Saraswati Music College staged a kathak baithak at the birth anniversary of maestro Munna Shukla. The 70-year-old artist tells Utpal K Banerjee that there’s so much left to learn
Saraswati Music College of the Capital recently celebrated kathak maestro Munna Shukla’s 70th birthday with an evening of ‘Kathak Baithak’. As the centre’s artistic director Ruchi Saini put it in introducing her well-made documentary on Shukla’s life and works, “Guruji is many things rolled into one. He is a life-long devotee of kathak; a most disciplined teacher; an outstanding choreographer; a dancer par excellence and, above all, a modest human being in every sense of the term”.
Elaborated leela Venkataraman, an eminent art critic, on the latter point, “There are two kinds of classical dance-choreographer gurus seen in the performance arena. The first is very vocal, to the point of being aggressive and constantly projecting themselves to the gallery. The other kind is most unobtrusive, content in sitting on the wing’s sidelines and happy in conducting their disciples’ programme on the rostrum. Munnaji is neither of the two. He is self-effacing to a point, but given a chance, expatiates own viewpoint in the most thought-out manner”.
In the baithak, after the kathak debutantes presented group-items like Evolution of life with blossoming buds and sprouts; Hori of Krishna with joyous gestures and foot-works; and a highly participative Jugalbandi, Shukla’s senior disciples show-cased the evening’s major item: Aawat Shyaam…, a Binda Din thumri in raga khamaj with guruji’s choreography. Five petite danseuses including a Russian (learning for seven years) — with Richa making a delectable Radha — presented expectant milkmaids in Vrindavan besmirched by Krishna’s ethereal dalliance.
Arpan, the documentary, was an audio-visual treat. Starting with a young dilettante, Shukla’s grooming under Pt Birju Maharaj — his maternal uncle — and his many performances were produced with admirable élan, interspersed with many connoisseurs and critics’ illuminating comments, the erstwhile director of DD Archives and the eminent scholar late Dr SK Saxena. Of special interest were his own works like Sharatchandrika, which was marked by his characteristic use of silence — which have been noted and admired by many — in his rhythmic compositions and some rare beat-combinations like 91/2: within the sam-cycle of, say, Jhaptal rhythm. Excerpts from an interview with guruji
What would like to distinguish as your three special featuresIJ
I’ll like to say that I’m a reticent person who has never projected himself in any forum. I hold on to my views, which are generally well-researched, since I read a lot and document my findings, but I’m reluctant to project them or, for that matter, myself. Second, I’ve never hankered after awards; they’ve come on their own when God has been willing. And third, unlike many others, I’ve endeavoured to look after my family well, while propagating my art. In fact, my wife has been a huge help in my career.
Do you use non-traditional music in your kathakIJ
Indeed, I love different genres of music and like to experiment with them. At my behest, Pt Jastraj sang recently a lilting bhajan, : Rani Teri Chir-jeevi Gopala, to which I choreographed a piece for Ruchi. It was a daunting task, for, I could hardly request Panditji to sing a particular line thrice or more, in order to emote in sanchari bhava!
Would you say your grooming is now completeIJ
Never, I first learnt from my father Sudaralal Shukla, and then from my mama Maharajji. But I’m still learning.
What do you look forward toIJ
I continue to do documentation on what I’ve learnt and what I’m able to create. In fact, Dr Saxena had asked me to write a book. But I don’t think I’ll write one. My work should survive in those whom I’m teaching and I’ll continue to teach as long as I’m alive!
