Page 63 - June2018

dance

passed away, Naraya Prasad ji had non-competitive. She interviewed Sen
started telling her about Chatushpadis for her college magazine and shared a
on Krishna, particularly, he described Ganesh Kavitt with Pune based dancer
his beauty in such a dazzling way that Prabha Marathe.
even cupid was amazed- ‘Hey, lajat It was in her second year of par-
Anang...’.As the Guru died before he ticipation that Rani Karna saw Priy-
could teach her this composition, she ambada Mohanty perform what later
went to the patriarch of the dagar came to be named Odissi. “Priyambada
Baani, Rahimuddin Dagar, who com- Mohanty’s bhangimas, …her posture in
posed it for her in four different ragas, dhanur asana was just stunning, very
and that is how she was not only able sculpturesque. It was an imprint on my
to include it in her repertoire but also mind for a long time. Much later, after I
display “how the ‘purana tareeka’ ( the was married into an Odia family, I went
old way) was taken forward”. on to learn the form.”
Few people know that she was one Rani Karna was trained in Odissi by
of the first winners of the gold medal Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra and for
at the Shankar’s Children’s Dance by the late Pandit Narayan Prasadji of long danced both styles. She even par-
Competition, initiated by India’s then Jaipur gharana while Delhi University’s ticipated in the Pradakshina Festival,
leading cartoonists, Keshava Shankara Professor of Philosophy, Dr SK Saxena, organised in July 2001, to felicitate Guru
Pillai, who had started a children’s took a deep interest in the preparation. Kelucharan Mahapatra on his 75th
magazine, Children’s World and the “The rehearsals used to take place at Dr birthday, a few years after which he
Dolls museum, apart from the Interna- Saxena’s residence under his supervi- passed away.
tional Children’s Competitions, one of sion” recalled Rani ji in a subsequent In 1973, she had moved to Kolkata
which was the Dance Competition. The interview when I was at the Inter-Uni- from Delhi, following her husband,
training in dance and the winning of versity Youth Festivals. a Government of India bureaucrat,
laurels in dance, happened along with “Guruji was so enthusiastic that he whom she had married in 1963. This
her studies, first in school and then in composed a special piece for me, the city was to be her home until the end of
college. She pursued her graduation scintillating ‘Rangmanch pravesh’, her days.
in Botany from Hindu College. She wherein I entered the stage spinning In 1978, she was invited, by the
enrolled for her masters in Kirorimal continuously”, an entry that earned eminent Sitarist Jaya Biswas to join the
College but had to give up her academic Rani thunderous applause. “These Indian Music section of the Calcutta
life to pursue her passion for dance. chakkars were very difficult as they School of Music, as a teacher of the
Soon after the Shankar Gold medal, were executed on the toes, giving an Kathak dance, a position in which she
the “big deal” in her life was when impression of floating in the air. We stayed till 1993. Ahana, the Centre of Art
“Bharatiya Kala Kendra invited a young would begin practising for it many and Culture, the music and dance wing
Birju Maharaj to create dance dramas months in advance, as first there were of Kolkata’s Aurobindo Bhavan, owes
and I was invited to join the ensemble” college- level selections followed by the much to Rani Karnaa, who founded and
remembered Rani Karnaa with eyes inter-University competition. There headed the dance department.
that sparkled. The experience of work- used to be rigorous rehearsals in sum- Rani Karnaa performed till 2008,
ing with the young Birju Maharaj began mer on the terrace, with scant concern after which her health deteriorated.
to mature her creative mind, but her for the blisters on my feet.” Since then she concentrated on teach-
“Jigyasu mind” — the curious mind, as Dr. Saxena was a friend, philosopher ing. Her relationship with her students
she called it, needed the intellectual and guide to her. He advised her, chose, was warm and open-hearted, and she
guidance of Dr SK Saxena. selected and pointed out details regard- was genuinely respected and deeply
“The year 1955, 1956 and 1957, while ing presentation. I have been witness loved by them.
I was in college, I was selected to par- to the intellectual closeness between The secret to being a good teacher
ticipate in the Inter-University Youth Saxena and Rani Karnaa. When she felt she felt was by “giving them longitudes
Festival, representing Delhi University. that Kathak had inadequate represen- and latitudes”. Her disciples like Sohini
In 1955, I was in Hindu College and the tation on Shiva, Saxena helped her add Debnath, Debashree Bhattacharjee and
programme was conducted by Birju to the repertoire by finding appropriate Vikram Iyengar will undoubtedly keep
Maharaj. I was awarded the first prize.” poetry, including penning some afresh. her faith in them, and the lamp she
In 1956 and 1957, Rani was selected Fellow dancers, who met Rani Kar- handed over to them, lit with a glowing
consecutively from Kirorimal College, naa at the Inter-University Youth Festi- flame.
as she continued to represent Delhi vals, like senior Kathak Guru Bandana
University. The recital was conducted Sen, testify to her generous and nature letters@tehelka.com

Tehelka / 15 june 2018 63 www.Tehelka.com

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