On a sultry monsoon night, with the whiff of sweet-smelling frangipani (Champa) flowers forming a setting, recalling an evening among the bowers of Vrindavan in the grounds of the Kathak Kendra at the Bahawalpur House in Central Delhi sat Birju Maharaj surrounded by his students. Suddenly with a childlike excitement, he exclaimed, “Look at the row of ants, they are crawling with the precision formation of choreographed lines.” He said that nature was the supreme guru communicating idea of rhythm reflecting concepts of time and cosmic order of Rta expressed in the Vedas. “ Learn from this line of ants which like a railway track enables one to Trans-impose all kinds of expressions of languages – music, dance, percussion to create alluring forms and compositions…”
His simple illustration of the most mundane transports those around him into another world. As we grew up, one saw and recalled through various seminars his amazing journey since the age of five where he has traversed various arts and manifested the idea of the prodigy as dancer, choreographer, a teacher in the fields of music, percussion, folk-classical arts, Eastern-Western genres, South-North Indian performing arts. He has, in various incarnations is and remains a performer, accompanist, and composer; and through his ingenious arts (including painting and poetry) expresses the decoded secrets of nature - he is what is defined through philosophical frame - a genius.
16dfr Maharaj ji and Girija Devi
Now in his 80th year, his charming humble bearings camouflages layers of unimagined creativity defining his being. As we meet on a balmy February morning, Birju Maharaj goes down memory lane and recollects his association with doyens of different fields of art. “… Fifty years ago I was to perform in Madras. I had no singer, so I requested the great Balasaraswati ji who sang a Tillana, and what happened was sheer magic! I caught in my mind the basic format of the composition’s rhythmic pattern like one captures movement of the rays of the shining sun in abstract air. So I performed Kathak on Carnatic music and rhythm. Ever since, I have, on several occasions filled in as an accompanist on percussion with various South Indian performers and worked simultaneously with multi classical gurus like Kuchipudi master Vempati Chinna Satyam ….”
His inspired talent seizes unforeseen tools to create language of aesthetics, for example, where on the one hand we witnessed the hexagonal board of the Chinese checkers as a device to conceive choreographic patterns, on the other hand he visualised nature in everything from tangible to the most abstract. The language of designs of rhythm assume the shape of a concept called Yati which are rhythmic patterns organised like the sound and light waves in different lengths. “For me, I can see beats of rhythm of nature everywhere, for instance, the formation of ‘strotgata’ – where the pattern of rhythm is like the flowing river defined by short narrow phrases followed by long broad sounding phrases are seen in the form of a minaret-like Qutub Minar.”
Pandit Birju Maharaj with Kapila Vatsyayan
His spiritual inspirationcarries with it the power to see forcefully with clarity the cosmic order surrounding us. “Since my father died when I was not even 13. It was Kapila Vatsyayan who brought my mother and me to Delhi. I journeyed to tap my inner world with great devotion drowning myself to comprehend the idea of time and space through sound, movement, colour and form represented in artistic expressions of compositions, performances, poetry and painting. As a young boy I would cycle down and practice in a small room in Connaught Place… I ended dancing in a pool of my own sweat, and then revitalised myself with a cup of coffee in the Madras Coffee House.”
Variety of roles
One has seen him in a variety of roles – eternal learner, teacher performer, choreographer, composer where the bottom line is his never-ending journey of comprehending energies and forms of nature with a mind engaged in a world of fascinating geometrical mantras with which he continuously seems to be having an internal dialogue. Through the labyrinth of his constant frenzy of creative energy, one saw, heard and experienced his interactions with a variety of creative legends.
“Once Aminuddin Dagar and I were working on the epic poem of Kalidas ‘Kumar Sambhava’, as a dance drama. Paravati was supposed to be walking to venerate her Lord Shiva who sat on the other side of the stage. Dagar Sahab began to sing Dhrupad, and as you know the devotional resonance of the genre evolves in really slow rhythm, hesitated and then told him, ‘Dagar Sahab, if this is the pace in which you will sing, then Paravati will never reach, and Shiva will fall asleep’, Dagar Sahab immediately increased the pace.”
In 1997, researching the world of Kathak, the celebrated tabla percussionist Kishan Maharaj said, “T here are only three people in North India who understand the beats of Nature and to manifest that abstract in performing arts- Ravi Shanker the sitarist, me, a mere percussionist and Birju Maharaj who is among all of us the only complete artist….”
His artistic journey has made him travel from one medium to another exposing him to larger number of extraordinary creative personalities. In films, he has been in dialgoue and with all-time greats like Satyajit Ray in the making of “Shatranj Ke Khiladi”, Kamal Hasan in the multilingual “Vishwaroopam” and with Sanjay Leela Bhansali in “Bajirao Mastani” among other movies; and his conversations with performers in different genres has impacted his work. “Often when I dance the 16 beat cycle of Teen tal only as beats my feet recreate the flying fingers of the percussionist Shamta Prasad of Banaras better known as Guddai Maharaj, or when I dance the 14 beat cycle Dhamar, I visualise Kishan Maharaj whose entity – mind body and spirit personified this rhythmic cycle as no one else’s’.”
Metaphysical journey
He often says that it was seeing and observing Kishan Maharaj’s transformation in the appropriation of becoming taal Dhamar that he comprehended that one needs be honest to recognise and accept what is one’s forte and then invest to mould that aspect; it is only then that one’s skill through the respective medium of art presents truth and beauty that becomes a testimony of artistic mastery. One has often witnessed the manner in which wizardry of rhythm is mapped in his performative interaction with Zakir Hussain where together they travel on a magical metaphysical journey taking the audience to another level of existence.
16dfr With Zakir Hussainb
Birju Maharaj’s rooted culture allows him to present as a constant a sense of Indianness where there is delectation for all levels of audiences. Whether it is seen in the input of consumption of the traditional bhaang (edible preparation of cannabis) in his rustic colourful choreography ‘Hori Dhoom Machao Re’ or in his individual mimetic abhinaya display of coquettish nayika or his sophisticated choreography of lines and geometry seen in the exalted concept of ‘Ghunghroo Tarang’ where he modulated the ghungroos worn by different dancers to visually represent the pentatonic idea of raga Bhopali leaves one and all in wonder.
With ease, he frames physical forms like a painting provides lyrical beauty similar to the mystical side views of figures in masterpieces of Indian miniature paintings. The eternal archetype of feminine and masculine energies conceptualised in the idea of Radha and Krishna of temporal soul urging to meet the permanent one transcends the audience on a road to the metaphysical enjoyment. In the many performances with the legendary Odissi Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra, he became his Krishna about which he says, “While performing, I experienced a sense of submersion such that I have yet to see another perfect idea of feminine beauty, in fact, both he and I while dancing forgot who we were…and it inspired me to write a poem starting –‘Shri Radhe Shringar Kar, Darpan ke Dig Jaye… Shree Radha is adorning herself in a mirror, but every time she looks, her image is replaced by Krishna dissolving her to attain unity of being…”
Birju Maharaj continues to inspire thousands of artists around the world. His birthday falls in the symbolic season of Vasant- Indian Spring, a time which is recreated in the form of a two-decade year old festival called Vasant-utsav organised by his Kalashram under the direction of his prime disciple Saswati Sen.
The festivities in Delhi has become a testimony that the market for classical arts especially among the middle class of the city has expanded. House-full crowds gather to attend a festival lacking the usual superstar lineup where the central dynamics remains brand Birju Maharaj. This year on his 80th birthday, phone calls, visitors from all over the world greeted him in reality and virtually but all through his childlike nature on the one hand, and the supreme isolated, meditative philosopher on the other seemed like a being who though living in this world lives in a realm beyond. And yet for students like me and thousand others he is what the great thumri singer Girija Devi sang throwing flowers at him – deewana kiya shyam, kya jadoo daala. (You have intoxicated me O Krishna, what magical Charm you have cast on me?)
The Lucknowi touch
Pandit Birju Maharaj is also an excellent presenter of thumri and its characteristics
Meena Banerjee
‘This is ‘once in a lifetime’ experience!’ - was the dazed reaction of all present at the overflowing Experimental Theatre of NCPA, Mumbai on a late January morning after seeing Pandit Birju Maharaj in a different role – that of a presenter of the Lucknow-anga thumri and its characteristics. That the living kathak legend’s magnetic on-stage persona, oratory and ‘abhinaya’ are unmatched goes without saying; so are his solo singing or vocal accompaniments; but observing him paint the space between two words of the lyrics or two swaras or two beats of the tala with superbly eloquent facial expressions and hand movements while singing, was one of the rarest treats one can imagine!
Usually musicology oriented seminars go dry in the absence of substantial melodic support; because, to explain the varied mood-tempo oriented permutations of melody in words, is next to impossible unless practically demonstrated. Unfortunately, in the field of Hindustani classical music there are very few musicologists who can perform what they preach; and very few star-performers blessed with the ‘gift of gab’ that enables them to explicate their melodic thought process. When the twain meets, the listeners are taken to the seventh heaven!
Evolution of thumri
Initially, to elucidate the historical facts and the evolution of thumri, steeped in Lucknow’s genteel expression-based tehzeeb, musical language and imagery, Maharaj ji only sang a few select pieces in several different talas, composed by his legendary ancestors (Kalka Bindadeen Maharaj, Acchan Maharaj, Shambhu Maharaj), who were the pillars and famous proponents of Lucknow Gharana of kathak and related thumri and ghazals.
Since thumri relies heavily on Sahitya (lyrics), while rendering the eight-verse Ashtapadi (Pragate Brij Nandalal), he focused on rich literary beauty of a composition; in ‘Mohe chhedo na Nand ke’ he delved deeper in between the syllables, singled out the vowels for spaces and etched varied moods: entreaty, exasperation, coyness and surrender, through delicate bol-banav that employed voice modulation (kaaku-bhed) only. Kaushik Sen (tabla) and Sandeep Mishra (harmonium) followed him with due reverence. Later, this kaaku-application in a padhant represented a cricket commentary!
He, then, gave mesmerizing samples of self-composed thumris (Mai jangal kee laakdi….bhayee anmol) before singing a few ‘Bandishi’ thumris set to different talas of ten, fourteen beats, and a ghazal (Bihari ko apne kaise kar paawoon) in Avadhi dialect. Gradually, inspired by Shekhar Sen who, apart from offering harmonium and vocal support, also struck a fruitful dialogue, Maharaj ji’s hands moved gently to portray ‘taati bayariya’ (hot air), ‘beniya’ (fan); and the next thumri, ‘Jhoolat Radhe Nawal Kishore’ saw him narrating numerous anecdotes through gently hinting eyes, flickering eyelashes, quivering lips, finger-movements, tilted neck and swaying torso. The aesthetic beauty of all was electric.
The octogenarian Master’s multifarious persona actually embodied the scriptural concept of a ‘Sampoorna Kalakar’ (complete artist) who could personify the total gamut of sangeet (geeta-vaadya-nritta) and also of Natak. ‘We are painters; our paintings dissolve in Space,’ said Maharaj ji; but this painting will remain treasured forever in the hearts of his viewers.
