In the middle-class Marathi household of Bhushan Korgaonkar, Lavani as a dance form was often looked down upon, considered bawdy and obscene. Korgaonkar felt ashamed that the state of Maharashtra, where the dance form originated, did not have a classical dance of its own. However, this changed when he experienced a live Lavani performance for the first time 25 years ago. “I realised that it has the same poise, delicacy, and composure as classical dance and has not received its due recognition because of the stereotypes,” he reflects.
To revive the traditional folk flavour of Lavani and educate the audience that it is an art more than just Bollywood item songs, Korgaonkar created Lavani Ke Rang, an experiential performance that explores the dance form’s deeper universe. The director also wrote Sangeet Bari, a book on the lives of Lavani dancers.
Narrated from the perspective of a Lavani theatre malkin in Bambaiya Hindi, the performance introduces the audience to Lavani’s styles and systems, transforming the stage into a private baithak in a Maharashtra town. A harmonium hum surrounds the amphitheater. A Dholak’s quick beats introduce Lavani dancers who enter the stage under ghunghat and reveal their cheerful expressions. The performers also narrate the matriarchal ethos of the dance form.
Lavani’s popular perception is parallel to that of the courtesan. Because of the nature and setting of the performances, it is perceived to be vulgar and associated with sex work, and hence, not worthy of respect and recognition in society. However, Korgaonkar reiterates, “There actually remains a clear distance between the artists’ personal and professional lives.” This performance, beginning with Mujra, detaches Lavani from this notion and redefines it while retaining its erotic essence.
Adorned with Nauvari saris in hues of deep maroon, turquoise, and bright pink, the production features acclaimed Lavani artists from the Sangeetbari genre—most of them born into the dance tradition. “Shows like Lavani Ke Rang give us a different audience—people who don’t know Marathi and are not familiar with the Lavani culture. This becomes a different experience,” says Gita Waikar, a 41-year-old Lavani dancer, who hails from a small town, Wai, in Maharashtra.
Peppered with teasing glances and sexual innuendos, Lavani has a flirtatious character, accentuated by double entendre, tabooed themes, and metaphors about desire in its songs. Each dancer has their own style, but it is erotic with restraint. Gita explains, “Lavani requires loosening up, loving yourself, and owning your body.” Be it a Lavani on a bird exploring her youth or a woman celebrating her husband quitting alcohol, the artistes break into songs in their strong, husky voices.
Pushpa Satarkar, 51, from Wai, has been practicing Lavani for more than four decades. She mentions, “My generation has grown up observing traditional Lavani and might be the last to be familiar with the old style.” She laments that people now only want peppy and fast-paced dance numbers. “I love the latest styles but also miss performing on old, slower songs,” Pushpa says.
Marathi television actor Anita Date, 44, who plays the role of the theatre malkin, breaks the fourth wall to engage with the audience in a Marathi accent. She says, “As an actor, I am trained to assume the fourth wall, and breaking it was initially difficult.”
Korgaonkar says that Lavani traditionally includes navarasa, but as it was meant for men, the shringaar and hasya rasas became prominent. “In the Lavani community, once a girl ties the ghungroo, she is married to them. Most Lavani dancers don’t get married but are free to forge relationships. The children take her second name because the men don’t want to be legally associated with them.”
The popular perception of Lavani makes the artists indignant. They feel that Indian classical dancers are revered in society, but Lavani and its artistes are not respected. “Why do people have to mix up our professional and personal lives?” Pushpa and Gita question. While classical dance forms were sanitised to earn respect, Korgaonkar doesn’t want to reduce the eroticism of Lavani; he wishes to retain Lavani’s authenticity and make it earn reverence despite it. Today, Lavani’s perception is changing for the better.
All-women Lavani shows are organised now, a concept non-existent in the past. With efforts from artistes and directors like Korgaonkar, Lavani may one day find its true recognition—a respectful dance form that doesn’t shy away from celebrating desire.
Lavani Ke Rang was performed at the second edition of Kiran Nadar Museum of Art’s Festival in Delhi on 9 October. Curated by vocalist and writer T M Krishna, the festival this year focused on music and represented ‘Voices of Diversity’ from across India by bringing together musicians from diverse cultural and geographical backgrounds—weaving together music, identity, and resistance, and creating a space to delve into shared human experience.
