Bengaluru-based Parshwanath S. Upadhye, one of the most sought-out Bharatanatyam dancers in the country today, was born in Belgaum, Karnataka. It was his mother who introduced him to classical dance. Though not a dancer herself, she used to choreograph small pieces on her own based on whatever she could learn from dance programmes seen on television and taught her son. Soon, he found his guru in Ravindra Sharma who moved to his village during that time. While learning Mysore style of Bharatanatyam under his guidance for more than a decade, he had his arangetram in 1996. Later, he completed Visharad and Alankara courses in Bharatanatyam from Gandharva University, Mumbai. His journey as a Bharatanatyam dancer took off from there and Parshwanath never had to look back. Edited excerpts from an interview with the dancer who was in Thiruvananthapuram for a workshop, under the aegis of ‘Samhita’, a cultural forum.
When did you realise you could take up dance as your career?
At first, I had the idea of taking up a salaried job and, through that, support my career as a dancer. That was why I moved to Bengaluru, to prepare myself for competitive exams. During that time, as and when time permitted, I used to perform in some group productions. Even then, dance was still my priority and I continued my training under the tutelage of gurus Kiran Subramanyam and Sandhya Kiran. Soon, I realised that the kind of jobs I was looking into were not my cup of tea and decided to concentrate on dance alone. My early appearances as a professional dancer were duets with Rukmini Vijayakumar. After a couple of years, I started Punyah Dance Company for dance productions and Upadhye School of Dance for training.
How will a younger generation, which might not have had any exposure to classical dance, connect with the art form?
It doesn’t matter which generation you consider, there will always be some influence of certain elements that gives instant gratification. Classical dance forms aim at creating more of a sustained effect. When it comes to making the connection, I would say it’s up to the dancer. A dancer is performing for the audience also, if not for them alone. Thus, it’s important for an artiste to know the audience and to plan accordingly.
As far as the younger generation is concerned, how the dance is presented is equally important. It’s about authenticity, the element of surprise and freshness in the presentation. Bharatanatyam, as a dance form, does give a dancer the scope and freedom to try different proportions and to find a balance between natyadharmi and lokadharmi , based on the viewers’ demand.
The influence of social media is there in every stream of life and classical dance is no exception. How do you think it has changed the dance demography?
Parshwanath S. Upadhye in Thiruvananthapuram
I try to make the best use of social media, not as a conscious effort but because of my love for sharing things in my personal and professional life. I consider it as a tool to connect with my audience. When we did a production called ‘Hara’, we reached out through social media and created a buzz around it. We shared stories on different aspects of its creation and those who came for the show knew how it all unfolded. And even after, the popularity helped us to get noticed and we were able to get more stages.
You have also come up with relevant topics of discussion through your social media handles. Once you mentioned how someone came up to you and talked about performing ‘Punyah Krishna’, your production. Your observations....
Well, this could be the negative aspect of relying on social media. Once it gets shared on a video-sharing platform, it gets ripped and they use the music. You cannot really keep a check on that. Young artistes often copy other artistes’ work to become famous or to get noticed. They copy the mannerisms, style and physical appearance but miss the essence of it. It is not just about the finance, but it is more like an insult to the creators of the piece. Since it was happening anyway, I brought out some DVDs so that those interested may legally use them without any restrictions.
And once you had talked about someone who learned Bharatanatyam by watching your YouTube videos... so that he could do the role of a dancer in a movie.
It all happens. I often get calls from Kerala to choreograph ten-minute pieces for youth festivals. When I conduct the workshops, many join to learn new items rather than to get a grasp of the nuances of the dance form. If we do a workshop on choreography, there would be few takers. One thing I'm grateful about that my gurus never taught dance as items, but they instilled in me the ability to choreograph and equipped me with tools to develop on my own. Now, I try to do the same with my students.
It is always a challenge to get noticed as a dancer, and it is even more challenging for male dancers. Do you think that will change?
In my opinion, if you are a good dancer, being male is actually a positive aspect. Take my case, if I were a female dancer, I don’t think I would have reached the position that I have attained now. And if you consider dance companies, they are always on the lookout for good male dancers, as they already have a pool of talented female dancers. Being a female-dominated field, male dancers get quickly noticed as well. When it comes to solo stages, maybe the organisers still favour female dancers but that also is changing.
People often complain that dancers these days focus more on technique and doesn't give much thought to the actual content. What's your take on it?
I would say both should go hand in hand. Natyadharmi with a perfect blend of lokadharmi and flawless technique is what makes the dance appealing. Technical aspects and natyadharmi are taught, but satvika bhava and lokadharmi are aspects that should come from within. Watching other dancers keenly, not just the technical aspects, but the actual content is important.
Coming to your own productions, do you envisage the whole item or does the group sit down together and finalise the production?
I believe in the saying too many cooks spoil the broth! Thus, in my company's productions, so far, it is more like a one-man show. In group productions, it is not just about putting the steps together, the choreographer has to play the role of the director as well. It is not that I doubt the ability of co-artists, it's all about putting the whole thing together and making it work.
Classical dancers are often criticised for not taking up modern themes or contemporary issues as we see in literature, theatre and films.
When there are other mediums that are capable, and the practitioners are doing their job pretty well, what’s the need to take up modern issues and depict it through Bharatanatyam or any other classical dance form for that matter? Classical dance forms are meant for something different. The question is not whether it is possible to take up issues and present it in dance. It is very much possible. Dancers have done it and even I’ve done it once. But, why do I have to do it? I could do a better job of creating awareness by sending a few messages or making a video simply talking about the issue rather than presenting it in dance!
You are a black belt in Karate, a swimmer and also underwent training in Kalaripayattu. Do you think these disciplines contribute to your dance?
These are activities my mother initiated me into. It was never a conscious effort to support dance. However, looking back, I would say it all helped me a lot to gain strength and stamina.
Does having a classical dancer as a life partner help you as a dancer?
Sruthi, my wife, is also a Bharatanatyam dancer and she contributes a lot to my productions. Coming to my solos, while I practice my jathis with Adithya (nattuvanar), I often rehearse the abhinaya portions with Sruthi. Though we used to do duets, she is from Vazhavoor style, and our focus these days is more on solos and group productions.
And the year ahead?
I am concentrating more on my solo performances. Some foreign tours are in the offing. Though it is too early to announce, I’ve been asked to do the choreography for a Telugu movie. By the year-end, we three together — myself, Adithya and Sruthi — are planning to come up with a trio production, ‘Anahitha’, based on a concept related to the mother goddess.
