Different gharanas, one art form: Kathak experts
Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Academy organised a webinar on ‘Kathak Ke Ayam’ in which experts of different gharanas of the dance form participated. Lucknow Gharana performer Urmila Sharma from Prayagraj, Ravi Shankar-Mata Prasad Mishra of Beneras gharana from Varanasi and Samiksha Sharma of Jaipur Gharana, hailing from Ghaziabad, took part in the event.
Bureaucrat Dr Dinesh Chandra welcomed the experts who participated in the online session which was conducted by Renu Srivastava. Different nuances of kathak were highlighted during the webinar and live session.
Senior artiste Urmila talked about various nuances of kathak in the Lucknow gharana. “The basis of kathak in all gharanas is nearly the same. When the form spread in Lucknow it became a gharana. Likewise when it got established in Varanasi it became Beneras gharana, then Jaipur gharana and so on.”
She remembered Lacchu Maharaj and other gurus and performed ‘pran amad’ form and other styles. She concluded that all gharanas should work closely with each other beyond boundaries.
After initial training from their father, duo
Ravi Shankar-Mata Prasad Mishra learnt kathak from Alaknanda Devi, elder sister of Sitara Devi. “We may be different gharanas, but we all perform together on one platform. Living in Varanasi, we got an opportunity to learn from everyone as everyone used to perform in this spiritual city. Purity is there but art transforms and evolves with time,” they said.
Mishra added, “In this period of pandemic, when shows are not happening, and people are emotionally stressed, the artistes should
Every gharana has a style which differs according to the place and region. The basis of the form, however, remains the same — kathak. SAMIKSHA SHARMA, kathak expert
use this time in ‘dhyan’ and ‘riyaz’ to polish their skill.”
Samiksha said that gharanas may be different but the common thing between them is kathak. “Parampara is surely one aspect and every gharana has a style which differs according to the place and region. The basis of the form, however, remains the same — kathak. Gharanas have added to the form. I have learnt in Gwalior also which again is very similar,” she said and thereafter gave a magical performance.