Bhubaneswar: Legendary Odissi Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra was unhappy and literally kicked her out when she met him in Delhi after her divorce from Odisha-born former Indian Diplomat Lalit Mansingh in the 70s.
In a podcast with Smita Prakash of ANI, Padma Vibhushan awardee and Indian classical dancer Dr Sonal Mansingh said this ‘sad experience’ impacted her most amid the rumblings that followed when they were granted divorce in 1974 by mutual consent, which was unusual during that time.
Elaborating further, she said: “I had heard that he was very unhappy. He had come to Delhi and was staying at G C Mathur’s house. His daughter Kumkum, a friend, asked me to come over to meet Guruji. When I reached there, Guruji was making paan seated on a baithak. As usual, I went and put my head at his feet to pay my obeisance. He kicked me on my head, turned away and called me names. I was so stunned, I had fallen back and started crying.”
Guruji then asked her to leave, she said.
“I then went to Odia poet and scholar Jibani Pani who was on deputation at Sangeet Natak Akademi. He asked me not to worry and said that his kick will soon turn into a blessing. You will grow. True to those words, I grew. Much later back then in Madras, people called me ‘Rukmini Devi of Odissi’,” Sonal added.
Speaking about her her understanding of discipline as a sishya (student), she said that there was no room for arguments or protests.
“Guruji realised much later and came home and I did his ‘Pada Puja’ (worshipping the feet),” she added.
Check the full interview (courtesy ANI)
