It’s actually quite surprising to see that we’ve been keeping the traditions of Indian classical dance in the US alive and we strive hard to do so since we miss our homeland,” says renowned Kathak danseuse Rachna Sarang, who has been teaching in the US for decades now.

I was in Delhi recently for an event, and again had the privilege to meet and dine with my favourite Dr Sonal Mansingh.

At one moment, her fingers form a lotus, at another; she applies imaginary kohl to outline her eyes.

It is a bitter truth, but it is difficult for any dancer to maintain his/her diet. You are always on the move and due to that many a time you may not have the time to carry your own nutritious meals.

Even though abhinaya is an integral aspect of classical dance, it’s not very often that we find ourselves engaging in intense discussions on various aspects of abhinaya.

After a successful show and all the appreciation for the performance, a performer is always very happy and excited.

The sweet music that the Pied Piper play-ed was magical enough to first lead the mice away and then lead the children of Hamlin to a land far, far away... This mysterious character from Hamlin in Germany who could charm both men and mice has been woven into a fairytale (Brothers Grimm). But this is not a storytelling session; it is a salutation to all the Hindustani Pied Pipers — both living and legends — who unlike Napolean did not just carve their own destinies but transformed the lives of countless others whom they directly or indirectly touched. They came from a ‘land unknown’ and ‘led’ men and marketeers to new frontiers of thought and speech…
The originals: Two men, one mythological and one mystical, changed the way history would be recorded. One had a magical bansuri and the other a monumental conviction that led a force of ordinary men to extraordinary victory. One was Kanhaiya with the message of karma, and the other was Bapu with the message of ahimsa. The message was novel and unconventional and yet one that has stood the test of time.
The demi gods: We, who are so bogged down by life’s troubles look for a Pied Piper who can sh-ow us a new path to nirvana. Bhagwan Rajneesh, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar are two modern day Pied Pipers who did not speak an archaic language but were/are in perfect unison with modern day living. One spoke about enjoying life to the fullest with courage and conviction and the other speaks about the path of mediation and the love to create a world free of stress and violence. Both spoke about the significance of the present.
We the living: These were/are the catalytic thinkers of Ayn Rand’s controversial novel. However unlike pessimistic objectivists they did not renounce the world, but added a new dimension to existing perspectives. The legendary middle class “Guru”— Dhirubhai Amb-ani — led the nondescript common man to stand tall against the Indian bourgeois. And lately — the man from nowhere who caught everyone’s fancy and had a mass exodus behind him chanting in unison — Anna tum sangharsh karo hum tumhare saath hain…..
The artist: How can there be a discussion on charismatic Pipers and we fail to recognise the spirit of the futuristic artists who painted different hues in the Kagaz Ke Phool of fantasy and film. Guru Dutt, Shyam Benegal, Jeena yahan marna yahan Raj Joker Kapoor and the Lady Midas Ekta Kapoor. They created a Manthan in the fabric of society with their Dirty Pictures. A new andaz to gazal and an amalgamation of Sufi, Hindustani and Western music by Jagjit Singh and AR Rehman respectively and suddenly Sa Re Ga Ma had found its athwan sur…
The Fountainhead: “And then there was Howard Roark — a man with a different goal, one who took the first step with vision unborrowed on a road all new.” (The Fountainhead). Our very own Mr. Roark is the one who shook the laid-back Gen Y into uniting for a cause. And suddenly justice for Jessica Lal, Nitin Katara and countless others was possible; it just needed a thousand candles to be lit. Yesterday strength in diversity was the message in Lagaan and today — every Sunday is a wakeup call when he lays bare a myriad issues from female in-fanticide, child abuse to archaic casteism. The result? Policy amendments (the Bill on child abuse), the disapproval and boycott (Khaps and the IMA); social media sites that go berserk and countless SMSes are proof that Mr. Aamir ‘piper’ Khan has woken up the sleeping Hindustani to the truth of Satyamev Jayate. These Pied Pipers are beyond rules as they come from nowhere and create novel symphonies and lead lesser mortals to seek new paths and new frontiers.

The writer is professor, marketing, IMI, Delhi

The 22nd Raindrops Festival of Indian classical dance could not have come at a better time, for Mumbai is just warming up to the rains.

My fascination for classical dance forms made me meet and interact with many dancing legends — Sonal Mansingh, Birju Maharaj, Mallika Sarabhai, Hema Malini, to name a few.

Imagine pretty Mohiniyattam dancers swaying and dancing to Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake in traditional costume and jasmine in their hair.