Answers to soul call

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From past few years, Kathak dancer and choreographer Aditi Mangaldas had been thinking about the relationship between man and woman — the ideas of masculinity and how brutality and hatred are deeply embedded in humans and society. Then in December 2012, the city witnessed the horrendous brutality inflicted on Nirbhaya. It acted as a further fuel to the fire burning within Aditi, and she turned inwards to explore our innermost spaces where humanity and brutality seem to lie in half embrace.
Her latest production “Within,” by her dance company the Drishtikon Dance Foundation, aims to delve deep into self and explore its deepest emotions.
“You open the newspaper and wonder where are we going wrong? It is not just women or wars or religion, it is the whole sense of brutality that we need to question. To quote, Salman Rushdie recently from the Edinburgh Literary festival said ‘classically, we have defined ourselves by the things we love. But in this age we’re asked to define ourselves by hate.’ This is quite true. And therefore, it is necessary to look within for answers,” she says.
The first part of this performance will be contemporary dance form based on Kathak, and the second half will have more purist elements of the classical dance form.
Talking about choreographing the production, the renowned danseuse says, “Choreographing Within has been a very different experience from my last few works which were about more abstract concepts. But this one has been about delving into the self and exploring our deepest emotions, however disturbing they may be. Needless to say, the process of creating it has been almost too close for comfort. And that is the journey I invite the viewer to take with us.”
Mythology forms an important aspect of the production, where the ideas of masculinity and femineity have been explored through Shiva-Shakti. “Dance as an art form is very tangible,” says Mangaldas.
“The audience can only see it once. And it is our effort that in that one intangible moment, we give them such an experience which they can carry with them forever and if possible, be inspired,” she says.
“For this show we have collaborated with some of the best musicians, art directors and costume designers from the country and even abroad to make it appealing and interesting for the young as well as experienced audience. I hope it strikes a chord,” she concludes.
The show will be staged at the Kamani Auditorium from September 13-15