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 Comedy Natyam - An experiment that marks the thick line between comedy and mockery - Ramaa Venugopalan e-mail: ramaa17@gmail.com May 11, 2025 We all need to take life a little lightly. Laughing and adopting a comical perspective toward ideas or facts is healthy - so long as it does not cross the fine line into condescension and mockery. History has shown us, time and again, how casual mockery, masked as "creativity," often leads to lasting consequences - for both individuals and communities. In the world of classical dance - Bharatanatyam in particular - we are witnessing a worrying trend: mocking our traditions, our Gods, our perspectives, and our very essence. This is not a new phenomenon. A slew of artistes, under the guise of being revolutionary, rebellious, or asserting creative freedom, personalize such approaches to gain quick fame and applause. Evolution within dance and the broader ecosystem certainly demands a pragmatic outlook: a readiness to examine what was, what is, and what can be. True change embraces creative possibilities, expands thought, and rightfully challenges unacceptable aspects like power play, abuse, and restriction of growth. However, mocking the sacred - the very core from which classical arts like Bharatanatyam spring - is neither evolution nor creativity. It is a betrayal of the art's deepest spirit. It is entirely acceptable for an individual to practice the art form without subscribing to its spiritual dimensions. Classical dance can, and does, accommodate a wide range of perspectives. But to use the art as a tool to mock its sacred foundations under the garb of humor is offensive, condescending, and fundamentally dishonest. It is offensive to many who practice and live the sacred value of art in essence. Even if they don't voice it. What is even more troubling is the fact that such insinuated mockery often attracts a larger audience than the sincere efforts of those who strive to preserve the essence of the form. We all love to be part of a cheering crowd - but how often do we pause to reflect: what are we cheering for? And what is the cost of that applause? Who is this audience who applauds this mockery and stay away from an actual engagement dance and its spirit? When artistes, audiences, and institutions align to encourage the trivialization of sacred traditions - and when this happens selectively, almost exclusively targeting the Hindu pantheon - the intention cannot be dismissed as innocent. It reveals an unsettling double standard. The greater tragedy, however, is not just the distortion of the art. It is the gradual erosion of collective sensitivity - a disconnection from our own cultural and spiritual inheritance. When mockery becomes normalized, reverence slowly recedes. What begins as humor can end as indifference, and eventually, contempt. And once the sense of sacredness is lost, it is not easily regained. Is this the larger goal of these rebellious artistes? The audacity of such mockery is emboldened by the absence of strong, united voices calling it out. Silence - from Gurus, from institutions, from cultural leaders - is not neutral. It is complicity. And while the mocking may bring social media reposts, popularity, sold-out shows, overseas performances, hundreds of SM followers, applause and popularity, the long-term consequence is a weakening of the very cultural and artistic roots that nurture us. In attempting to dismantle, we forget that we ourselves are standing on the edifice we mock. The irony is profound: You mock not because you are bold, but because you are selective. You target only what you know will not retaliate in violence. You avoid confronting those whose reaction would truly test your courage. Remember, the joke is not on tradition or the Gods. The joke is on you. And in the end, it is always the foundation - the timeless, sacred foundation - that endures, while those who mocked it are forgotten in the noise they created for themselves.  Ramaa Venugopalan is a performer and teacher of Bharatanatyam from Bangalore, for a little over three decades. Responses * Sorry, I am unaware of such comedy happening in the field. An indisciplined freedom is like wild fire. While I request all to discourage such happenings. I'd like to quote, "A disciplined candle light will illumine the space around, but a wildfire would destroy the space around." - Natyacharya V.P.Dhananjayan, Bharatakalanjali, Chennai (May 17, 2025) * Very well said, Ramaa. In fact, it pained me so much to even watch the teaser on SM. I can imagine how you would've felt. As you rightly said, it's always our sentiments that are being targeted. Not any other community... why???? - Roja Kannan (May 14, 2025). Post your comments Pl provide your name and email id along with your comment. All appropriate comments posted with name & email id in the blog will also be featured in the site. |
