An arresting dancer with a formidable stage presence, Sujata Mohapatra ensured that the opening evening of Nrityangan Kathak Kendra’s Shraddhyanjali, a tribute to Birju Maharaj, resonated long after the performance was over. The Odissi exponent’s initial offering at Gyan Manch recently, a guru vandana, was soulful, while her Hamsadhwani Pallavi sculpted rhythm into ecstatic motion. However, it was her interpretation of Kalidasa’s “Ritu Samhara” in the piece, Barsha, that marked the evening’s high point. It was a layered and complex work in which Ratikanta Mohapatra’s choreography engaged in a playful yet probing dialogue with Raghunath Panigrahi’s delightful score. The piece portrayed both the exultation and the melancholy that the monsoon brings
in its wake.

Sujata Mohapatra’s rendition, enriched with universal and contemporary accents, was enchanting. A peacock dancing in the rain, an endlessly recycled trope symbolising the joy of the monsoon, acquired an unexpected immediacy in her interpretation. It moved with the tremor of something freshly born, life pulsating at its core. Sujata Mohapatra cast a spell as much with her powerful pure dance as with her expressive storytelling as she shared her fulfilment in her art with the audience.

The evening was indeed a truly special one as it also featured the brilliant Gauri Diwakar in a work of extraordinary significance. A virtuosic Kathak dancer, Diwakar presented the profound choreographic piece, “Hari ho… gati meri”, by her mentor, Aditi Mangaldas. Although a traditional Kathak undertaking that encapsulates the repertoire of the form, its premise is both fresh and thought-provoking. The work is built on the verses of the Muslim poet, Sayyad Mubarak Ali Bilgrami, who wrote of Krishna with great love.

Steeped in mysticism and the idea of borderless harmony, the poetry reveals something far more nuanced than devotion. It enquires into the complex ways of history, culture, geopolitics and religion that prompt poets and artistes to engage with figures outside their own traditions, reshaping and re-imagining them for their own aesthetic and spiritual purposes. Diwakar’s elegance, precision, flawless technique, and emotional depth breathed life into the immersive work.