Dance chose me, says Kathak exponent Meghranjani Medhi
Mona
Katha kahe so kathak kahave… not just a beautiful dance form that tells a story, but the accompanying footwork, both slow and fast; hast mudras taken from nature and accessible languages — Sanskrit and Hindi — make Kathak stand apart from other classical forms. Two of its leading exponents, Marami Medhi and Meghranjani Medhi, were in Chandigarh on Sunday for their first-ever performance together in the city.
Based out of Guwahati, this mother-daughter duo, which has been performing together for about 25 years now, were here for Triveni Kala Utsav, organised by the Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademi in collaboration with Triveni Sangeet Sabha. Meghranjani, who started dancing at five, feels fortunate to have gotten this in virasat. “I danced for fun when I was a child, and loved doing it with my mother,” opens up the dancer. In due time, she started training under her mother Marami Medhi in guru-shishya parampara. “My training started at home. I was fascinated to begin with and in due time, fell in love with Kathak. It is my oxygen now; dance is my life.”
Not just her mother, her father too has played a significant role in Meghranjani’s journey. Joy Prakash Medhi, a renowned classical vocalist, composes pieces for them to perform. “Together, we have travelled the world, taking Kathak far and wide.”
Not just the dance, the mother and daughter are actors too. If Marami acted in a couple of films, for Meghranjani offers started coming rather early. For long she did acting and dancing, trying to balance both the worlds.
However, lately, dance has taken precedence over films. “When you are called a Kathak exponent, the responsibility on your shoulders is huge. Most of my time now goes in practice and performances. Though I do take film projects off and on, dance is a priority.”
She often practises with her mother. Together, they run the dance school Sur Sangam in Guwahati. Meghranjani’s journey is pretty different from her mother’s though. Marami is amongst the first few who introduced Kathak to the North-East. She would travel from Guwahati to Lucknow to learn dance from her guru, late Surendra Sethiya ji, and, at times, he would visit her.
Running the school for over three decades now, they are happy to see enthusiastic learners every year. “There is a rich art scene in Guwahati today. Our dance institute has been playing its part in promoting Kathak in the North-East. My mother started it, and now, as her daughter and disciple, it’s my duty to promote and propagate Kathak further.”
