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ART & CULTURE
A synonym of Krishna
Birju Maharaj has captivated with his soulful dance
» SASWATI SEN
Being the foremost disciple of Pt. Birju
Maharaj ji, it is really difficult for me
to write about the living legend, about
a personality who is an institution in
himself. But, I am trying this with a lot of
courage.
A measure of his genius is the fact that
at the young age of 28, he received the Sangeet
Natak Akademi Award. He went on
to receive several other prestigious awards,
like the Kalidas Samman, Nritya Choodamani,
Andhra Ratna, Nritya Vilas, Adharshila
Shikhar Samman, Soviet Land Nehru
Award, Shiromani Samman, Rajiv Gandhi
Peace Award and many more. He has also
been conferred with Honorary Doctorate
degrees from the Banaras Hindu University
and Khairagarh University.
Pt. Birju Maharaj was born on February
4, 1938 in Lucknow. Initially his name
was Dukh Haran, which was later changed
to Brijmohan, a synonym of Krishna. Surrounded
by a musical atmosphere, his
inborn talent surfaced at the early age of
three years, when he would playfully sit on
his father’s lap and recite Tihais and Tukras,
oblivious to the fact that they were complex
musical pieces.
The sound of music and dance emanating
from the taalimkhana (classroom) was
enough inspiration for young Birju to devote
himself wholeheartedly to dance. Though he
was too young to receive formal training, he
would watch carefully when his father, the
renowned Acchan Maharaj, taught his disciples.
His father recognized the talent and
took him under his guidance.
Acchan Maharaj performed at musical
conferences all over India and by the age of
seven, Birju Maharaj had accompanied him
to Kanpur, Allahabad, Gorakhpur, Jaunpur,
Dehradun, and even far off places like Madhubani,
Kolkata and Mumbai. He got the
opportunity to share the platform with his illustrious
father, who allowed him to present
a few pieces before he himself came on stage.
Soon, his father shifted to Delhi to teach
at Sangeet Bharti. Birju Maharaj, then eight
years old, enthusiastically imbibed all activities
at the centre. Acchan Maharaj shifted
back to Lucknow with the family due to
communal riots, which raged all over the
country during the pre-Independence period.
His father died soon after, leaving
nine-year-old Birju under the guidance of
Shambhu Maharaj. Though a young Birju
was deprived of his father’s blessings at a very
tender age, Acchan Maharaj had left an indelible
mark on him.
The following years were full of struggle
and household goods were sold to make
ends meet. He spent about ten months in
Mumbai learning from his uncle Lacchu
Maharaj. At the age of thirteen, he was invited
to join Sangeet Bharti in Delhi to teach
Kathak. Soon, he established himself as a
good dancer and a dedicated teacher.
Birju Maharaj’s mother Ammaji continued
to live at the family’s ancestral house
in Lucknow. Having lost his father at a very
young age, he was very devoted to his mother.
Even after shifting to Delhi, he spent summer
holidays with her, patiently listening to
tales of the days gone by, of his childhood
and the brief period spent with his father.
As was the custom of the times, the
women stayed in purdah and had nothing
whatsoever to do with dance. Since the
sounds of music and dance were a part of
her surroundings, Ammaji remembered a
surprising number of musical compositions
of those times. Coaxed by her son, she sometimes
came forward with uncommon and
previously unheard of lyrics, singing them
coyly. In this way, Maharaj ji came in possession
of some invaluable
compositions and got
glimpses of his childhood,
through his
mother’s eyes.
Pt. Birju
Maharaj is a superb
drummer,
playing nearly
all drums with
ease and precision;
he is especially
fond of playing the Tabla
and Naal. He can play all
string instruments – Sitar, Sarod, Violin,
Sarangi – with ease, though he never underwent
any formal training.
He is a sensitive poet, writing modern
poetry as well as songs, dance compositions,
Thumris, etc. He is also a singer par
excellence, having command over Thumri,
Dadra, Bhajan and Ghazal. He sings from
the heart, words flowing out effortlessly. His
deep resonating voice brings out the feeling
and emotion behind every word.
A master storyteller, Birju Maharaj interlaces
his performances with incidents from
his life, narrated to captivate the audience.
Also being keenly observant, he always has
something to say about day-to-day incidents,
keeping people around him entertained with
realistic imitations and vivid descriptions.
Pt. Birju Maharaj has given a new dimension
to Kathak, by experimenting with
his technique in the application of dance
dramas, which has today become a very successful
medium for mass propagation. As a
choreographer, he is the finest in the country
today. His bold and intellectual compositions
in traditional themes are brilliant,
whereas his contemporary works are also
refreshing in concept, crisp and entertaining.
(The author
is a veteran
Kathak
danseuse)
60
FEBRUARY 2014