Dance, in India, has been an art form so embedded in our traditions that most of us are sent as toddlers from one guru or another to grasp what we can as and when. More often than not, dancers decide on their career paths at a crucial, formidable and decisive age of five, if not later, as parents deal with their own set of dilemmas whether to let the child take it up as hobby or something more. Coming from this very traditional paraphernalia was a young Ranjana Gauhar, who learnt the incredible dance form of Kathak for many years until she stumbled upon something that literally turned her life over when she was twenty –– Odissi.
“It so happened that I learnt Kathak through my formative years, until I was seventeen or so. One fine day, I ended up watching an Odissi performance without even knowing its name. I was so fascinated by its movements, costumes and music that I could not stop picking it up myself three years later only to drown myself in it,” says Ranjana, now one of the most sought after Odissi dance exponents and a Padma Shri awardee.
“I was an unusual child. At that time, nobody understood, not even me, that dance was something that drew me like a magnet. What was available to me was Kathak but somewhere I did realise that it was not what I wanted. When I began my journey with Odissi, it felt like plunging into an ocean. My guruji (Mayadhar Raut) thought that I was crazy. But, it gave me a deep understanding of love, beauty and the ideas of bhakti — to be able to know what devotion really is and to surrender to it. I slowly discovered the culture of Odisha, the history of Lord Jagannath and all of this made me a different person. Odissi is my window to the world,” says Ranjana.
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Having been a passionate painter and a theatre person, Ranjana says that one art form gives and takes from the other when they coexist under a peaceful roof. “Painting gave me a sense of aesthetics about colours, space, time, beauty, patterns, designs and choreographies. Once you are on the stage, it becomes your canvas and your dance becomes your painting,” adds Ranjana. This stands true when it comes to drawing from varied styles of the same art form. As an Odissi dancer who is also trained in Chhau, Ranjana states that both dance forms have a unique yet similar approach towards their culture. “They are both influenced by folk. Chhau very comfortably flows into Odissi and vice-versa and they are two sisters of the same mother,” observes Ranjana.
Speaking of the importance of abhinaya in performing arts, the danseuse says that the audience play a pivotal role in the portrayal that happens on stage. ‘The audience is called rasikas because they are capable of digesting the rasa that is illustrated. They must try to understand the basics of the rasas as they convey the soul of the performance. Without abhinaya or nritya, a performance is nritta which is just bodily movement. Unfortunately, the emphasis today lies on perfection of footwork and I have observed that abhinaya ends up taking a backseat. I do not know how to justify that,” she states.
“Children today are quick learners with immense grasping power. One can easily teach them abhinaya by merely asking them to depict their day in actions. Words and phrases like greeva bheda (neck movements) may be intimidating sometimes but we can always take them to the scriptures at a later stage! Application makes life a lot easier.”
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“Children are detached from their roots and it is exceedingly important to keep them aware. We learn a lot about ourselves when we learn about our roots. Indian art forms have a foundation that is extraordinary and we need to teach and learn as a society to respect our artistes. Art is nothing without the artiste and, so, if we expect that art will survive on its own, that is a lie,” Ranjana avers.
In the light of this statement, Ranjana enhances the idea that art and culture are also forms of tremendous patriotism towards one’s country. On the occasion of the 70th year of Indian independence, Ranjana Gauhar’s Utsav Educational and Cultural Society will be presenting a two-day festival called Saare Jahan Se Accha (2016) on August 17 and 18 in the Capital. The festival will witness a plethora of artistes from across the country representing varying styles of the Indian classical dance. Ranjana’s Utsav will be presenting a dance production called Matsya Avatar, based on the first avatar of Lord Vishnu. There will also be solo performances by Sarita Kalele (Kathak), Shubha Dhananjay (Bharatanatyam) and Rajashri Praharaj (Odissi). Group performances by Sharodi Saikia’s group (Sattriya), Bharati Shivaji’s students (Mohiniyattam) and Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy, Imphal (Manipuri) will also be staged.