A hostage of her times

BIOSCOPE PADMA KHANNA

Born in the year 1949, Padma Khanna today is mostly remembered as the trailblazing dancer of Bollywood who set the screen afire with the song ‘Husn ke Lakhon Rang....’ (Johny Mera Nam, 1970) and was the body double for Meena Kumari in the evocative songs Chalo Dildaar Chalo and Teer-E-Nazar Dekhenge (Pakeezaah). Some might remember her as the wily Kaikeyi in Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan (1987–1988). Few would be surprised to know that presently she is directing a dance academy in New Jersey, USA. Born in Benares, Khanna started training in Kathak at the age of seven with Pandit Birju Maharaj. She practiced for 10 to 12 hours every day. By the age of 12, she was introduced to Bollywood under the suggestions of actresses Padmini and Vyjayanthimala, both seasoned dancers themselves. She made her debut with the Bhojpuri film Bhaiyya (1961) as a child artiste and the very next year played a major adult role in the Bhojpuri film Ganga Maiyya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo (1962).

For a while she appeared as the village belle in films like Baharon Ke Sapne, Rahgir, Saaz aur Awaaz, Aashirwad, Heer Ranjha...then graduated to dancer roles, a stock character in Hindi films in the 70s and 80s. Besides, Bhojpuri and Hindi films, she also acted in Marathi, Punjabi, and Gujarati films and two Telugu films opposite NT Ramarao (later a leading politician). As an actor her most dazzling performance was in Saudagar, where she was pitched opposite acting greats Nutan and Amitabh Bachchan.

In retrospect, Padma Khanna seems to have languished in the stranglehold of Hindi cinema. Her prowess in mujra, folk numbers and the salacious cabaret numbers worked to smother the capable actor in her. She bravely struggled with item numbers through the mid1980s when the leading ladies took over item numbers. In the early 1990s, she shifted base to New Jersey and along with her husband started Indianica, a dance academy which sent its most accomplished students to perform at the prestigious Carnegie Hall. In 2008, she choreographed a big cast musical based on Ramayana at Avery Fisher Hall, New York City, directed by her husband, Jagdish Sidana. She also directed a Bhojpuri film,

Nahir Chutal Jaye

(2004).

PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/ ANGELINAMTV Angelina Pivarnick