Review/Report - Sanskriti Mahotsav 2025 - Festival creating awareness of social causes

Sanskriti Mahotsav 2025 - Festival creating awareness of social causes
- Chandra Anand
e-mail: chandra6267@yahoo.co.in
Photos: Suresh Muraleedharan

March 18, 2025

Shila Mehta's Nupur Zankar Academy of Performing Arts and Research Centre, Mumbai, presented 'Samagam' - Dance for Thalassemia, as a part of its hallmark annual Sanskriti Mahotsav series, on 24th of January 2025, at Veer Savarkar Auditorium, Mumbai.

In the year 2000, a series of 'Sanskriti Mahotsav', an evening of classical dance and music, was born out of the need for a dialogue with the community on the importance of the legacy of Guru's knowledge. This year under this series was curated Samagam in a bouquet of three Indian classical dance styles - Kathak, Mohiniattam and Bharatanatyam. The program was a tribute to Shila's gurus Pt. Vijai Shankar and Pandit Birju Maharaj and was also dedicated to Mohiniattam exponent Dr. Kanak Rele, Shila felt one can move forward in their creative journey if one remembers the traditions laid down by their gurus. It is because of what our gurus taught us that the Indian performing arts are having a continuance. So, paying a tribute to them only strengthens the traditional knowledge of these Indian dance forms.

Shila Mehta

Shila Mehta presented her work 'Ashta Rasa', which she had choreographed under the mentorship of Dr. Kanak Rele. The theme is based on original instructive verses of the eight dominant emotions or rasas from the Natyasastra, the science of dramaturgy, by Bharata muni. The 8 rasas depicted were Sringaara (romance), Hasya (humour), Karuna (pathos), Raudra (fury), Veera (valour), Bhayanaka (fear), Bibhatsa (disgust) and Adbhuta (wonder) in how the rasas have variety and had different forms. It was delineated with great aplomb, and the artiste adeptly brought this as a performance presentation to the stage. Different ragas were used to emote Rasas suitably and different bandishes in different talas were used to bring out the character of that particular segment. This piece of presentation was steeped in the vibrant vocabulary of Kathak and the audience was enraptured. A few students discussed their puzzlement on why Shanta rasa and its varieties was not delineated, guessing perhaps they were in another chapter or in a lost chapter. Credits for music was given to Dr. Kanak Rele, Shila Mehta and Somnath Mishra who was on vocals, on rhythms was Amit Mishra, on sitar was Zubair Sheikh, on sarangi was Sangeet Mishra and providing impressive lighting was Sushant Jadhav.

Gopika Varma

Mohiniattam exponent Gopika Varma presented 'Satyabhama Garva Bhangam'. Before presenting she introduced the episode about the Parijaata flower and tree, lucidly in a jovial manner. The story was depicted beautifully and her art of characterization was strong as she moved from one character to another easily. The audience were entranced by her abhinaya.

Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalaya

The dance troupe from Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalaya, which was founded by Late Dr. Kanak Rele, presented a Sanskrit devotional work 'Krishna Karnamrutam' by Bilvamangalam Swamiyar. The hymns of the work describe the pastimes of the deity Krishna in Vrindavan, expressing the rasas associated with bhakti (devotion) towards him. Commencing with an invocation prayer to Lord Ganesha, they presented the part from the above work, where women folk of Mathura are described as being hit by the five different love arrows of Manmatha and pining to become one with Krishna. The choreography showed how each arrow made of lotus, ashoka, mango flower, jasmine, and nilotpala had varied effect on women folk, when Krishna was in Mathura visiting Kamsa and his cronies. The presentation concluded with Dashavatara poses. The performance had a good mixture of nritta and nritya. Conceptualization and choreography by Dr. Uma Rele, present Principal of the college, and the recorded music was enchanting. The artists were Taamohar Biswas, Preshit Meher, Kanak Darak, Vaishnavee Naiksatam, Kavya Varma, Mohanraj Acharya, Urvashi Gupta, Lakshmi Nair, Devanshi Shinde and lights were by Vignesh.

It was a star-studded evening with a galaxy of gurus and other dignitaries attending the event. Their long association and relationship with the Sanskriti Mahotsav and Shila Mehta was amazing and thoroughly applaudable.

Nupur Zankar has been regularly organizing different cultural programs for over 20 years under the series of 'Sanskriti Mahotsav' and 'Vande Mataram'. These festivals aim to showcase the artistry of senior gurus, as well as upcoming artistes. Shila Mehata felt a need to address the cause of social issues like mental health. So this year through 'Samagam', Shila Mehta brought to light the cause of Thalassemia, which affects millions worldwide, making it a platform not only for artistic expression but also for social change. Thus, partnering with Inner Wheel Club, a global organization working towards several medical and social causes, who are doing yeoman service to the public and helping the nation progress in their own way, she has ventured to share performance spaces with social causes.

Chandra Anand is a Bharatanatyam artiste and teacher. She has an MA in Bharatanatyam from Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, and her series on 'Education in spiritual values through Bharatanatyam' is featured in narthaki.com.