With the coveted Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra annual award for Odissi dance conferred on Guru Sudhakar Sahoo by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar last week, the 79-year-old lesser-known Odissi exponent entered the elite league of Dhirendra Nath Patnaik, Minati Mishra, Harekrushna Behera, Ramani Ranjan Jena, Ritha Devi and Kumkum Mohanty who have been the past recipients of this great honour for significant contribution to Odissi dance. Two decades ago, the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra annual awards were instituted to honour pioneers of Odissi dance, Odia music, Odia theatre and Odia cinema as per the desire of the late legend.
Shyamhari Chakra spoke to Guru Sudhakar Sahoo following the award ceremony:
In over half a century of your career, despite training numerous dancers including Indrani Rehman and Sujata Mohapatra, you remained less visible in Odissi circle.
I spent my entire career as a touring teacher to various dance schools across Odisha. Hence, I could hardly stay in the cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar where my contemporaries prospered and became popular. I was away from the media attention as a result of which I was less discussed or visible. However, scholars like Dhirendra Nath Patnaik and my mentor and Guru Debaprasad Das have acknowledged my contribution in their writings.
You could have settled down in any city like your contemporaries to earn fame and fortune.
I was with my Guru (Debaprasad) from 1954 till his death in 1985. I was not only his disciple, but also his constant companion. I was staying at his home in Cuttack and Puri. Since he joined the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya in Bhubaneswar as a faculty member, he could not teach anyone beyond Bhubaneswar. So he would send me to towns like Sambalpur, Baripada, Puri, Chhatrapur and Baleswar to train students.
Don’t you regret it?
I am happy that I could carry on my guru and mentor’s mission and his unique style of Odissi instead of being rich and famous. A great guru is often known by his distinguished disciples. Kelucharan had Sanjukta Panigrahi and many more. Debaprasad has Sujata Mishra and Sangeeta Dash.
What about you?
I regret that I groomed nearly 100 highly promising dancers starting with Bijaylaxmi Mohanty who was a star dancer during her times like Sanjukta Panigrahi. But, unfortunately, none could make it a career. The orthodox social system of those days ruined the career prospects of many gifted Odissi dancers in Odisha.
How do you rate today’s gurus and dancers?
Some of them are definitely talented but everyone is in a hurry these days. They are impatient to achieve everything at a relatively early age. It takes a toll of their quality. They lack sadhana. But there are exceptions like Sujata Mohapatra. I am proud that I was her first dance teacher at Baleswar.
What makes one a great guru or an outstanding dancer?
One must have adequate knowledge of literature and music besides mastery over dance. And it is equally important to learn from life itself besides from the texts. Imitating the guru does not help. One has to develop one’s own perception and imagination.
How does it feel to be honoured with the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award?
Since its inception 20 years ago, this award for Odissi dance has come to a practitioner of my Guru’s style for the first time. This makes me feel specially happy, honoured and proud of my Guru and his style.
