BRIDGES (WOVEN WORDS)

Kumudini Lakhia (born 17 May 1930) is an Indian Kathak dancer and choreographer based at Ahmedabad, Gujrat where she founded Kadamb School of Dance and Music, an institute of Indian dance and music in 1967.

A pioneer in contemporary Kathak dance, she is credited for moving away from the solo form of Kathak starting in the 1960s, by turning it into a group spectacle, and also innovations like taking away traditional stories and adding contemporary storylines into Kathak repertoire.

Her other achievements include choreographing for two very successful Hindi films, Umrao Jaan and Sur Sangam. Her awards include the All India Sangeet Natya Kala Award (1977); Sangeet Natak Akademi National Award (1982); Kala Ratna Award; Sangeet Kala Sangam (1982); and the Padma Shri in 1987. On the occasion of 50 years of Independence, the city of Ahmedabad awarded her with the Nagar Bhushan. 

1. How did the author feel about her mother’s passion to make her a dancer?

The author did not feel comfortable about her mother’s passion to make her a dancer. The author tells us that her mother discovered in her the innate ability to dance. This motivated the author’s mother to make her a dancer. The author tells us that it was the film industry that ignited interest in her mother to make her a dancer. The author says that she never wanted to be a dancer. She describes how troublesome it was for her to travel to her dance teacher’s house. The author felt as though she was compelled to learn dance. She felt as if dancing was thrust upon her.

When the author was sent to study in Queen Mary’s college in Lahore, she at first thought that she would not have to learn dance. But she considers it to be unfortunate that her mother sent a dance teacher, Radhelal Misra along with her. In a word, the author did not experience anything good about her mother’s passion to make her a dancer.

2. How did Kumudini react to her mother’s death?
The news of the death of Kumudini’s mother was not directly given to her by the Principal of the school where she was studying at that time. She was told that she had to go home as her mother was sick. When Kumudini reached home she saw her mother dead. She felt helpless in this world . She was only 14 years old at that time. Her hands hung loose from her body. She also felt hungry but could not express it to anybody. She was afraid of appearing greedy. She underplayed all types of emotions, feeling of longingness and persistent hunger and pain.

3. What type of concepts were developed in her compositions Duwidha, Atah Kim and Panch Paras?
In Duwidha or conflict she expressed the problems of Indian woman who are chained in the traditions of Indian life, restricted to domestic circles and forbidden from wearing sleeveless blouses and the hair to be tied up and not let loose. Among all these family bonds woman are left only to live with their dreams unfulfilled.

She wanted to feel powerful; to control a large group of people. In Atah Kim she addressed this desire for power and, yet, once you possess it, what do you do with it? Once you reach your goal, where do you go from there? It’s a question without an answer but she believed that the question must be asked.

She created a piece called Panch Paras, the five senses, to explore the realm of spirituality. She was able to differentiate between sensitivity and sentimentality
4. How does Kumudini Lakhia describe her guru Ramgopal’s influence on her?

Kumudini Lakhia describes intensely about her guru Ram Gopals influence on her. She recounts that Ram Gopal was a strict disciplinarian and had a fetish for perfection of line. Kumudini has been influenced by this. She has tried to impart this lesson to her students as well. Kumudini narrates how touring with Ram Gopal enabled her to delve deep into her own personality.

5. How does Kumudini compare her profession and family relationship?
Living with a group of different personalities beneath one roof is like performing with other artistes on stage. The equation, the space factor, vibrations and relationships must be taken into serious consideration. There is no longer solo performance. One belongs to a larger image and must develop a new set of performing skills.
6. What were the lessons of life learnt in her younger days that Kumudini carried into her adult life?
During her younger days Kumudini learnt many lessons that she carried into her adult life. She relates one incident when she used to stay in Delhi in a sprawling house allotted to her engineer father. Liaquat Ali(later Prime Minister of Pakistan) used to be their neighbour. When one day she saw and her brother were caught by his gardener picking guavas from his tree, Liaquat Ali did not punish them but gave an open invitation to pick the fruits whenever they wished. The author says that it was one of her first lessons in the games that politicians play.In Queen Mary’s college in Lahore, she could learn the value of discipline. She believes that discipline in one’s daily routine does bring discipline in thinking. When her mother died she could learn the pangs of hunger. This shows up in her work. She could understand the nature of conflict which she dealt with in a play called Duvidha. Kumudini could learn to differentiate between sensitivity and sentimentality. In her adult days she created a piece called Panch Paras, the five senses, to explore this realm. Kumudini relates how she learnt a lesson from Ram Gopal that before one begins to experiment, one need to perfect the technique with one experiment. Kumudini could learn about her own personality touring with Ram Gopal.
7. Explain Kumudini’s thought about discipline?
Kumudini says that “Discipline in one’s daily routine does bring discipline in thinking. You begin to place your thoughts in neat little piles the way you do your uniforms and shoes”.