HYDERABAD: War dance of the Kakatiya dynasty, Perini Sivatandavam, was once the norm. Before going to battles, soldiers would dance to the beats of the drum to invoke prerana (inspiration) and dedicate it to Lord Shiva. Once the decline of the dynasty began, the popularity of the ancient dance form took a dive as well. However, with the efforts of many dancers, it is slowly returning to thrive in modern times.
While renowned dance guru Dr Nataraja Ramakrishna is credited for the revival of Perini Natyam, many others have played a vital role in taking it to the people and helping it assume its rightful place among ancient dance forms. One such dancer is Dharawat Rajkumar Naik from Suryapet. He recently became the first Perini dancer to be awarded the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar (UBKYP) by the Sangeet Natak Akademi for his efforts in the revival of the art form.
After performing over 2,500 times in India and abroad (in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand), the 33-year-old has amassed a large number of awards, such as the Pride of Telangana award and Komaram Bheem award, among others. However, Naik’s bright career started when he was a child. “As a child, I used to perform (Perini) during the nine-day Teej festival which is celebrated by the Banjara community. My uncle recognised my talent and interest in dance and took me to Afzal Pasha to learn Andhra Natyam when I was in sixth grade,” Naik tells TNIE.
Since then, the ride hasn’t stopped for the famous dancer, who has spent 20 years specialising in Perini Natyam. Later, he also learnt under Padma Shri-awardee Dr Nataraja Ramakrishna before taking to Andhra Natyam and learning its intricacies for 10 years.
However, the going is not always smooth. However, the ancient dance form prepares one for a life of challenges, Naik says. “Perini Sivatandam used to be utilised as a motivational tool for war heroes during the rough times. I believe that the dance form has the capability to motivate people and students even now for a greater cause,” he adds.
However, the awards and recognition weren’t enough for the 33-year-old. He wanted to take Perini to the public. “The interest among young girls and boys in Perini dance has now improved. I now own a dance academy, PRK Natyam Prapancham, in Suryapet where about 70 enthusiastic students learn Perini,” he says.
“On my own, I have organised more than 200 solo Perini Natyam performances, which lasted over 101 days in schools and temples across 31 districts of Telangana in 2016-17.
Despite several obstacles, I was able to achieve the goal of taking the Perini dance form to the public,” Naik says, adding that support from the Telangana Language and Culture Department proved crucial during that juncture.
Speaking on winning the UBKYP, he says, “I am happy that I got selected for the award among thousands of nominees. Additionally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioning me in the recent Mann ki Baat programme is yet another boost for me as my hard work is getting recognition.” In the next few years, Naik plans to conduct Perini Natyam workshops in all the districts of the State.
“My vision is that once there is awareness about the ancient dance forms in all the districts of Telangana, it will automatically get due recognition from the country, and later, internationally as well,” he shares.