With the Kathak Kendra, the country’s apex academy for Kathak training, located in New Delhi, the city sees no shortage of well attended Kathak performances. The Capital is so well stocked with Kathak exponents that it actually seems difficult for dancers from smaller cities to make a mark here. But then it’s equally true that in the emotionally turbulent arts field, talent and dedication do win hearts. Thus, a brilliant exponent and guru like Pandit Arjun Mishra, who at one time seemed sequestered away in Lucknow, has succeeded in impressing the Delhi public with presentations by his students and his original compositions from time to time. Now, many years since he made Lucknow his base, his disciples are dancing up a storm. Among these are his children – son Anuj Mishra and daughters Smriti and Kantika.
Anuj in particular is riding a crest. From the deafening beats of the Norwegian Black Metal musicians to songs of Radha and Krishna, he takes the range in his stride. A recipient of the 2012 Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, he is president of the Lucknow-based Anuj Arjun Mishra Dance Company. In this capacity he is currently on a tour. His feet have not touched the Indian soil in a while. In April he was performing solo in Australia’s Sydney Dance Festival, from where he flew to Canada and the United States for collaborative work, workshops and performances.
Now, joined by his sister Kantika and fellow disciple Neha Singh, he is in Europe performing in Italy, Spain, Poland, France and Switzerland. Apart from his father, the orchestral team comprises Vikas Mishra on the tabla and padhant (recitation) and Hriday Desai — vocalist, sarod player and music composer.
Contrary to the popular perception of the ‘gharana’ children, whose CVs declare their first performance to have taken place when they were still toddlers, Anuj says he only began to learn formally at age 16 from his father. Here, from the midst of his travels, the young dancer shares his beliefs, hopes and memories of growing up in the lap of his guru. (Edited excerpts):
Yours must have been a different childhood from that of other youngsters who come to a guru to learn for a few hours a week….
Yes for sure it’s been different for me, but harder than any other student as I started to learn late and my father is always strict with riyaaz and discipline and he was more so to me, as his expectations were more and he demanded more practice. I remember after my high school I got okay marks and I decided to dedicate myself to one path, so I told my father I want to learn dance seriously. The All India Youth Festival competition was coming up in six months and my father told me he will start to teach me but I had to win this competition. From then my hard training started. I had to wake up at 4 a.m. and do rigorous riyaaz the whole day, no time limit – sometimes eight hours, sometimes 12 hours. Because of this I was able to win that competition and a gold medal for my state U.P.
Which aspect of Kathak appeals to you the most?
I think Kathak is very traditional but also very experimental and creative, and there are always changes going on. It has everything -- expression, rhythm, spirituality, speed, creation and these are the aspects that appeal to me most.
Today there is a lot of discussion on changing times and changing India. How do you see Kathak adapting to these changes, or do you feel there is a need for change at all?
I think change will always happen. This is the rule of the universe, but there are things which stay the same. The sun always rises from the same side, a river flows in one direction, the earth revolves at the same speed. These are things which are good for nature and if they too change maybe we will not survive. Similarly, some things are very necessary in human life, such as our culture. We have already lost a lot in martial arts, yoga and old sciences which were given to the world by India. We have this beautiful rich cultural heritage of the Indian classical dance and music in which Kathak is only the North Indian classical dance form. Of course India is growing in various fields but with modernisation we have to also see that we should not forget this heritage which once gone can’t be brought back. In Kathak, yes we should make it easier for youngsters, more compact while performing and attempt more collaborations with world artists to make it better known, as this is a time of globalisation. That will surely affect Kathak a little bit, but we have to keep in mind to always have the basics right and not change the roots and the important aspects.
You have participated in a large number of collaborative projects yourself…
Yes I have done loads. My first project was with Karine Saporta, a famous choreographer from France -- “La Force de l’Ame” (The power of the soul) in which I danced with many styles like Flamenco, classical Ballet, Bharatanatyam, Modern, Contemporary Dance, etc. I have worked with Rukmini Chatterjee with Flamenco, Kathak and Bharatanatyam (and later on her project with Black Metal) among others.
I also worked with Anurekha Ghosh from the U.K. for two months for her production “Ruins”, in which I also tried to do some Contemporary Dance aspects and we mixed it with Kathak, which got a very good audience response. I have worked with Lata Padaji from Canada with Kathak, Bharatanatyam and Contemporary Dance. My recent international work was produced and directed by Alain Weber --“Kathak Kalam” in which I worked with French artist Julien Breton and company. And again with Alain Weber, “Journey of Marco Polo” with 80 artists from around the world, premiered in Lebanon and about to be performed in Tunisia soon.
I also organise an annual international dance festival in Lucknow to which I invite artists from abroad and do collaborative work with them. I present it in Lucknow to give the audience a wider traditional and creative view of Kathak. In my upcoming projects I am going to work with Canada-based choreographer Saveeta Sharma with Flamenco and Ballet in a completely different and fresh way.
How would you describe your father as a guru?
I am extremely lucky to have a guru like him in my life. It’s very hard to get a good guru and true friend, so I was lucky that I had him. He is an amazing dancer, guru and choreographer all in one, but as a guru he is incredible. He loves you as his student but at the same time is very strict with his art and cannot tolerate any reduction of practice or less hard work. He gives everything while teaching, which is difficult to find. But then he also wants back that detailed work from you. Whatever I am doing today is because of him and his teachings.
Do you feel the world today offers more chances for a young classical dancer to have a successful career?
I think there are chances but also because of problems in the global economy art is the main area that gets hit. Grants, funds and opportunities are cut, which in a wider way affects everyone related to this art. Of course the world has become smaller and there are opportunities, but young artists face loads of challenges. We have to earn, practise and survive in this world. It’s to do full justice to your art and also think about making a living. Especially in India we need more reforms. There should be more opportunities for young dancers and musicians because youngsters want to take up these arts as full-time professions, which is very good for the arts but I don’t see much scope as there are no good jobs in these areas. Even to get grants, funds and performances in big festivals, one has to be very powerful. You need connections. It should be decided by talent. Everybody should get equal chances as there is loads of potential in our younger generation of musicians and dancers. If there were more support worldwide and specially in India for our classical arts I think they could really flourish.
