Ashish Khokar salutes Bala

Balasaraswati proved every criticism against her wrong, by dancing her way to glory

February 08, 2018 04:37 pm | Updated February 09, 2018 01:53 pm IST

Balasaraswati with La Meri and Ted Shawn.

Balasaraswati with La Meri and Ted Shawn.

“We can’t send a fat, dark, tall woman dancer to Japan to represent India,” thundered a junior section officer in the Department of Culture, which was under the Ministry of Education, in the mid-1960s. Despite this stance of the mandarins of the culture department, she went there as real patrons knew her worth. Her performance in Metropolitan Festival Hall, Tokyo in 1961 was seen by, among others, Lord Harewood, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth, who then invited her to the famed Edinburgh Festival, in 1963.

This was how, Bala the great, was perceived and presented by those who dispensed with cultural patronage. Not much has changed even now. Perceptions of art are about size and prize (Padma awardee or not); pontification and platitudes; quantification and qualification but not inner beauty of true art and artistry. She came on the scene at a strange cusp of history merging with ideology; nationalism colliding with colonialism and new India with old traditions.

Even if Bala’s grandmother was barely well-off economically and lived in the “dirty neighbourhood of George Town”, (as reported by R. Krishnamurthi alias Kalki in his column ‘Aadal-Paadal’ in Ananda Vikatan ), she hosted a grand party costing ₹ 1,000 in the 1920s, with catering done by the best British caterer, Harrison & Co. The occasion: Gauhar Jaan’s visit to her house. This shows the class and large-heartedness of the family.

Bala’s art was supplemented by her family — mother, aunt, brothers and guru, but they were also dependent on her income. So she also supported all. Imagine, a woman dancer feeding 20 or more mouths those days on her income. And we talk of gender equality today and women’s empowerment.

Bala was the only Bharatanatyam artiste to be given a place of importance at the 1955 National Dance Festival. She and Kathak king Shambhu Maharaj performed on the same platform. Earlier, in his long travels to the South, Uday Shankar wanted to include her in his America tour, but she didn’t fit in with his production ideas. He had the highest regard for her.

Bala is a giant not merely as a complete artiste but as a woman. What sacrifices she made; what hardships she underwent. And always with stone-throwers lurking in every corner, either debunking her lineage, inheritance or when that failed, then her physical appearance, dubbing it singularly unsuitable for dance.

These sabhapatis decided she was unsuitable! Though not the audiences worldwide. That’s why she sang and danced with abandon, ‘Yaarukkagilum bhayama?’ when presented at the Music Academy by E. Krishna Iyer, who totally involved himself with the cause of Bharatanatyam — without its concomitant caste or creed issues. He even dressed up as a sadir dancer, which armchair Sunday columnists dub today as cross dressing. Paavam is the only word for such a flippant approach to dance heritage and understanding of our history. If it was not for two or three key figures in the field of arts activism and scholarship — Dr. V. Raghavan, E. Krishna Iyer and Mohan Khokar — Bala’s art would have been more marginalised. Dr. Raghavan brought scholarship and support at the right forums. His association and backing also added gravitas to Bala’s being in society. By further making his daughters — Priyamvada and Nandini — learn from her, he was putting his full weight behind Bala’s art, against all odds. Today Nandini Ramani helps continue that legacy with Bala’s grandson Aniruddha Knight doing his bit.

 

In the 1940s, when Europe was at war, to get food supplies was a herculean task, forget photo film. It also cost an arm and a leg, as it was imported. To then have documented this period — in photographs, press clippings, personal letters, seminar papers — was the singular contribution of Mohan Khokar, long before Independence. National academies were not even set up then, leave alone the word documentation. Each shred of paper in MKDC (Mohan Khokar Dance Collection), bears stamp of our tumultuous dance history. When he took Bala’s photos, she was shy and self conscious and would quip, ‘Mohan-na , naan paakave nallave illiye, yen nee foto edukira? (I am not good looking, why do you take my photos?). He documented her over a 30-year period — 1950 to 1980 — her critical performance years. Occupying high positions at SNA, he also helped her career.

The U.S. link

These three men —Raghavan, Iyer, Khokar — we salute. And one family in America, the Scripps. Searching purity of form in art and quintessence beauty, maverick and millionaire patrons Samuel and Luise Scripps, got smitten by Bala’s child-like personality and became her biggest patrons in the U.S., opening many doors that had never opened to Indian dance in a big way, post—Independence. Through their links and leads, Bala and family arrived in the U.S. and her best years, both personal and professional, were spent in America. Remember this was America of the 60s and 70s not today, when anyone can go with money in hand. Another American, Douglas Knight, her son-in-law, did another lasting service to her by penning a decent biography, bringing out her warts, including a classic photo where Bala and MS, two hailing from devadasi lineage and two of the greatest icons of music and dance, pretending to enjoy a smoke in night suits. It makes them look human too.

Luise Elcaness Scripps

Luise Elcaness Scripps

 

Bala remains an enigma. Just as well. She was too deep and big an artiste, too qualified in all departments — sangeet, sastra, sahitya — to even have competition. Senior writer, editor and biographer of many, TJS George rightly wrote: “Why forget Bala when celebrating Rukmini? Busybodies created camps in art. Trust us Indians to have learnt the British divide and rule policy well. Bala had one big flaw, she just could not help: she was born 100 years ahead of her times.”

The dancer being felcitated with the Sangita Kalanidhi at the Music Academy Sadas

The dancer being felicitated with the Sangita Kalanidhi at the Music Academy Sadas

Many dancers continue to worship her and now wish to emulate the path shown by her. Nandini Ramani has revived her art and memory in a big way, which had no real inheritor after Bala’s daughter Lakshmi, who died, young. Medha Yodh, a disciple in the U.S. who also passed away, was another big loss to that legacy. Yamini Krishnamurthy, Alarmel Valli and many divas hold her as benchmark of Bharatanatyam. Doyenne of Bharatanatyam, 86 years old, M.K. Saroja too says: Balamma was a divine artiste. Sucheta Chapekar calls Bala her ‘mansik guru.’

Balamma suffered till her end — stigma or slight — but her art has merged with Godhead. How many achieve that? Can we think of Krishna without Bala? In celebrating her centenary, we are celebrating all true great souls in dance. India was indeed lucky and privileged, she was born here. May she live long!

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