hyderabad as people wanted him to address them in their local language. “They opposed Hindi. But after a few minutes into the performance, I realised that the same people who were opposing my performance were also enjoying it. That day I felt like we (my troupe and me) are ‘shantidoots’ (messengers of peace).
On changing trends
“Waqt ke saath insaan badalta hai (People change with time). Earlier dance was presented only in royal courts. The taste of people there was different. People now don’t enjoy it,” he says, adding that he has made an effort to change the presentation of Kathak in many ways so that audience can easily connect to it.
Documentary on his life
Amitab Tripathi, a filmmaker from Mumbai is creating a biopic on the legend in the dance form. Maharaj says, “I hope the film will bring more awareness about the dance form among people and will motivate more to learn the dance form.”
Reviewing silver screen
Pandit Birju Maharaj is disappointed with the movies made now. “Romantic films were made in the yesteryear also, but they were decent. Imaginative work is not done these days,” he says. The performer takes a liking to actors Madhuri Dixit and Kamal Hassan as they both strive for perfection he points out. “Madhuri hume bahut manti hai (Madhuri respects me a lot). I am also a part of her online dance class,” he shares.
On conducting workshops
“Workshops are a way to spread my knowledge across the globe. If anyone arranges workshops, I will be more than willing to come and teach them. Government should also focus on promoting art and culture. Westernisation is taking over Indian values. We should do something to keep Indian values alive,” he feels strongly.
Men and classical dance forms
“Men are hesitant to take up to dancing as they focus on doing something which can help them make more money as they have to take care of their family,” he points but observes a changing trend. “These days they are showing up on stage, after a very long time,” he says adding, “Grace comes to girls naturally but boys have to work hard to get it. The environment is more competitive now.”