20th edition of Asavari’s annual LalitArpan Festival was held recently in association with the India Habitat Centre. Celebrating 75 years of freedom from colonial rule, the focus of this year’s LalitArpan Festival explored the term ‘azadi’ or ‘swatantra’ and the associated self-dignity ‘swabhiman’ through performances of Kathak, Kathakali and traditional theatre. Lalit Arpan explored the various dimensions of the two terms – independence and self-esteem- in 3 poignant presentations. These were – the heart-rending trauma of an acid attack survivor “Roop vidroop” by Shovana Narayan followed by the sacrifice of a war widow “Kshaatrabala” by Prabal Gupta and the social travails, agony and anguish of a transgender “Lallan Miss” by Rama Pandey’s theatre group. Both Roop vidroop and Lallan Miss are based on true life incidents.
In a candid conversation kathak guru Shovana Narayan gave insights about her show. Excerpts:
Q. How did your journey, as a kathak guru, commence during your service as a civil servant?
A. Since childhood, I had been actively and passionately engaged in two parallel streams namely scholastic pursuits and dance. Later the scholastic aspect was replaced by civil service, IAAS, and my dance career went on with equal passion.
I owe it to my parents, who come from a family of freedom fighters, for igniting within me the spirit of enquiry and the spirit to share with all and to do them well with depth, sincerity and sensitivity. Even before I entered civil service, I had started teaching in order to provide some support to the family of a well-known doyen of Kathak who had just died.
Q. What inspired you to deal with a sensitive topic like acid attack survivor what message do you wish to spread through your show?
A. In the midst of all the azadi ka Amrit mahotsava, I started contemplating within myself as to what the term swatantrata meant to individuals and whether there the term itself was frought with several layers of meaning and that in each one of those meanings, the term ‘azadi’ or ‘swatantra’ actually meant freedom of choice, to be able to live a life associated self-dignity ‘swabhiman’. Thus, the issue of the trauma and anguish of an acid attack survivor was taken up for her disfigurement and loss of external looks are abhorred by society and she is shunned by all. But in such cases, igniting the inner strength, and her will and determination, she frees herself – finds azadi from her own inner fears and world of darkness, in order to carve a life for herself.
Q. How did the Essence of Lalit Arpan festival came into being?
A. In early 2001, late tabla maestro, Ustad Shafaat Ahmed Khan were reminiscing on how senior artistes provided encouragement to us young artistes and to unknown art forms and so LalitArpan Festival was born in 2002.