Book reviews: Kathak prasang edited by Rashmi Vajpeyi and Traditional performing atrs: potentials for scientific temper by Varsha Das

6 Pages·1992·0.25 MB·English

BOOK REVIEWS
Kathak Prasang
Ed. Rashmi Vajpeyi
Vani Prakashan. Delhi. 1992
192 pages. Rs 140
The editorofthisbook (in Hindi),Rashmi
Vajpeyi,isherselfaKathakdancer;and in
this collection of essays. she distinguishes
herselfasone whoalsocaresfor acompre
hensive understanding of the dance.
Some of the essays included in the
volume - the ones devoted to the lives
and artistic attainments of some Kathak
gurus - are delightful.and Iwould like to
pick up one of these for special mention:
Rohini Bhate's excellent piece on Lacchu
Maharaj. Its snapshot style of writing at
the startbothpermitsand invitesvisualiza
tion- Icoulddothismyselfwhilereading
th,eessay,.for the maestro had grown very
fnend~y with me since ourfirst meeting at
theJaipurKathakSeminarin1969;and on
the basisof this acquaintance I can vouch <'I'll"! >mil <i\ 'll'lR ffi it m .m~ 'lftl
for the photographic accuracy of a good
deal.o.fwhat the author recordsbywayof f.l"!R ifl ~I
reminiscence. However. there:is no men
" iscommonlyregarded asone bot,but
tion inthe articleof the guru'sremarkable
it comprises two aksharas; and what is
capacityfor ready repartee, and his readi
noteworthy is that the flowing linkage of
ness,also to react positively to signs of il with f. which also keeps the two leners
genuinecreativityinothers'work.Further.
apartand distinct.istobeduly broughtout
for the word 'feel' (p. 103),'amm!' would
throughangastheevenpace oflaya itself.
have been a bettersubstitute than'~
Such excellences of the essay set off the
which.meansidiom.But,onthe:whole, t'he
relative oddity of its language at places.
essayISthor~ughlyenjoyable. Itisinsight
The most delightful individual detail of
ful to? It is not for nothing that the: writing is, however, to be found in the
following sentence occurs twice in the
essay on Pandit ShambhuMaharaj by the
essay (pp. 101, 105):
dancer and choreographer Maya Rae. It
"-,,-,,I .".'lI'I'li~ 3l~l'lRl~oir.lllil ~- was well before 1948 that 1 lint saw the
l",."tak
SaoI«' No.1~:April-June1992
BOOK REVIEWS 39
maestro's abhinaya at my uncle's Kaiser changes in the character of audience and
bagh residence in Lucknow, in the inspir venue. But I would like to look at it
ing presence of Ustads Fayyaz Khan and differently. A good Kathak dancer does
.AhmedJan Tbirakwa; and I only join the not have to adhere to a pre-fixed plan:he
essayist in hertributes to the guru'samaz is, in fact, free to vary the course of the
ing versatility in bringing out the entirerecitalinresponseto friendly 'chal
srtbebbeve of a single verse variously. I lenges', say, from the Tabla accompanist.
must also mention the very interesting and to reactions fromtheaudienceaswell,
second para on p. 107 where the author partlybecausethelahraservesaU along as
illustrates how the personal life-style of an anchor, and prevents waywardness.
Shambhu Maharaj could be said 10be a What is more. even in the process of
picture of contradictions. But what I en dancing thesame patternanaccomplished
joyed mostwastheessayist'sdescriptionof Kathak may shift the~ of a particular
how the guru would lapse back to the hoi from its set location in the original
sthayibhavaof a lame man (p.108)! order of the pattern, and then return
Thetwoauthors Ihavesofar mentioned accurately to the order in question, re
are both well-known dancers and teachers lishing at once the momenl of designed
of Kathak; lt is this variform equipment deviation. This is the inbui1tresilience of
which(alongwith theirgurubhaktl) makes Kathak, and this is what we partly mean
their writing truthful,sensitive and enjoy. when we speakofthisdance as~';nq' •I
able. BUI of all the essays devoted to think it is essential to work out the rele
Kathakgurus,perhapsthemostconsistent vance of this concept to Kathak dance
Iythoughtful, comprehensive in concern, systematically. It is today common in the
andyetquiteintelligiblepiece istheoneon West to speak of an art-work as livingor
Birju Maharaj by Keshav Kothari. Itdoes organic form. But whereas the idea of
not merely lavish encomia on the maestro indivisibility implicit in the word organic
but'outlineswhathe isyet expectedto do. has been availed of by aesthetic theory.
IIblendsthesympathyofa(asikawith the resilience- which is perhaps just as
watchfulconcern ofan administrator. and necessarily a mark.of riving things- has
therefore deserves careful reading. (My been so far ignored by the aesthetics of
own reading of the essay. however. was occurrent arts. Thisis, in myview. a new
disturbed by the following on p. 127: direction for aesthetical thinking.
~. 4 _ , 'IT'R, 7 _ ). Of the many The analysisthat one finds in Kothari's
interesting points made in the essay, two essay relatesto situations.and issurelyof
haveimpressedmemost:first, theauthor's value. But aesthetic analysis,ofwhichmy
emphasis on the need to reckon with the explanationofresilienceinKathak maybe
Iradilional language of Katbak (p. 128); taken as a small specimen, is rather defi
and, second, his argument as to how this cient in the present volume. I expected to
dance form may be credited with adistinc find a measure of it in the very first
live resilience (~'. pp. 129-30). I essay-~il~'-bythelatescholar
have already drawn attention to the value Acbarya K. C. D. Brahaspati. But the
ofKathak discourse in my book Swinging piece has little analysis,though it is quite
Syllables: Aesthetics of Karhak Dance informative. Thus (on p. 14) the disting
(SangeetNatakAkaderni, 1991).Sohere I uished author merely cites Mohammad
may only explain how the concept of Karam Imam'sdefinition ofnrityaas"the
resilience,whichShriKothariisthe firstto carryingofbodilylimbstosamainaccord
mention, is vitally relevant to Kathak. ance with the tala cbosen" without caring
Kothari interprets ~ as theabil to point out that this definition hardly
ity of Kathak to adapt itself suitably to provides for the requisite distinction be-
40 S.K. SAXENA
tween nritya and tuitts. The well-known (p. 56).
guru. S.M. Kalyanpurkar, is much more MayaRae'sessay'm<Ii.isofbasicvalue,
circumspect in thisrespect. Thus, he not andmaywellbemadecompulsoryreading
onlyputsforward thetraditionaldefinition forstudents of Kathak. It opens.with the
of nritta-nrittam talalayashrayam welcomeemphasis. thatinthisdanceform
but supplements it forthwith with the the whole body may be regarded as the
qualifying remark that, in spite of its primary expressive medium; providesthe
emphasisOnrhythm.nn"ttaisyetalocusof amazinginformation thatanancientwork
some charm (or rasa) because of the listsasmanya'S 360gats; andrightlyends
graceful movement of limbs (p. 42). It is with a plea for the proper study and
however his distinguished pupil, Rohini classification of hastas and also for their
Bhate, who really impressesme withthe incorporation in the regular teaching of
subtledistinctionthatshe drawsbetween Kathak.
the mukhavilas(~<n'lI'l) ofaBharata Ramnarayan Agrawala's essay on
natyarn dancer and a Kathak guru (like Kathak and Ras lists and explains some
Lacehu Maharaj) during tbe presentation good linkagesanddifferencesbetweenthe
ofatbata.Intheformercasemakheviles, two dance forms (pp. 20-21, 21-23);and
appearingasaslendersmile,istheindexof rightly complainsthatsinceindependence
a conscious relish of appropriate anga· Rashasnotreceivedanyencouragementat
ssncbslsn;inthelatter,itisthereflexofan all.Theeditor'sownprefaceandhistorical
introvertive look. I find it difficult to account of Kathak (pp. 24-38) are both
accept the essayist's suggestion that the competent pieces of writing. She is
Kathakheretendstoreinforcehisreligious obviouslyrightin sayingthat representa
belief (thai he is a part of God) with a tion of the gaits of nayikas of different
consciousdesiretoexperience therhythm kindsisadistinctivefeatureofKathak (p.
and motion that permeate the universe 35); and in explaining that pan of the
(pp.48-49). But it is unquestionable that reasonwhyKathakissaidtobedeficientin
is
where a thara is well done the dancer expressiveness(~~) thelargesizeof
appears to contemplatetheserenelyflow audiencestoday. whichprevents thesub
ing form of laya and accordant bodily tler details of abhinaya from being reg
movement. and not merely to present a istered. Sunil Kothari'saccountsof Luck
numberin copybook fashion. There are nowandJaipurgharanas(pp.81-91. 131
some other mentionable features tooamin 141) are more comprehensive and better
Rohini Bhate's essay entitled '~ documented thansimilarattempts byme
wWI. Themoreimportantoftheseareher andMohan Khokar in the Margspecial
explanation of how the very paucity of issue on Kathak in 1959. Prof. S.K.
nat)ladharami mudras in Kathak is an Chaubey's essay on Pandit Acchan
invitation fa thedancerfordeeperinvolve Maharaj is likeable. though brief. The
ment inabhinaya(p.50);her emphasison maestro, I recall, was indeed a bit tOO
arrhabhava (p. 51); and an impressive insistent incallinghimself~ (p.97);but
closingsection on prayog(pp. 53-56).The where he is praised for his surpassing
articleendswiththequiteproperreminder nimbleness in passages of beauty (p. 98)
that the dancer's rapport with the audi and tatkar(pp. 99-100), itcould wellhave
ence. which the Kathak can secure (we been addedthat the dancing of thiscon
may say) with distinctive ease, is (in summate artist wasin eithercase: disting
principle) a sharing of aesthetic delight, uished by a ~ SO adroitly controlled
andnotofthetumultthatmaybeevoked thatitneverseemed fa jaron therasika·s
by the interplay of hecticdancing and the ear, Of the two aesthetical essayson the
reflexresponsesof excited lay.onlookers Jaipurgberens, one byRohiniBhate and
BOOK REVIEWS 41
the other by Puru Dadheech, the latter is
clearly more substantial. Kalyanpurkar's
essay on Pandit Sunder Prasad is not only
authentic,but hasaddedtomyknowledge.
I had been quite close to Panditji since
1958, but I never knew that he was the
'"',
creator of the following gats: r~TJ(f (p.
165), ~ >ilft-ft '"', ~-= and
- ~ '"' (p. 166). The close of the
volume is provided by Pramod Verma's
brief essay '~ lj ~'. It rightly
emphasizesthesignalcontributionof Raja
Chakradhar Singh to the preservation and
growth of Kathak, and points out an
.importantfeature ofthisdancefonnwhich
is sadly neglected today; the possibility it
affords of serene dance-passages at eti
vi/ambit lara.
The book does not provide enough
material on the impressive amount of
innovative work inKathakdoneinthelast
few years. An essay on this topic would
havemade itmore comprehensive. On the
whole, however, Kathak Prasang is a
welcome addition to our sparse literature
on Kathak. Itisneatly printed and reason easy, since the folk and popular arts are
ablypriced.Itissuretointerestrssikssand stillalivein India. Infact,itisnot soeasy
laymen alike. becauseoftheinherentobstaclestochange
S.K. SAXENA that habitually exist in old societies.
varsbaDashasthemeritofclarity-she
is unambiguouslyclear-and thistendsat
Traditional Performing Arts:
timestomakeherwritingratherpedestrian
Potentials for Scientific Temper for the sophisticated reader. But perhaps
Varsha Das thesophisticated are not reallyher target.
She may bewriting specifically for work
Willey Eastern Lirnited. Delhi, 1992
ers, actual and potential in the field, and
161 pages. Rs 150
for them her knowledge-supported by
experiments in various parts of India,
Thisis lessan interesting than a painstak South-east and West Asia-may well be
ingenquiryinto the performingarts,tradi useful.
tionaland modem, that are most likelyto The book is prefaced by a relevant
bringaboutchangeamongourruralpeople introductionthatexplainsitsauthor'smain
in developing rational attitudes and prac concerns. It consists of eight chapters, of
tices in the daily business of jiving. The whichthe sixth and seventhareespecially
accentthroughoutisondevelopingascien valuable because they deal with experi
tific temper-the easy communication of ments made and evaluated. The book
scientific knowledge through local talent considers communication channels; socio
that can be identified and used as instru cultural areas of concern; a historical
mentsofchange. Thismayseem relatively perspective of'communication and tradi-
41 MURIEL WASI
tion;theroleoftraditionandfolkmedia;a Varsha Das is also critical of television.
reviewof various an forms-there are 84 and here she has the advantage of direct
listed in different pans of India; selected experience. She cites Doordarshan Bom
experiments in folk. and popularforms for bay's Gyandeep Mandals or Lamps-of
development; an experiment with Bhavai Knowledge clubs in Maharashtra. By Au
in Gujarat; and a conclusion that assesses gust 1987. in 800 centres of non-formal
the efficiencyand limitationsofthe means adult education. programmes had been
usedtopromotedevelopment.[cannotsay triedout.The clubsselectedaproblemand
that any part of this survey is 50 fun gottheirmemberstoenactitinthe formof
damentalastobeindispensablereadingfor a play. Members discussed solutions and
intelligentworkers-inthe field, but much follow-up action was taken Ontelevision.
ofit needs to besaid and repeated for the Socio-economic drama has been used all
benefit of the average worker-it is so over tile world with varying results. What
plainly commonsensical and ti.me-saving. Vias the Maharashtrian club experience?
The author hasmadeup her mind about Thirty-nine lessons, each of 20 minutes'
thegeneralinadequacyofmodemelectro duration. were shown twice a week. A
nic media in dealing with her specific hundredviewingclubsinatextile area with
problem. On cinema, for instance, she 24 federations were used, with Gyandeep
says: MandaiMahasangha asan ape. body.The
author's conclusions can hardly be dis
Since cinemaiscapableofimpairingthesociety puted,but theyare spellout tothe point of
andsince itstechnologyisinthe handsorthose naivete. She says that the success of the
rich producerswho have taken up this medium Gyandeep Mandals depends on the full
onJyasacommerciallyviablebusiness, itsuseas involvement of the clubs; that electronic
achange-agentfor betterliferemainsdoubtful. mediahave tobeconnectedwithgrassroot
level problems; that tbe programmes call
She adds:
for specialtraining-thatseveral"youngs
Cinema can certainly help to change values ters" have been smart but ineffective be
and attitudes provided the whole industryde: cause;withthem,contentandpresentation
cides to fix its role for a specific purpose. have seldom been connected with the
audience for which the programme is
One would not doubt that the ordinary intended. The new systems, she argues,
Bombay talkie is not merely inadequate. compete for mastery with each other. She
but uninterested in effecting the sort of concludes that it is not just hardware we
changethat VarshaDashasinmind.These need. but software, and all that goesinto
films are blatantly escapist-s-they are in preparing software to bring about change
tendedtoprovidethesortofentertainment in behavioural patterns.
that the depressed seek in order to get Hersecondchaptermakes theimportant
away from their stultifying environment. pointthat villageand urbansocietiesdiffer
But parallel (small) cinema, including in thisfundamental;that villagefifeliesin
some of the films of such directors as communication and leaders there are
Shyam Benegal-remember Manthan? valued for personal qualities; whereas
are likely to be good agents of change. urban societies choose leaders not on
There is no need for the whole cinema personal grounds but for their rank in a
industry to pledge itself to promoting a socio-political hierarchy. Also. village
scientific temper-Heaven forbid! It is societiestendto adheretothefamiliar and
surelyenoughifsome filmdirectorscan be have to be persuaded not to resist the
persuaded to include this among their unfamiliar. Urban societies are relatively
purposes in film-malting. ready{orchange. In the viUage. sepersn-
BOOK REVIEWS 43
tiODS abound, that have to be demons wisdom of not cooking food and not
trated to beworthless.All this takes time. .storing water during an eclipse. Why, it
We are "introduced' to what we have was asked, should women fast al such
known for the last three decades, namely times? Was there any special value in
Paolo Freire's concept ofconscientization prayer and worship during these occa
that rejects prescriptive teaching and re sions? Wasitsensible to distribute charity
placesit by liberating education, in which to Brahmins? All this was enacted. The
learners are not objects. but subjectswho mythologicalbackgroundonceestablished,
act on the world and change it.. ayounggirlwouldenterandasksearching
Chapters 4 and 5 are varied and useful questions that unfolded the scientific
for workers in the field: they list methods reason behind the phenomenon of the
and forms of traditional media that still eclipse. Ignorant people, it was indicated,
exist in India. To the common reader, tendedtocontinue Iraditionsunthinkingly,
however. these chapters are attractive andcharitytoBrahmins meant onlyfilling
mainlyfor the charmingline-drawings that ..the pockets of chests". Audience
illustrate them, executed by Kalpana response was tested. Das holds that the
Mohanly Rai and Jay Compusoft. The performersmustplaytheroleconvincingly
book grows more interesting as it deals as agents of change. Also, that to be
with eurythmy, "originated at the tum of judgedfairlythemethodhas10betriedout
the century by Rudolf Steiner". More over a substanlial period of time. She
specifically, it analyzes the contributions concludes that in developing a scientific
madebythe Indian People'sTheatreAsso theme in the rural 'areas, we must be
ciation (IPTA) and Prithviraj Kapoor, who pragmatic. combining folkand traditional
was bent on communicating socio media with eJectronic expertise.
economic messages, aswell as more mod Thisishardly astartlingconclusion,but
em experiments like street theatre. Das the assemblage of material within asingle
stressesthe importanceofthe manipulator. volume for those interested in this aspect
whobecomesaneffective agentforchange nf adult education is undoubtedly useful.
onlyif he/she is"sensitive. innovative and One does net doubt VarshaDas'sserious
idealistic". ness of purpose or her objectivity. The
Perhaps the most important chapter in rangeofinformation shesuppliesontradi
the book is the one that deals with the tional media is wide and wiU stre,pgthen
Gujarat Bhavai experiment. One of the field workers torthe strenuous work. that
themestakenuphere wasthe eclipseofthe lies ahead of them.
sunand itsconnection withthe foodhabits
of a given area. Superstitions wert analy
zed; people were made to consider the MURIEL WASJ