Congratulations on being awarded the Padma Shri. You have earned the sobriquet of a thinking dancer and you love to experiment with Odissi dance...

These are terms coined by my critics, audiences and well-wishers. Each one of us thinks in a particular way. I always think of taking the path less travelled. It always comes as a challenge to me and I don't want to shy away from those. Yes, I have experimented with Odissi, experimentation is the core of every art form. What I have done is that I have packaged and marketed it. Common people should like the dance and appreciate it.

Your critics believe that by experimenting with the choreography, you dilute the aesthetic and pure form of dance.

I accept their statements, but don't agree with them. They say this behind my back. When we discuss among ourselves, no one ever points this out to me. I have analysed the works of all major gurus in the past. I remember how Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra had beautifully presented Vande Mataram using the Odissi grammar, its movement, common text, Odissi music, Odia sensibility, Odia folk music and others.

I still remember the fusion of chhou in our dance form. In fact, all these things have enriched Odissi itself. When Bharatnatyam and other forms of dance are experimenting, why shouldn't we? When I used Srusti and Pralaya on the theme of the super cyclone that wreaked havoc in the state in 1999, even my guru Gangadhar Pradhan had reservations. After he was convinced, we presented the dance before the Planning Commission.

They had said they did not need any memorandum. When we performed it, the audience in Canada left the auditorium with tears in their eyes. Within the framework of Odissi dance, I contributed in my own way to enrich the dance and never diluted it.

Sonal Mansingh, Madhavi Mudgal, Sharmila Biswas, even though they are not Odias, have excelled in Odissi dance. Why have our dancers failed to carve a niche for themselves in other dance forms?

Odia girls are much more into Odissi. Union economic affairs secretary Shaktikanta Das's daughter is an excellent Bharatnayam dancer. Gradually, our people are carving a niche for themselves in other dance forms.

What, according to you, are the necessary ingredients required for choreographing a dance item?

You have to read a lot to know the history, region, geography, lifestyles and the social values surrounding you. You have to understand the people's religious frame of mind as well as their sensibility.

Can younger generations take Odissi dance as a career and earn a livelihood?

Things have changed over the years. Young dancers are getting scholarships at school and college levels. Parents want to spend money on the overall development of their child.

Both government and private organisations like us are organising stage shows to give them the platform to eke out a living. Now, the state government can recruit them as siksha karmis (para teachers).

Questions are being raised over the selection of awards. People are of the view that people get an award if they have the right connections.

I got the state Sangeet Natak Akademi award after I finished my term as vice-president of the Akademi. When people 10 to 15 years younger than me had received the award, people started saying how could Aruna Mohanty, who was still performing, did not get the award.

They had asked me to protest. I had not grumbled even then. I believe respect should be commanded and not demanded. If I am working and people love me, no one can take away that right from me. My name had been recommended for the Padma Shri award for the past four years.

I could have tried earlier. God has his designs and He has his own way of doing the things. The award will come if you are working. I am happy that the award has come in my lifetime.

When you started your career 40 years back, you must have faced resistance...

My father, Kamal Lochan Mohanty, was a famous playwright. He was the promoter of Ekamra Theatre that had staged hundred nights of theatres.

In fact, I grew up in an atmosphere of art and culture. I used to copy their actions. One of our family friends noticed me and told my father that I was a born dancer and needed formal training. My father stood behind me like a rock and allowed me to enjoy my freedom. Since that day, I have not looked back. In fact, my grandmother used to criticise me, my flamboyant attitude and always told my father to ask me to concentrate on cooking and household chores.

You must have faced resistance from your in-laws after your marriage...

Since I got married to my friend, their family knew me and knew that dance was my passion. They were not the traditional in-laws of that time. They used to treat dance like a vidya. I was treated like a daughter. If you are blessed, you will get in-laws like mine.

You must have got appreciation and also criticism for your dance. Who is your worst critic?

My husband, Debashish Patnaik, is my worst critic. To get appreciation from him is the most difficult job. He has seen me performing from the early days. Sometimes, he says that I am becoming predictable, that the music should have been more subtle and I should have been less theatrical. But he, as well as my daughter, have always stood beside me.

What would you have been had you not been in a dancer?

I would have loved to work in the social sector. I am interested to know about the complexity of society, its nuances, the pain, pleasure and struggles. I believe that only people can make this world a heaven for the next generation.