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 Kumudini who gave Kathak its new look is no more - Leela Venkataraman e-mail: leelakaverivenkat@gmail.com Photos courtesy: Kadamb April 13, 2025  Kumudini Lakhia has left this world! Even while the Kathak world in particular mourn their great loss, I feel that the entire dance world needs to celebrate the work of an inimitable artiste who, while not going against the classical tenets of her dance tradition, managed to give it an entirely new face, universally accepted. I remember seeing her first group production 'The Coat' based on Sarveshwar Dayal's work 'The Coat', in an SNA sponsored New Dance Festival, which left me amazed with the kind of creative imagination giving rise to such a production.  Kumiben with Ram Gopal After her training under Shambhu Maharaj, joining Ram Gopal's group as a proficient Kathak dancer, Kumudini had toured the world - with her dance expertise acquiring a new dimension of knowledge and respect for stage aesthetics and treatment of stage space. Instead of the self-centered solo dancer, she began exploring groups covering stage space in different ways. Discarding the bejeweled single dancer juggling with gaudy costume, veil and head ornaments while executing 'chakkars' and foot work, she decided on smartly turned out dancers in well-tailored tops and salwars, and above all decided to work on secular instead of religious themes.  Kumiben with Birju Maharaj Even the vocabulary of rhythmic syllables, called nonsense syllables by some, so much a part of a dance built on display of rhythmic virtuosity, was used in imaginative ways like the great work Dhabkar, where an elementary ta thai thai tat refrain, was used to delineate a pulse beat. Imaginary conversations between groups were depicted through exchange of rhythmic syllables. This new approach of Kumudini would have been difficult without an equally well equipped and experiment-minded musician, who the dancer found in Atul Desai, and the two amidst fierce arguments, succeeded in creating several works. Vice President of UNESCO Dance Council, and a Padma Vibhushan, Kumudini once told me, "When I went to Ahmedabad after marriage in 1960 with my husband Rajnikant Lakhia, the city was all Bharatanatyam with Mrinalini Sarabhai's school and her personality. Even for the most ordinary solo recital, we had to get a tablist from outside. I had to start from scratch." Hundreds of excellently equipped young dancers have emerged out of Kadamb, Kumudini Lakhia's Kathak school in Ahmedabad.  Very natural, with not a shred of self-consciousness, Kumudini, in any conversation was the epitome of frankness. While saluting her creativity which produced such great works like Yugantar, Atah Kim, Okha Haran and several other creations, I will always remember her telling me, "Leelaji, my great good fortune was that I as a free dancer could try out new ideas, unlike my colleague Birju Maharaj who as a gharanedhar carries the burden of having to keep tradition alive."  Writing on the dance scene for the last forty years, Leela Venkataraman's incisive comments on performances of all dance forms, participation in dance discussions both in India and abroad, and as a regular contributor to Hindu Friday Review, journals like Sruti and Nartanam, makes her voice respected for its balanced critiquing. She is the author of several books like Indian Classical dance: Tradition in Transition, Classical Dance in India and Indian Classical dance: The Renaissance and Beyond. Responses * The obit on Kumiben is so beautifully written. You captured all her attributes pertaining to her work in such few words! - Hema Rajagopalan (April 15, 2025) * Kumudini ji is a phenomenon in the field of Kathak bringing fresh waves e,xploiting maximum the idiom's potential. A revolutionary in true sense taking the Kathak technique on par with the other naatya traditions, otherwise confined to 'chakkars' thihais. Kathak evolved as a theatrical form only with Kadamb's innovative choreographic group productions after Kumudini ji returned attending Russian Ballet workshops under Government of India scholarship. She brought revolutionary changes in "aahaarya abhinaya" as well, with consummate Indian aesthetic senses. We came to know of her from her prime disciples Ishira Parikh and her husband Maulik Shah and couple of other Kadamb artistes who were part of Pt. Ravishankar's magnum opus "Ghanashyam" musical theatre. Kumudini ji was magnanimous in sharing her wonderful artistes to join our Bharatakalanjali team. Artistes will come and go but a few remain etched in the memories of generations to come, and Kumudini Bhen is one such artiste. Wish her soul to rest in peace. - VP Dhananjayan (April 16, 2025) Post your comments Please provide your name and email id along with your comment. All appropriate comments posted with name and email id in the blog will also be featured in the site. |
