Kathak is my reason to live: Shrimali

By Aishwarya Moroney

SHE had planned a different course for her life journey till Kathak happened to Prerana Shrimali. The maestro’s plans of joining civil services underwent total transformation and she soon found her calling in dance. The famous Kathak exponent of Jaipur Gharana gives it all to the divine dance form which has become her life, and much more. “I wanted to become an IAS officer but destiny had other plans. Kathak eventually found and chose me”, averred Shrimali, in conversation with ‘The Hitavada’, on Wednesday. Shrimali is among the performing artists for the 8th International Convention of SPIC-MACAY under way at the VNIT auditorium.

Sharing her life journey, Shrimali said, “I gave my first stage performance at the age of five. I started dancing so early that it was much later in my life that I understood this dance form. I had planned to join the administrative services but after completing the five years’ dance course, I knew this is what I was destined to do and I gave my heart and soul to it”. Shrimali’s Guru, Kundan Lal Gangani, made a significant impact on her life. He had his own style of teaching. “As a little girl, I detested him teaching me at odd hours without looking at the clock, but now I feel very grateful to him for the same”, she said. Highlighting the importance of Mudras, Shrimali cleared a misconception. “It is believed that artists don’t use a lot of Mudras while dancing. In Kathak, every Mudra has a unique name, its own symbolism and all of them are used equally. That is the reason it is Shastriya Nrutya”, she explained with the example of Katak Mudra (signifying a veil or Ghoonghat). “There are quite a few dancers I have taught all these years and most of them are sharing this knowledge across the world. For me, it’s a matter of pride. As an artist, this dance form makes you independent”, Shrimali said while talking about her students.

When asked about the impact of dance on health, the Kathak maestro stated, “Dance not only impacts our physical health but also keeps our sanity in check. It has the power to help a person win against depression. It is a way to express not just happiness but all other emotions. One’s art never leaves one alone and pays back for all the efforts the artist puts in for years to master it”. Expressing her opinion on the representation of classical dance in the film industry, Shrimali said, “I once had the opportunity to direct a tele-film. The film industry in itself is great but the actors’ dances don’t qualify as pure classical dances. They don’t exhibit originality and the performances we watch on the big screen are the product of several re-takes, refined at the editor’s table. Giving a one-take, raw performance on the stage with live Tabla and Harmonium, is something a trained Kathak dancer can do”. Shrimali opined that an artist must have honesty towards oneself, one’s art and one’s Guru. “Three Ds are important - Dedication, Devotion and Discipline”, she added. Asked what dance has given her in life, Shrimali stated, “Dance has given me a new perspective of looking at life and encouraged me to read books on topics such as philosophy. Kathak is my ikigai (reason to live) and my life would be incomplete without it”.