The Devis

Aparna KumarMountaineer, IPS Officer

Indu SubhashSocial Activist

Kumkum AdarshKathak Exponent

Kumkum Adarsh

Bestowed with the title of Shringarmani, Kumkum Adarsh started life as a young dancer. As a five-year-old, her footwork and bhav were a matter of pride for her family and teachers. She went on to train under kathak exponent Lachhu Maharaj, becoming one of his first few pupils. Years later, when she thought of her guru, a tiny voice in her head would tell her to take his legacy forward. In 1982, three years after her guru’s demise, Adarsh started Shakuntala Niruj Nrittya Kendra. It was a birthday gift from a shishya to her guru. The opening, however, was met with skepticism. Those were difficult days for kathak and few parents wanted their daughters to learn the dance. Adarsh took it upon to push boundaries and remove the misconceptions about kathak. “Force or aggression never works. I knew gentle persuasion through reason was the only way out. I convinced them, gently but firmly. It’s a virtue that women possess and one that’s leads them to many victories,” says Adarsh. Soon students began flocking into the school. But there was something missing. Kathak was getting the accolades but was also limiting her as a choreographer. The connect with the audience was what she wanted to work on. For inspiration, she once again looked to her guru, who had choreographed for films such as Umrao Jaan, Pakeezah and Teesri Kasam. “The song Paan khaye picturised on Waheeda Rahman was a perfect fusion of kathak and ballet,” she says. She realised what she had to do, and began choreographing ballet-based kathak. “Today, the mudras are of ballet, the soul is of kathak,” she adds. The change connected well with the audience. In 2000, Adarsh started the first ballet dance school of Uttar Pradesh, named after Lachchu Maharaj. Today, her performances of Durga, Shiva, Ameer Khusro, 1857 Kranti Ki Virangnayein have become a rage in India and abroad. Adarsh has not only helped reinstate the lost glory of a traditional dance form but also embraced–and taught others to embrace–a whole new dance form.