Perceived as undesirable for temple dance forms that mostly deal with the myths and tales of Hindu deities, non-Hindu classical dancers were once shut out of cultural spaces and barred from performing in temples. Over the years, doors slowly began opening for non-Hindu dancers just as other Hindus who took on greater roles in the realm of classical dance and other areas of various classical art forms.
The Muslim couple, B K Shafeekudeen, a disciple of legendary Bharatanatyam exponent Guru Dhananjayan, and his wife Shabana Shafeekudeen are foraying into the traditional space by proving training to non-Hindus, especially Christians and Muslims, along with their Hindu disciples.
Of over 100-odd disciples they have in Kerala, Chennai and the Middle East, two dozen disciples are non-Hindus. Shabana staged a Bharatanatyam recital ‘Sivoham’, a choreography on Lord Shiva, at the Shivaratri festival at Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple, Thrissur, as part of a rare gesture of communal harmony.
However, they are saddened by the approach of the media and doyens in the field towards the non-Hindu artists. “We dance with élan at temples and traditional cultural spaces, winning the hearts of hundreds of spectators. Despite that, the media and conservative society in the country, especially in Kerala, still review our performance through a religious kaleidoscope,” said Shafeekudeen, who had to who had to break the barriers of traditional socio-religious system to establish himself in the world of dance.
Unlike some of the Muslim pioneers in classical arts like Kalamandalam Hydrali, one of the best Kathakali singers and the first non-Hindu artiste to make a mark in the Kerala classical dance-drama, who was even forced to sing from outside temples when the show held inside their premises, Shafeekudeen had never been ostracised for daring to break with tradition in Hindu-dominated cultural society.
“Though the increasing participation of non-Hindus in traditional Hindu dance forms is being seen as a sign of religious harmony in Kerala, a lot needs to be changed in the psyche of the people,” says Shafeekudeen, a post graduate in Bharatanatyam from Madras University.
“I had to perform in the Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple after hiding my identity. Though I was invited by actress Sukanya as her pair to stage Bharatanatyam, she told me to give another name. When I refused, my name was excluded from the brochure of the event as a precaution,” he says.
However, it is different in Chennai, where he groomed himself as an accomplished dancer and conquered the heart of dance and music aficionados. “In Chennai, we were rated by our performance, not by religion, and I was never subjected to insults and discrimination despite an upper class Hindu domination,” he says. “Though everyone says that the art has no religion, caste, creed and it transcends the barriers of religion, the division is deeply-entrenched in the minds of people.”
Shafeekudeen says the situation is fast changing, “which is evident from the rising number of shows we have been doing in Kerala and more non-Hindus are coming forward to take up this Hindu art form.” In April, he will go to the Middle East for a month to teach his non-Hindu and Hindu students.
Over the years, he and his wife have also performed at the Paramekkavu Temple in Thrissur, Natarajolsavam in Mysore, Narada Gana Sabha seasonal festival in Chennai, Natyanjaly Kala Academy in Mangalore and at many others.
Shafeekudeen is a recipient of the Special Commendation Award (2013) by the Bharat Kalachar as part of the Margazhi Mahotsav, the Best Up-and-Coming Artiste (All-India Bharatanatya Association, 2009) and Natya Kala Vipanchi (Balamuralikrishna Trust, 2008). He has performed at hundreds of venues in India and abroad including the UK, Germany, the US and the UAE.
Shabana, daughter of noted dancer Kalamandalam Husnabhanu, was a ‘kalathilakam’ in the Kerala school youth festival and is a recipient of the Young Talent Award instituted by the Kerala government. She has specialised in Kuchipudi and Mohiniyattam dance forms apart from Bharatanatyam.
Dance critic George S Paul says though they are of another faith, the husband-wife duo have a clear perception of the emotional contours of the mythical characters they portray.
Says Hariharan, convenor of Sivaratri Mohotsvam at Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple, “We have been inviting non-Hindus to stage dance and music programmes regularly here. Last year we had invited Stephen Devassy, a Christian, to present a fusion music programme at the festival since the art knows no boundaries.”
