ON StageDecember 2016

volume 6 • issue 5

CITI-NCPA Aadi AnantWith Shiv Kumar Sharma, Rahul Sharma & Zakir Hussain

THE ROYAL FLEMISH PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

With Philippe Herreweghe

Contents16

Features

08Reflections On the NCPA’s revival of Mughal-e-Azam and the reopening of the Royal Opera House. By Anil Dharker

10An Inherited BlessingAs Shiv Kumar Sharma and Zakir Hussain get ready to take the stage for CITI-NCPA Aadi Anant this month, Ruchira Kedar tries to unravel the layers of relationships when one’s parent and guru are the same person

14 The Artistes This Year‘From here to eternity’ has been the catchphrase of CITI-NCPA Aadi Anant right from the first edition in 2011. Each year the travelling music festival, curated by the

NCPA, explores this concept of eternity within Indian music and the role it plays therein 16Two Centuries, Two Nights The Royal Flemish Philharmonic Orchestra, with conductor Philippe Herreweghe and violinist Stefan Jackiw, will perform at the NCPA with works by Brahms, Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Mozart. By Nikhil Sardana

20The Never-ending Whirl Astad Deboo returns to the NCPA with an eternal embrace. By Leela Balan

24Sassy and Serious Like clowns quoting Shakespeare, the women behind Patchworks Ensemble are producing works of frivolity that are filled

NCPA ChairmanKhushroo N. Suntook

Executive Director & Council MemberDeepak Bajaj

Editorial DirectorRadhakrishnan Nair

Editor-in-Chief

Oishani Mitra

Consulting EditorEkta Mohta

Editorial Co-ordinatorHilda Darukhanawalla

Design DirectorKapil Batus

Assistant Art DirectorHemali Limbachiya

Senior Graphic DesignerTanvi Shah

Graphic DesignerVidhi Doshi

AdvertisingAnita Maria Pancras

(advertising@ncpamumbai.com; 66223820) Tulsi Bavishi

(tulsi@mansworldindia.com; 9833116584)

Digital ArtistJayesh V. Salvi

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NCPA Booking Office2282 4567/6654 8135/6622 3724

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28with moments of intellectual brilliance. By Shayonnita Mallik

28The Maestro from MilanFrom Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde, Verdi’s Otello, Giordano’s Andrea Chénier, Bizet’s Carmen Suites and Puccini’s La Bohème, celebrated conductor Carlo Rizzi will enthral Mumbai audiences with operatic masterpieces during the upcoming SOI season at the NCPA. By Nolan Lewis

32The Golden ArmThe slightly depressed Vincent van Gogh knew how to inject colour into the lives of coal miners and peasants, into sterile rooms and onto uneventful nights. By Vipasha Aloukik Pai

36The Soul Train Ahead of his solo debut release, jazz-fusion musician and ace guitarist Vinay Kaushal discusses his musical journey. By Nabeela Shaikh

40The Interview: John Rodgers John Rodgers from the National Theatre talks about the lessons he’s learnt while raising money for culture.

42India DiariesRaghu Rai returns to his favourite muse for his latest exhibition

46The tradition of Maahaari DanceJiwan Pani traces the origin of maahaari dance

47Programme GuideAll of December’s events at the NCPA

58What’s NextWhat to look forward to in the coming monthste

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‘Mata Pita Guru Deivam’ goes a popular Sanskrit adage. The mother, who is at the top of the hierarchy, points us to our

father. Our parents, together, then lead us to the guru, who in turn leads us to ‘deivam’ (god) and the realisation of our full potential.

It could be said that on a fundamental level, our relationship with our parents as well as our guru are very similar, as our parents are our first gurus and they play the most important role in guiding us and educating us about the unfamiliar world we are born in. When they guide us to our guru as we grow up, the guru also plays the role of a life coach, as the approach and outlook of our guru towards his field of study, art and life creates deep impressions on our minds and we learn important life lessons in this process.

For most of us, our parents and our guru exist in two different realms even though their overall role as guide stays common, tucked away somewhere in the back of our subconscious reasoning. For all practical purposes, their existence is neatly compartmentalised into two separate zones. What happens when the two zones merge into one? What happens when the parent is also the guru? It creates

interesting dynamics. The boundaries between the two roles diffuse and the relationships between parent-child/guru-shishya cross over, giving rise to unique opportunities and challenges.

Old is goldThe gurukul tradition had much to be said in its favour. The student lived in close proximity to the guru and imbibed lessons, both consciously and subconsciously, through observation and instruction. That tradition is fast vanishing and is prevalent only in the area of performance and fine arts these days. Keeping with the times, the guru-shishya

relationship, even though as earnest as before, has now become more of an informal bond, especially with the aid of technology and the popularity of online lessons. It is interesting to see how this bond transforms when the two realms of parent-child and guru-shishya merge into one relationship.

The children of great musicians are naturally blessed with valuable genetic inheritance. Their training tends to start early in life, as the musical sanskaar is all-pervasive around them. How do people in families like these balance their different roles? Does the situation give the offspring an edge over other disciples of their father/mother or even other musicians coming from non-musical families? Are the rules tougher or more lenient for them than for other disciples? Do they get enough creative space to develop their own individuality? Is it stressful to constantly aspire to do justice to the legacy that they have inherited inadvertently or is it a bed of roses all the way? There could also be circumstances in which the conflict of protectiveness and freedom would exist both as a parent/child as well as guru/shishya. All these are pertinent questions that explore the nuances of this unique relationship.

NCPA December 2016 • 11

FESTIVAL

An Inherited Blessing

As Shiv Kumar Sharma and Zakir Hussain get ready to take the stage for CITI-NCPA Aadi Anant this month, Ruchira Kedar tries to unravel the layers of relationships when one’s parent and guru are the same person

Zakir Hussain

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The children of great musicians are naturally blessed with

valuable genetic inheritance

Alla Rakha Khan and Zakir Hussain“I knew he’d play the tabla even before he was born,” Alla Rakha.

Alla Rakha had gone on record to say that as soon as Zakir Hussain was born, he took the newborn into his arms and whispered tabla bols in his ear. He believed that his son was born to play the tabla, and he started initiating Zakir into his musical universe even as a baby by tying little toy tablas to his crib. Alla Rakha clearly had this vision for Zakir that he would reach the pinnacle as a percussionist.

Over several interviews, Zakir says that his relationship with his father was very special and one with several layers as he was first a baby, then a student, then an apprentice, then a colleague and then a friend to his father. He says that Alla Rakha was a very loving father as well as a kind guru and while learning the tabla, he made Zakir feel that he was doing something as a daily routine, as opposed to a daily discipline. According to Zakir, playing the tabla was so much a part of growing up that it needed no special hours or schedule. Just like eating and sleeping, playing the tabla was inextricably woven into the fabric of his life. The genetic inheritance was also very strong here as Zakir states in an interview to DNA, “What needed to be done would almost appear in bold patterns in my

head and I could easily translate those thoughts on the tabla.”

However, Alla Rakha was very clear that his sons should not just imitate him but find their own space and grow within that. As a parent and guru, he ensured that he encouraged them to be true to their own roots as well as flourish as individual musical entities. As can be seen, all his sons have found their own musical identity and have established themselves as percussionists across various genres.

Shiv Kumar Sharma and Rahul SharmaShiv Kumar Sharma has been instrumental in giving the santoor international recognition, and it was quite natural that Rahul was destined to learn under the maestro, his father. In an interview to HT, Shiv Kumar said that as a father and a guru he believed in letting the individual explore the width of his own potential, for no two people are the same. He further said that he never wanted Rahul to be his Xerox and always encouraged him to share his knowledge of music and have an open mind.

Rahul, who is known for his fusion music, reiterates in the same interview that he is different from his father in many ways. While he gets his patience, calm demeanour and connection with music from his father, he consciously tried to

broaden his musical horizon, which has resulted in newer musical sounds and collaborations with varied musicians. He confessed that he started out trying to imitate his father in the early part of his career, but gradually tried to build a separate identity, which was true to his core musical self.

One of implicit trustBoth these celebrated musician-fathers seem to have shared a unique relationship with their sons, be it as a parent or guru, a relationship based on boundless love and implicit trust. The shishya in both the cases was allowed to test his wings without an undue burden of expectations or the fear of failure, enabling him to soar and achieve great heights. As a result, both Zakir and Rahul, undoubtedly did their father-guru proud. This is indeed the essence of the gurukul tradition as well as parenthood, in which the guru/parent is a friend, philosopher and guide for the shishya/child and empowers him to find his true calling and establish his identity as a unique individual in the world.

(With inputs from Purbayan Chatterjee, Sameehan Kashalkar and Meera Sharma.)

CITI-NCPA Aadi Anant will take place on 10th and 11th December at the Tata Theatre.

NCPA December 2016 • 13

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Rahul Sharma

The Artistes This Year‘From here to eternity’ has been the catchphrase of CITI-NCPA Aadi Anant right from the first edition in 2011. Each year the travelling music festival, curated by the NCPA, explores this concept of eternity within Indian music and the role it plays therein

Eternity is the central idea within Indian philosophy with the human soul being considered timeless and imperishable, and time is looked at as a cyclical

entity. The soul exists within this cycle. Within Indian arts, however, the concept of eternity finds dual expression. On the one hand, artistic traditions are perpetuated from one generation to the next in an uninterrupted and linear manner through the time-honoured tradition of guru-shishya parampara. On the other hand, the concept finds expression through those creative minds who strive to push the boundaries of tradition in pursuit of exploring new horizons. This creative process ushers in changes in the traditions, which are then carried forward, thus helping to redefine and rejuvenate the existing systems and safeguarding their survival for posterity.

As trendsetters in their respective fields, Citi and the NCPA stand committed to uphold Indian heritage. “With this festival, we salute our artistic legacy as well as heartily welcome the innovative endeavours. We sincerely  hope that the NCPA and Citi can  together  nurture and nourish creative excellence and enrich our heritage for the benefit of generations to follow,” said Mr. Khushroo N. Suntook, Chairman at the NCPA. Pramit Jhaveri, CEO, Citi India, said, “Now in the sixth year, the CITI-NCPA Aadi Anant Festival of Indian Music represents Citi’s continued commitment to support India’s rich cultural heritage. The Aadi Anant festival, showcases Indian music across genres and generations, and at the same time attempts to create opportunities for young, talented musicians to play a part in India’s future. We are delighted to once again partner with a world-renowned

institution like the NCPA in preserving and nurturing India’s glorious legacy.”

This year, the festival showcases celebrated gurus with their shishyas as a testimony to the perpetuation of our traditions. It will also feature works that are deeply embedded in tradition, and yet seek to reach out to the infinite realms of creativity, inspired by the changing socio-cultural milieu in which the next generation of the artistes are being groomed. This edition of CITI-NCPA Aadi Anant will be travelling across six cities, with concerts by musical stalwarts such as Zakir Hussain, Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, Shiv Kumar Sharma and Shankar Mahadevan, scheduled in Pune, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad.

Tickets for all concerts are available on www.bookmyshow.com.

Ashwini Bhide Deshpande

Pune Saturday, 19th November 2016, 6.30 pmAnnabhau Sathe AuditoriumFolktronika by Rahul Sharma With Avinash Chandrachud (keyboard)Manas Chowdhary (bass guitar)Mukundraj Deo (tabla)Vinayak Pol (drums) I. D. Rao (saxophone)

Chennai Saturday, 26th November 2016, 6.30 pmMadras Music AcademyAshwini Bhide Deshpande (vocal) With Dhanashri Ghaisas (vocal) Supported by Vyasmurti Katti (harmonium)Vinod Lele (tabla)

MumbaiSaturday, 10th December 2016, 6.30 pmTata TheatreWith Shiv Kumar Sharma (santoor) & Rahul Sharma (santoor)Supported by Yogesh Samsi (tabla)Mukundraj Deo (tabla)

Sunday, 11th December 2016, 6.30 pmZakir Hussain (tabla) With Anantha R. Krishnan (mridangam)Navin Sharma (dholak) Sabir Khan (sarangi)

Bengaluru Sunday, 15th January 2017, 6.30 pmChowdiah Memorial HallZakir Hussain (tabla) With Anantha R. Krishnan (mridangam)Navin Sharma (dholak)Sabir Khan (sarangi)

HyderabadFriday, 10th February 2017, 7.30 pmShilpa Kala VedikaShankar Mahadevan presents ‘Baithak to Bollywood’

AhmedabadFriday, 24th February 2017, 7.30 pmGujarat University Convention & Exhibition CentreShankar Mahadevan presents ‘Baithak to Bollywood’

Schedule in cities

NCPA December 2016 • 1514 • December 2016 NCPA

Shankar Mahadevan

Deep in the misty distance of time, odra-nritya (now popularly known as Odissi) evolved out of the ritual dancing of the consecrated girls called devadasis. These ritual danseuses attached to the temple of Lord Jagannatha at Puri are known as maahaaris. They used to perform inside the temple every day at specified periods and their dance was regarded as one of the 36 essential temple services (niyoga). The tradition started declining from the 18th century and survived till the third decade of the 20th century, almost worn to a shadow. It is now more than 40 years since a maahaari has danced in the temple premises. In fact, there were two kinds of maahaaris – the singing (gaauni) maahaari and the dancing (naachuni) maahaari. Although the maahaari dance is extinct, the tradition of singing lines from Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda by a gaauni maahaari still survives – though in an emaciated form. The only surviving authentic gaauni maahaari is Kokilapriya who is now around 60.

A few treatises on Odissi music and dance written between the 15th and the 18th centuries are still extant. Of these, Abhinaya Chandrikaa by Maheshwara Mahapatra deals most elaborately with the dance tradition. It does not, however, mention the maahaaris or devadasis and the manner in which it describes the qualities of a dancer and a few dance postures unmistakably points to the fact that, at the time when it was written (15th century), there were two kinds of Odissi dancers: the devadasi in the temple, and the naachuni in the royal court. Most probably, Mahapatra was a guru of the court dancers.

THE HEAVENLY DANCEBefore any reason is offered as to why the word maahaari finds no mention in an elaborate treatise like the Abhinaya Chandrikaa, it is necessary to explain what exactly the word means. So far no satisfactory etymological meaning

of maahaari has been forthcoming. One point of view states that the naari (woman) who is mahat (auspicious) is maahaari. This explanation is not tenable. According to the rules of Sanskirt grammar, mahat+naari becomes mahannaari, which in colloquial language may become manaari, but it is almost impossible that it should become maahaari. The Bhagavata Purana says that, at the time of pralaya (universal deluge), genuine devotees of Vishnu took shelter in maharaloka, the world or area of existence above swarga (heaven).

In Hindu mythology there are countless references to dancing in the swargaloka. The dancers there are called apsaras, which literally means ‘those women who have moved up from the surface of water’. What a poetic conception. The aim of an apsara’s dance is to give the audience aesthetic entertainment of the highest order. The aim of a devadasi’s dance goes much beyond, since it is a prayer, a form of worship. When a dancer, while performing, reaches the highest aesthetic level she experiences swargaloka, but if she goes still higher, she reaches maharaloka. In conformity with Sanskrit grammar, the people of mahara are called maahara, the feminine gender of which is maahari. This, in spoken Oriya, became maahaari.

THE FOUR GROUPSOriginally, the institution of devadasis was undoubtedly tantric. The Jagannatha

cult is a unique synthesis of divergent, religious precepts. There are a few inscriptions to prove that the tradition of devadasis dancing in the temples of Orissa was prevalent before the 11th century. Later, elements of Vaishnavism dominated the Jagannatha cult. It may be surmised that devadasis attached to the Jagannatha temple were named maahaari after the 15th century, since the inscription on the Jayavijaya-dwaara of the temple (dated 8th July, 1500), refers to four different groups of devadasis employed under the

temple service – the ancient group, the group attached to Balabhadra, the group belonging to Kapileshwara and the group of the Telenga region.

In this inscription, the consecrated dancers are neither referred to as devadasi nor as maahaari, but as bandha naachuni, which literally means ‘bonded dancer’, and connoted ‘formally and permanently engaged dancer’. Although the treatise does not mention either maahaari or devadasi, it refers on several occasions to and describes batu-nritya which, if properly analysed, will undoubtedly point to the dance of the maahaaris. Batu-nritya, which was being danced by the bandha-naachunis (i.e. the maahaaris), had in its repertoire both pure dance (nritta) and expressional dance (nritya) numbers. Since it was ritual dancing, it differed more in content and spirit than in style from the performance at the royal court by dancers of professional calibre, and had a repertoire comprising both pure dance and expressional numbers. Now the Odissi dancers present batu just after the invocatory mangalaacharana. A deeper analysis of Abhinaya Chandrikaa and of the Jagannatha cult will doubtless prove that the ancient ritual dancing inside the temple by consecrated dancers used to be called batu-nritya.

This article first appeared in the NCPA Quarterly Journal in September 1985 (Vol. XIV, No. 3).

The tradition of maahaari danceON Stage brings you excerpts from the NCPA Quarterly Journal, an unsurpassed literary archive that ran from 1972 to 1988 and featured authoritative and wide-ranging articles. Jiwan Pani traces the origin of maahaari dance

ARCHIVES

The surviving maahaaris (from left) Kokilaprabha, Subaasinee,

Haripriya and Parasmani

46 • December 2016 NCPA

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