The late Pandit Birju Maharajji was the doyen of not only Kathak but the entire dance fraternity. A great Guru, performer and choreographer, he started adapting dance very early on in his life – as early as when he was eight or nine years of age. He had dedicated his entire life to the cause of Kathak ever since.
Pandit Birju Maharaj never ever compartmentalized Kathak into gharanas. He showed unbiased dedication to the dance form itself, deeming it as the ultimate form of worship. As a newcomer, I found myself always being encouraged by him. Further, when I started teaching at Kathak Kendra, we used to conduct classes, only separated by a wall. But, then again, just like the ‘sam’ we, too, would conjoin and have great conversations with each other. He never allowed his position or seniority to dominate our relationship. He treated everyone equally and would always encourage us in our work. “Keep it up. You are doing well”, he would say.
Whenever I think about him, I realise that Kathak was the only language in which he would converse and express himself so gracefully. During the discussions with him in person, Kathak naturally became his tool to explain the nitty-gritties of the art form.
In those days, Kathak was something that was presumably reserved for only select classes of society. He ably took Kathak to new heights; and from the classes to masses in the truest sense. Under his vision, Kathak gained popularity and a unique identity even in cinema. ‘Kathak’ became almost a household term. He has inspired so many youth to look upon Kathak as a pure art form.
Apart from this, Panditji was an expert instrumentalist as well. Interestingly, he was tech-savvy and loved to explore new electronic devices that would be trending in the market. Also, he took a keen interest in cars; and would often engage in discussions about them.
Very few people know the fact that he used to love flying kites! That’s right. Kites. Let me share a small incident in this context that happened when we were on our way to Jaipur, on a tour. During one of the pitstops, he bought a kite and flew it merrily, for he felt like it when he saw so many kites already flying in the skies. Indeed, the varied qualities that go on to make a great artist and a Guru of his like!
Even though Panditji has passed on to the other world, his rich legacy shall continue to inspire us for times to come.