Where words fall short

Somya Abrol

Despite waking up abruptly from an afternoon nap, 66-year-old Geetanjali Lal is a picture of poise for the lens. Living a life of reciting stories sans words, Kathak exponent Geetanjali Lal has let the dance form take her as much as she has taken from it.

“Our family was full of doctors; I was good at studies too. Just when I was contemplating medicine, my paternal grandfather said, ‘If you want to become a dancer, now is the time to decide.’ I had been learning Kathak from Roshan Kumari ji since the age of six. So, in 1969, after my graduation, Kathak became my muse. And I had to keep that a secret. If anyone from our community got wind of my dancing endeavours back then, they would’ve said, ‘Hawww, dance kare che!’”

Rhythm, however, was an essential component of Geetanjali’s genes. “Father, Rajnikanth Desai, was a classical vocalist, and grandfather, though a chartered accountant, was a musicologist as well; both of them have music books and scholarships to their credit. But, classical dance was a true calling of the heart, and that’s how it has to be. Most of these new dances one can learn over time and acquire talent in. For classical dances, you have to be born with that talent. All these Western dances also have their own charm, but art forms like Kathak originate from within.”

Formal education in the dance form for Geetanjali brought more than just knowledge, “Taleem toh maine Devi Lal ji se li; the elder brother of Durga Lal. And later on, I married Pt Devi Lal ji.”

Since matters of the heart and rhythm are infamous for their chemistry, Geetanjali Lal’s son, Abhimanyu Lal, who performed a duet at Tagore Theatre, Chandigarh, on Friday, tied the knot with one of his mother’s disciples, Vidha.

“On the stage in Chandigarh, besides me and my son and daughter-in-law, my disciples and my son and daughter-in-law’s disciples also performed — a union of three generations,” exclaims Geetanjali, who is also a recipient of the Kalpana Chawla Excellence Award.

About the guru-shishya parampara not finding its feet on the ground in today’s world, she says, “The number of students has increased, certainly. The mindsets also are changing, opening up, which brings me immense happiness. So, if 100 students are learning from me, I possibly can’t give them all personal attention. Earlier, a shishya belonged wholly-solely to the guru, and it was the guru’s responsibility to mould him/her. But, the fact that many more people are getting the platform to hone their talent now is commendable.”

And since there are always strings attached, “Audiences remain the same. The same set of people I see in the chairs every now and then. But, what these art universities are doing these days is that they’re also creating art lovers; not just artistes. Those who don’t make it to the stage learn to appreciate the art form and hence pursue it as a hobby.”

With 46 years of dancing under her umbrella, Geetanjali Lal still ponders over the same thought on getting off-stage as she did after her first-ever performance, “Was that really me?”

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