Guest Column

Making Of The Mahatma In Dance Dialect

By
Kedar Mishra

I am not here to write a review of a dance festival. It has really become a cliché to talk about festivals, naming the dance productions and their details and mostly to be appreciative and a little bit of criticism. Nowadays, I choose my bit of interest and pick up what I love the most at a festival.

During Raja, the festival of fertility in Odisha, a different kind of festival was staged at Rabindra Mandap to celebrate the life and contribution of national heroes on the 75th year of India’s independence. The three days festival was lined up with six dance dramas (all in Odissi dance), from June 15-17. The event organised by Odisha Sangeet Natak  Academy was indeed a well-curated one as it focused on a particular theme and celebrated the idea of freedom.

Somehow, my writing is not about the festival as a whole. I have picked my favourites and would elaborate on that particular choreography.

The spirit of freedom and the persona of Mahatma Gandhi merged with each other and emerged as an inseparable whole which is called the Indian freedom struggle. In Gandhi’s lifetime and long after he is gone, he remains one of the most revered (of course cursed by a few also) political thinkers of our time. Personally for me thinking about Gandhi makes me cry. Writing a pretty long dance drama of 50 minutes on Gandhi for Aruna Mohanty, the renowned Odissi diva was a process of deep emotional attachment with Gandhi, his life, his ideas and his time.

The conception of that script and its adoption in Odissi form hunts me since the day of its first presentation. Writing about the apostle of peace and nonviolence in a troubled time like this makes my mind stormy. I vividly remember the first day when the dance drama ‘Mahatma’ was presented at Xavier’s University five years ago by Orissa Dance Academy. On that day, I had a serious eye infection. As tears rolled down my eyes all through the dance drama, I thought (or pretended) it was due to my eye infections.

Again, after five years, when I saw the ‘Mahatma’ at Rabindra Mandap during the “Azadi” festival on the evening of June 15,  I had the same emotional outburst. My eyes were in perfect shape on that day. I tried to hide my tears and pretended not to be affected by a dance drama, but I failed. I am happy that I did fail.

I don’t know who makes me weep, Gandhi himself, the poems I picked on Gandhi, the time and struggle of the Mahatma or the art of Gandhian spirit in Odissi dance. I am a hard-nosed critic, so it’s unusual for me to cry for a dance number. Confession of being so emotionally affected by a dance production is too bad for a dance critic. Somehow it’s more honest to say what you really feel to say.

Mahatma is not based on the biographical narrative, rather it talks more about the relevance of Gandhi today. In a world, deeply wounded by terrorism, intolerance and communal bigotry what relevance does Gandhi has today- that’s the question the choreographer puts forward. Gandhi’s journey from a political leader to the spiritual mentor of humanity has been narrated in the choreography underlining a few important snippets of his life. Aruna Mohanty crafted the choreography in such a way that it speaks more than what it shows. It’s not a mere dance translation of poetic narrative, but rather the vision of the choreographer’s creativity and imagination. The use of Gandhi’s stick and its sound take the message to a level of artistic brilliance where sounds surpass the meanings and messages.

Musically ‘Mahatma’ is a marvellous piece created by the great Guru Ramahari Das. The maestro’s crystal clear musical scores give plentiful space for the choreographer to artistically play with the narrative and to create an aesthetic superstructure.

Kedar Mishra

Writer, Journalist & Critic

Recent Posts

Arvind Kejriwal’s ED Remand Extended Till April 1; HC Rejects PIL Seeking Removal Of CM

New Delhi: The Rouse Avenue Court on Thursday extended Enforcement Directorate's (ED's) custody of Delhi…

March 28, 2024

Vigilance Nabs GST Officer While Taking Rs 30,000 Bribe In Odisha’s Puri

Puri: Odisha Vigilance apprehended a CTO and GST officer while taking a bribe of Rs…

March 28, 2024

Accused Escapes From Police Custody At Court Complex In Odisha’s Cuttack

Cuttack: A man, who was held in connection with a criminal case, reportedly gave a…

March 28, 2024

Actor Govinda Returns To Politics After 16 Years, Joins Shinde’s Shiv Sena [Watch]

Mumbai: Govinda has decided to return to politics after a decade and a half. The…

March 28, 2024

Former ZP Member Resigns From BJD, To Contest As Independent In Odisha’s Jajpur

Jajpur: Former Zilla Parishad member Satish Biswal has resigned from BJD after the party did…

March 28, 2024

Varun Gandhi Writes Emotional Note To Pilibhit Voters After Being Denied Lok Sabha Ticket By BJP

New Delhi: Days after being dropped by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from its list of…

March 28, 2024

Meenakshi Seshadri Offers Prayers At Puri Jagannath Temple During Odisha Visit

Puri: Meenakshi Seshadri, who was among the most popular actresses in the Hindi film industry…

March 28, 2024

Revenue Supervisor Among 2 Held On Bribery Charges In Odisha’s Paradip

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance sleuths on Thursday apprehended Revenue Supervisor of Special Land Acquisition Office in…

March 28, 2024