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Art in action

Mallika Sarabhai and her Darpana troupe are once again facing the heat from the powers that be in Gujarat. It is up to the people to support her or not, she tells ANJANA RAJAN

If Mrinalini Sarabhai changed the cultural scenario in Gujarat with her landmark institution Darpana in Ahmedabad, established in 1949, her daughter, the fiery dancer, actress and activist Mallika is taking its principles forward in logical progression.

Today Darpana is not merely a school for learning various dance styles of India or for nurturing the arts but a think tank where issues of vital social concern are discussed and woven into the fabric of performances, where artistes are taught to question convention and break down barriers.

But artistes are expected to entertain the royals, not stand up to them. Mallika, who does not draw a line between her artistic personality and her responses as a citizen of the nation, was possibly the only artiste to take on the might of the Narendra Modi Government at the height of the Gujarat genocide. A trumped up legal case against Mallika, later dismissed, was only one of the consequences.

Repercussions

Today Darpana's theatre Natrani is in the news because the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has started building its own theatre near enough to cause disturbance, besides a road.

"These are the repercussions," Mallika remarks ruefully, but feels the opposition to a project whose motive seems to be to teach Darpana a `lesson' should come from the people. "Natrani was built as a gift to the city of Ahmedabad because there was nothing of this kind there. If having presented 900 events over the last 11 years is of any value to the people, they should do something." Besides, she notes, nothing is official. "One can't bring a public interest litigation, because it should come from the people. But if it is like throwing pearls to the proverbial pigs, then so be it. If shopping malls are all we want in the name of culture, so be it." Besides a performing and creative group, Natrani is used by Darpana for technical trials, rehearsals, etc. "Even if the public use ceases to be, which would be a great pity, it would still be of use to us," says Mallika, admitting if the project is carried through, "the sound levels would affect us tremendously."

In New Delhi to prepare the ground for a forthcoming festival, The Vikram Sarabhai International Arts Festival, beginning January 17, Mallika is ready with three new Darpana productions.

The annual festival is being presented in the Capital for the first time in its 30-year history. In many ways, Mallika finds her beliefs, which she began to execute in earnest in the day-to-day running of Darpana when the institution was about to celebrate its golden jubilee over half a decade ago, increasingly affirmed. Various measures including cross training of the artistes - even the musicians have to act, clown, mime, somersault if necessary - and new divisions of the institute, like the Centre for Non-Violence, are drawing more and more attention and ensure that her principles in life are carried through to her arts.

Mallika may have been trained in Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi and done her share of solo performances, and her mother may be the star of various classical Indian forms that she made famous the world over in her heyday, but the productions Darpana has been mounting ever since its golden jubilee are a far cry from this kind of work. It's all part of what Mallika feels is a natural evolution. This artiste-activist has no patience with what she feels is a "time warp" many classical artistes are stuck in, or the emphasis on "pretty-pretty" - glittering costumes, cute themes that only skim the surface of mythology.

Observe the three productions, "Hot Talas Cool Rasas", "Staying Alive" and "Western Woman", to be performed at the India Habitat Centre on January 17, 18 and 19, and, Mallika assures us, "you will see every one of my performers has at least 15 to 20 years of training in the classical styles." Mallika refuses to call her presentations anything but "performances". Still, if you are looking for categories, "Hot Talas... " is "in some senses, the straight dance show," she says. "Staying Alive", whose concept, script and direction is by Shivani Tibrewala, is not recommended for children below 12. Mallika who has done the choreography, describes it as "danced monologues" and is about seven people who decided to end their lives.

"Western Woman" is a collaboration between her and Italian director Rita Maffei and is a metaphoric and symbolic tale of discovery. Doyenne Mrinalini will be among the performers.

Beyond the technique

Her dancers may be perfectly capable of performing a solo kucheri if necessary, Mallika avers, but it is her choice as a director and thinking artiste to use the technique to convey ideas beyond those conventionally dealt with. "These styles give a training and a preparedness which I find unparalleled, but then you have to internalise it so much that it doesn't matter any more," says the multifaceted artiste who freely admits she does not enjoy teaching but likes to work with prepared dancers.

To become capable of executing a step or a posture perfectly is of no use to her if it remains just a step. Technique is an alphabet with which to convey a message. "I say, what is the use of reproducing a perfect A again and again?"

What indeed, when despite the perfect penmanship, the world insists on scripting ugliness?

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