It is not everyday that one gets to watch established artistes perform. Rani Khanam seems to be born for Kathak. Be it the esoteric Sufi pieces or Hindu mythological stories spiced with the techniques of the dance form, she can convert any theme into magic on stage with her elegant execution and emotive abhinaya (mime). Intensity and involvement with her medium are her forte no matter how long or brief the performance is.
As part of the ‘Duet Kathak Dance Fest’, Rani, along with her pupil Shikha Sharma, gave a short, sweet exposition beginning with Devi Vandana wherein the duo brought out the dual aspects of mother goddess – the benign Parvati and the fiery Kali. Extolling the goddess through aesthetic mime, formations and postures in interpretation to a Sanskrit shlok, together they pictured the Devi finally merging the two opposite traits into one single whole. The merger was a piece of artistic creativity. Shikha, a versatile dancer, was able to keep in step with her guru.
Birds in flight
The ‘Upma alankar’ with which the performance drew to an end showcased Rani’s virtuosity at its best. As a duet, it portrays both the nayika (heroine) as an abhisarika (clandestine lover) and her sakhi (friend) and the choreographer (guru) used suggestive symbols to her beloved (Krsna) to indicate a meeting place and time to dally around.
The entry of the duo dancers like birds in flight denoting the conducive Nature for the impending romance to bloom.
The expressive gestures and looks through which Rani conveys her desire to the invisible ‘Morey Shyam...’ , hood-winking her sakhi who is present right next to her, was handled with an expertise expected of a seasoned artiste! She went to the core of the shringar rasa with finesse with fleeting feelings of search, spying, inviting, cautioning reflecting in her eyes as they speak these emotions silently. Back to back, the dancers establish Krsna and the nayika united as single entity – underlining the depth of divine love.
Between the duets, Rani presented the Lucknowi andaaz through gentle, swaying movements full of grace and the paran with convincing footwork. The performance was part of a two-day festival hosted by RagVirag at Triveni Kala Sangham.
