One woman’s search for the kathak dancers who were relegated to the background by Bollywood

Who were the extras in early Hindi cinema? And what ever happened to them? Researcher Siddhi Goel found some troubling answers to these questions in her work.

Malini Nair

· Jan 14, 2023 · 11:30 am

Hamstrung by the pandemic, Indian dancers are exploring a new creative frontier: dance films

An explosion of cinematic creativity has marked the Indian dance scene, with the lens and the editing table acting as co-choreographers.

Malini Nair

· Aug 06, 2022 · 11:30 am

A Kathak colossus forgotten by time is having a moment

Mohanrao Kallianpurkar was reduced to a footnote despite breaking creative and social barriers. Two books are out to redress the injustice.

Malini Nair

· Jun 18, 2022 · 11:30 am

Long before TikTok, dances were being copied for profit

It is often difficult to know who made the content first on the social media platform.

Jill Vasbinder, The Conversation

· Jul 28, 2021 · 11:30 pm

A few cross-dressing male dancers are changing the way lavani is perceived in urban Maharashtra

Savitri Medhatul’s musical play ‘Sangeet Bari’ features a lavani duet performed by two male dancers.

Damini Kulkarni

· Jan 23, 2019 · 11:30 am

Why kathak artists (including Birju Maharaj) are ardent fans of Michael Jackson’s dance moves

Like kathak, the king of pop placed emphasis on the small things – the glance, the movement of a single finger (almost like mudras) – and on delicacy.

Malini Nair

· Jan 16, 2019 · 11:30 am

Astad Deboo looks back on his 50 years in dance and the time he travelled on a ship with goats

The great dancer-choreographer has lost none of his grace and curiosity: ‘I may be 71, but I don’t feel 71.’

Ranjana Dave

· Dec 27, 2018 · 11:30 am