Other States - Orissa   

Promoting Kathak is her forte

BHUBANESWAR: She was born in Pakistan, was brought up in New Delhi and was settled in Kolkata. But, her love for the State brings her here again and again for the past five years.

She is Rani Karnaa, Central Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Kathak dance exponent, who is promoting Kathak in the land of Odissi despite all odds. “I share a special bond with the State for two reasons. I am an Oriya ‘bohu’ (daughter in law – she is married to an Oriya who was her friend during their days in Delhi University) and I am a disciple of the legendary Odissi guru Kelucharan Mohapatra,” reveals Rani with a sense of pride.

Five years ago, the dancer who is nearing her 70th birthday and yet full of energy and enthusiasm to dance, resolved to promote the north Indian dance form of Kathak in the virgin land of Odissi. “Like many other Indian metros, Bhubaneswar has a cosmopolitan character and its cultural scene should grow in a similar way. Introduction of Kathak to the State would further enrich the cultural scenario here,” emphasised Rani who has set up Orissa Chapter of her Kolkata-based Kathak dance institution Samskritiki Shreyskar here.

In association with various prominent cultural associations of the State like the Kala Vikash Kendra, Bhubaneswar Kala Kendra, Orissa Dance Academy and Bhubaneswar Music Circle, Rani has been hosting a series of workshops, lecture-demonstrations and performances in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and Konark over the last five years. “The response from the students was luke-warm in initial phase as very few were interested in learning Kathak. But, gradually their number is growing. I had senior Odissi dancers like Manjushri Panda and Bhubaneswar-based Masako Ono from Japan in my earlier workshops,” she recollected.

The Orissa Chapter of Samskritiki would have its Orissa premiere of its latest production ‘Surya, the Sun God’ at Rabindra Mandap on Friday, informed Rani, the brain behind the production. Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi, eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, Kolkata and Bhubaneswar Kala Kendra are supporting the event that would be inaugurated by Governor M.C.Bhandare, added the danseuse whose earlier production ‘Tasher Desh’ has generated rave response from the connoisseurs here.

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