Jamshedpur, Aug. 11: An original is worth more than a copy, so one should always stick to originality, be it in whatever form of art. This is the message given by the legendary kathak exponent, Pandit Birju Maharaj.

He was speaking on his maiden visit to the state, as part of a workshop, which concluded today at the Tata Auditorium, XLRI, with a performance by his disciple, Saswati Sen. The maestro stressed on the importance of purity in this divine form of dance, with emphasis on clarity of expression and foot movement.

?Every individual must feel an inherent urge to perform, dance is an association of the soul and heart with the body. When it comes to kathak, I would say that it is the artist?s responsibility to respond to the call within and spread happiness and fragrance all around with his dance,? reflected the maestro.

He does not get perturbed at the mention of fusion culture, which is almost ruling the world today. ?Even fusion is a blend, it is an honest attempt on the part of music makers to make the whole concept work and to entertain people,? he said. He strongly feels that every art must retain its characteristic style and nobody has the right to go beyond the established norms of any particular form of art by distorting the originality.

Birju Maharaj has his own reservations about commercialisation, which has crept into art today. He feels that the artist should primarily perform to satisfy himself. ?Once the artist is content with his work, the world will come to know about his performance and he will automatically get recognition,? he feels.

?What gives me immense satisfaction today is the fact that everybody is making an earnest effort to revive the lost classical flavour. The basic objective is to spread the message of peace in this world,? said the legend.

Sen co-ordinated the workshop at the Centre For Excellence, which was organised by Sangeet Kala Kendra, a city-based cultural organisation. She also stressed that proper guidance is essential in learning the art in its true form and the master regularly conducts workshops in various cities, throughout the year, to teach students the finesse of kathak, despite his declining health.