Bollynatyam

2012-01-27T12:12:00.001-08:00

I am honored to be associated with a pretty impressive project in Prague: Shiva's Circle of Life as a choreographer, dramaturg and guest artist.

Find out more about the show here: www.sivovokolozivota.cz

And, if you should be in Prague come and check out the premiere on January 29!

Bollynatyam workshop in Prague! 23.1.2012

2012-01-18T01:03:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year.... and time to get out and experience Bollynatyam!

TRY THIS FREE TEASER WORKSHOP!
When: 1.23.2012, 19:30-20:30
Where: Na Slupi 19, (domeček ve sportovním areálu, naproti ZŠ), Praha 2 - Albertov
Who: taught by Sangita Shresthova
Info: Jana Tomášková, Mobil: +420-602 255 961 jana@iam.cz, www.bollynatyam.cz, www.iam.cz

Regular Open Bollynatyam classes start on February 8, 2012 (19-20:00) and continue every Wednesday.

A ještě česky:

ORIGINÁLNÍ INDICKÁ TANEČNÍ ŠKOLA

BOLLYNATYAM - setkání klasiky a bollywoodu

& Sangita Shresthová

www.bollynatyam.cz

BOLLYNATYAM ukázková hodina ZDARMA!!!!

se zakladatelkou Bollynatyam Sangitou Shresthovou

23.1. 19:30-20:30 hodv prostorách Centra volného času Botič.

Adresa: Na Slupi 19, objekt se nachází na rohu s ulicí Botičská - vchod je možný z obou ulic

(domeček ve sportovním areálu, naproti ZŠ), Praha 2 - Albertov

Přihlášky:

Jana Tomášková, Mobil: +420-602 255 961 jana@iam.cz

www.bollynatyam.cz
www.iam.cz

BOLLYNATYAM open classes začínáme od 1.2. 2012 a pokračujeme do 27.6. 2012

Každou středu 19:00 - 20:00 hod

v prostorách Centra volného času Botič

Adresa: Na Slupi 19, objekt se nachází na rohu s ulicí Botičská - vchod je možný z obou ulic

(domeček ve sportovním areálu, naproti ZŠ), Praha 2 - Albertov

Lektorky: Jana Tomášková, Iva Fafková, Jana Florianová, Jana Hermelíkov Baudisová

Středeční hodiny se konají s výjimkou státních svátků a případných neodkladných závazků a cest lektorek. Informace o těchto změnách budou uvedeny na webu a odeslány všem přihlášeným zájemcům na email.

Cena: 150,- / lekce, 1100,- / 10 lekcí
Platba hotově nebo na účet: 305342001/5500. Var. symbol datum narození nebo RČ.

Přihlášky:
Jana Tomášková, Mobil: +420-602 255 961 jana@iam.cz
www.bollynatyam.cz
www.iam.cz

One Final Dance? Remembering Dev Anand

2011-12-05T14:50:00.000-08:00

I am very saddened to hear of Dev Anand's passing today. He was a legend in Hindi Films. And, I was very privileged to have the opportunity to meet him several times and even interview him when he was in Nepal in 2005.

In his honor, I share never-before-released footage of my interview with him. Though this footage never made it into the final cut of Dancing Kathmandu, it felt like the right thing to share it with the world:

I also share his inspired prologue at the Nepal Film Festival press conference in 2005. As most Nepalis know, this was a very difficult time for Nepal and Dev Anand managed to negotiate his presence at a controversial event with refinement and grace:

And, it wouldn't be a tribute to Dev Anand if we did not remember his historical roles as as an actor that shaped an era in Hindi cinema. He brought us much song-and-dance and understood the ways in which these sequences enriched Hindi cinema.

Here he is Guide with Waheeda Rehman:

And here is the controversial and yet ever so enduring Dum Maro Dum from the film Hare Rama Hare Krishna 1971:

Rest in peace. In Memory.

Bollynatyam at Prague Bollywood Film Festival

2011-10-06T13:34:00.000-07:00

Sangita teaches a Bollynatyam workshop series at the Prague Bollywood Festival. Check them out:

BOLLYWOODSKÝ TANEC

sobota 8. října

naučte se tančit v bollywoodském stylu!
Sangita Shresthova – Bollynatyam, www.bollynatyam.com

14:00 – 15:00 – Bollywood Klasik (klasické pohyby bollywoodského tance)
15:15 – 16:15 – Bollywood Hits (pecky bollywoodského tance)

Jedna hodina (klasik nebo hits) = 250,-/60 minut
Obě hodiny = 450,- / 120 minut taneční nálože!! Super příprava na party!

Platba do 2. 10. 2011 na účet:
305342001/5500 Var. symbol datum narození nebo RČ.
Platbu lze zrealizovat také během festivalu (od 6. do 8. října) v kině Světozor nebo na místě konání workshopu. Místa jsou omezená, předprodej a prodej vstupu na workshop je jen do naplnění kapacity tanečního sálu!

Studio NABOSO – Školská 12, Praha 1, www.tanecnaboso.cz.
Všichni jsou vítáni!

BOLLYWOOD DANCE WORKSHOP

October 8, 2011

a chance to try those Bollywood dance moves!
Sangita Shresthova – Bollynatyam, www.bollynatyam.com

14:00 – 15:00 – Bollywood Klasik (traditional Bollywood)
15:15 – 16:15 – Bollywood Hits (Bollywood favorites)

One class (klasik or hits) = 250,-/60 minut
Both classes = 450,- / the best way to get ready for the party!

Payment in advance (until October 8th 2011):
305342001/5500 Var. symbol – date of birth or identification number.
Registration is also possible during the workshop and at the festival venue. Space is limited!

Studio NABOSO – Školská 12, Praha 1, www.tanecnaboso.cz.
All levels welcome!

Bollynatyam Workshop in Prague! May 21-22, 2011

2011-04-19T09:27:00.000-07:00

S e m i n á ř i n d i c k é h o t a n c e / I n d i a n D a n c e W o r k s h o p

21.-22.5.2011

BOLLYNATYAM: od klasického indického tance k bollywoodu

BOLLYNATYAM: Indian Classical to Bollywood Dance

Poslední desetiletí významně proměnilo svět indického tance. Představitelé klasického tance začali obohacovat a kombinovat své praktiky s pohyby a prvky moderního tance. Současný indický tanec, jak spirituální tak “bollywoodsky” orientovaný, je eklektický, poutavý, evokující prastaré sochy. Představuje fúzi celého spektra tanečních forem s hluboce zakořeněnou historickou tradicí. Seminář bude věnován indickému tanci od jeho klasické formy (bharat natyam) po styly současné. Zaměří se na tanec klasický, folklorní, bollywwodský, na moderní pohyby, gesta a rytmy, vysvětlí jejich význam a otevře prostor pro tvůrčí využití těchto prvků v tanečních sekvencích a choreografiích.

The last decades have brought exciting innovations to the world of Indian dance as dancers trained in classical dance enrich and combine their training with contemporary movement. Sometimes spiritual, sometimes Bollywood-like, contemporary Indian dance is an eclectic, catchy, sculpturesque, and deeply rooted fusion dance form. In this workshop, we experience Indian dance, ranging from the classical (Bharat Natyam) to the contemporary. This class will draw on Indian classical, folk, Bollywood, and contemporary movements, gestures, rhythms and meanings to build creative dance sequences.

Sangita Shresthová - česko/nepálská tanečnice a choreografka studovala bharata natyam (Chennai), charya nritya (nepálský tanec), kalaripayat (jihoindické bojové umění), současný tanec a bollywoodský tanec (Mumbai). Za svou práci s bollywoodským tancem a novými médii získala ocenění Council for the Arts Wiesner. Tančila a vyučovala klasický indický tanec i současné choreografie na Sri Lance, v Indii, Belgii, Německu, Nepálu, Čechách, na Slovensku a ve Spojených Státech. V současné době vyučuje a pracuje na choreografiích v Los Angeles. Její kniha o bollywoodském tanci vyjde v říjnu 2011. Sangita byla spoluorganizátorkou pražského Festivalu bollywoodského filmu a je také zakladatelkou Bollynatyam (2004).

Sangita Shresthova - Called a “Nepali swan” Sangita is a Czech/Nepali dancer and choreographer who trained in Bharata Natyam (Chennai), as well as Charya Nritya (Nepalese Dance), Kalaripayat (South Indian martial art), contemporary dance and Bollywood Dance (Mumbai) and received the Council for the Arts Wiesner award for her work in Bollywood dance and new media. She has performed and taught Indian classical and new choreography in Sri Lanka, India, Belgium, Germany, Nepal, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and United States. She is currently teacing and choreographing in Los Angeles. Her book on Bollywood dance will be released in October 2011. Sangita was one of the organizers of the Prague Indian Film Festival and also founded Bollynatyam in 2004.

www.bollynatyam.com

Seminář je určen pro mírně až středně pokročilé v technice indického tance.

V případě zkušených tanečníků jiných stylů není nutná znalost indického tance./ Some dance experience recommended

Termín/Dates: 21.-22.5.2011 - so 15:30 - 18:00, ne 15:30 - 18:00

Místo konání/Place: NABOSO, Školská 12, Praha 1, www.tanecnaboso.cz

Ceny/Price: so+ne (5 hod): 1.000,- | so (2,5 hod): 600,-

Platba do 10.5. na účet: 305342001/5500. Var. symbol datum narození nebo RČ.

Hotově předem do 10.5. (dle dohody). Cena při platbě na místě v den konání 1150,- / 690,-.

Přihlášky/Registration: Jana Tomášková, Mobil: +420-602 255 961 jana@iam.cz , www.iam.cz

Curious About Bollywood Dance? Learn More at Pasadena Dance Festival

2011-02-06T21:18:00.000-08:00

Catch Sangita's presentation on Bollywood dance and Classical to Bollywood Dance class at the Pasadena Dance Festival on Feb. 19, 2011!

More info at: http://lineagedance.org/pasadena-dance-festival/

Jump, Cut, and Whirl: The Old and New in Bollywood Dance Lecture

Sangita Shresthova

Bollywood dance is a term used by film professionals, amateur performers, and audiences to describe dances choreographed to Hindi film songs. Though Bollywood dance more and more often in our everyday lives, how much do we really know about the histories that shaped this form?

In this lively and interactive presentation, we will explore the historical evolution, intercultural components and contemporary trends of Bollywood dance. We will investigate how Bollywood dances changed through the decades as we pay particular attention to the various dance styles and traditions that influenced their evolution. Particular dance moments will come alive through short video sequences or interactive moments

Though dances, as choreographed movements set to musical accompaniment, appeared in films soon after the introduction of film technology to India in 1896, the use of Bollywood dance as a term to describe dances choreographed to Hindi film songs is much more recent. First references to Bollywood Dance as a movement category date back to the early 1990s and describe the hybrid, yet Indian dance based, movements used in Hindi films. The past few years have continued to bring new innovations to the world of Bollywood dance as choreographers trained in Indian classical and contemporary dance styles enrich and combine movements and meanings to create new and unexpected work. Sometimes spiritual, sometimes hip-hop-like, contemporary Bollywood dance is an eclectic, catchy, yet culturally rooted dance form.

Reactions to Sangita Shresthova's “Dance of Indian Cinema History and Tribute” presentation on July 13, 2009 at the “Frame by Frame” international symposium on Indian film dance organized by Akademi at the Royal Opera Hall in London, UK (July 13, 2009):

“I really enjoyed your romp through Hindi movies down the decades. It was both insightful and amusing and your delivery was sparkling.” (Sanjeevini Dutta, Pulse Editor)

“I was so impressed with your work and your style of presentation: easy, confident, accessible, open, inviting, challenging.” (Dr. Avanthi Meduri)

“Really enjoyed the talk by Sangita, presented in such a light,  refreshing way. The dancers were fantastic...” (Kulbir Natt, Darbar Festival)

“Sangita's presentation had all the right ingredients mixed at the right proportion.” (Divya Kasturi, audience member)

“Working with Sangita was a pleasant experience, she was a very intelligent yet accessible communicator and she delivered the brief succinctly with a thorough knowledge of dance of Indian Cinema.” (Mira Kaushik, Director of Akademi)

Announcing dance classes in Pasadena (January 2011)

2010-12-20T01:46:00.000-08:00

We are happy to announce that Bollynatyam (that is Sangita for now) will be teaching Indian Classical / Bollywood Dance classes at the Lineage Performing Arts Center in Pasadena, California. More information below.

The last decades have brought exciting innovations to the world of Indian dance as dancers trained in classical dance enrich and combine their training with contemporary movement. Sometimes spiritual, sometimes Bollywood-like, contemporary Indian dance is an eclectic, catchy, and deeply rooted fusion dance form. In this class, we experience contemporary approaches to Indian dance. This class will draw on Indian classical, folk, Bollywood, and contemporary movement to create short dance sequences. All are welcome!

Taught by Sangita Shresthova - Called a “Nepali swan” Sangita is a Czech/Nepali dancer and choreographer who trained in Bharata Natyam (Chennai), as well as Charya Nritya (Nepalese Dance), Kalaripayat (South Indian martial art), contemporary dance and Bollywood Dance (Mumbai) and received the Council for the Arts Wiesner award for her work in Bollywood dance and new media. She has performed and taught Indian classical and new choreography in Sri Lanka, India, Belgium, Germany, Nepal, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and United States. more info: www.bollynatyam.com

Date/Time: Wednesdays 7:30-8:30pm,
January 12 - onwards
Lineage Performing Arts Center,
89 South Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena CA 91105
http://lineagedance.org/performing-arts-center/

Bollynatyam in Vienna at Shah Rukh Khan and Global Bollywood Conference

2010-10-03T13:09:00.000-07:00

Over the last weekend, Bollynatyam (represented by Sangita Shresthova) had the opportunity to attend and participate in the International Conference on Shah Rukh Khan and Global Bollywood in Vienna, Austria. This event, the first of it's kind in the Central European region felt like a very important event. Not only was it an event (read about the Times of India coverage here) where the current trends of Bollywood in Europe were discussed and digested, it was a also a fascinating opportunity to peek and critically inquire into Shah Rukh Khan's stunning global mega star status. We also had a first hand opportunity to meet Austrian Shah Rukh Khan fans. Watch the NDTV documentary segment on the Viennese "Shahrukhi's" here:

(click on the image above - or here - to be linked to the NDTV website)

As outlined in programme abstract, Sangita's presentation began to probe Bollywood Dance as a popular live performance phenomenon in the Czech Republic.

The organizers deserve a huge note of gratitude for their hard work and amazing dedication to making the conference such an open, inclusive and flawlessly organized event.

More soon.

Bollynatyam on Panel Honoring Nitin Chandrakanth Desai: Art Directors Guild

2010-08-30T16:17:00.000-07:00

Hollywood honour for Nitin Chandrakant Desai (reprinted)
BUSINESSOFCINEMA.COM TEAM 30 August , 2010

MUMBAI: Bollywood production designer Nitin Chandrakant Desai has been honoured by The Art Directors Guild (ADG) Film Society and American Cinematheque, one of the most prestigious honour to the eminent personalities across globe.

The 2002 film Devdas, which showcases the brilliance of Desai was screened on this occasion. Desai is the first Indian art director and production designer to get this honour.

The event witnessed a panel discussion moderated by production designer John Muto, which also included Sangita Shresthova, dancer, choreographer and media scholar, Nakul Dev Mahajan, an Indian-American dancer and choreographer known for his work in Bollywood dancing style on top TV show So You Think You Can Dance and Fusion Edge Media CEO Jack Rajsekar, who is also the executive producer of the Rajnikanth - Aishawarya Rai Bachchan starrer Enthiran- Robot.

With over 25 years in the industry, Desai has been associated with Indian movies such 1942: A Love Story, Josh, Jodhaa Akbar, Lagaan and Once Upon a Time In Mumbai to name few. Desai has worked on more than 85 films. He has won National Award for Best Film Direction four times and in 1999, he won a Genie Award for Best Achievement in Art Direction/Production Design for Such a Long Journey.

More recently, Desai has been praised for his work in Slumdog Millionaire (2008). He was the first designer to create a hydraulic set and director Danny Boyle was inspired to use a similar set in addition to the one built by Desai to reflect the interiors of the Taj Mahal.

“This is an honour to me and my country. History has been made today. It is indeed a pleasure for me to get global recognition. This is an also a proud moment for Maharashtra. I’m extremely happy that my work has been recognised in this way,” said Desai.

Cyber Chat Final

2010-08-29T10:29:00.000-07:00

Here it is, the final edited cyberchat.

(A collaboration with Post Natyam)

In Collaboration with Post Natyam (REPOSTED)

2010-07-07T06:44:00.001-07:00

REPOSTED FROM POST NATYAM BLOG:

I am proud to be collaborating with Post Natyam on Cyber Chat. Here is a roughcut of the final edit posted on the Collective's blog:

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Cyber Chat Rough Cut

Here it is. Fresh off the press (or rather the compressor), we present an initial rough cut of the Cyber Chat remake. While we are still fine-tuning crucial details (positioning, cuts, syncing and playback speeds), we thought it apt and mutually beneficial to provide an initial sneek peek to those curious about this latest installation of Post Natyam Collective's virtual collaboration process.

The composition was created through as an iterative sequence, wherein each member created their own cyber chat set to their own sub-track of the audio while watching previous members' interpretations. The piece intends to communicate the visual and virtual possibilities of cyber choreographies.

Note: An earlier version of Cyber Chat, Cyber Spat was presented as part of "Trace," a performance-installation at Sea and Space Explorations Gallery in Los Angeles, CA and as part of "Post Natyam Unveiled," a lecture-demonstration at the Khmer Arts Salon Series in Long Beach, CA.

posted by: Sangita-Bollynatyam

BollyTruck on the Road (reposting)

2010-06-26T13:50:00.000-07:00

REPOSTED FROM PRAGUE INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL BLOG:

It all began with an inkling of an idea many years ago. It was an idea that may have sprouted from pre- Prague Bollywood Festival fatigue. Perhaps, it was the product of alcohol induced fantasies. Who knows? But, for sure, it was an idea that spouted roots and grew and strengthened over the years. And then, it finally happened. We arrived at that magical moment when a possible sponsor (Avia Ashok Leyland) and a organizing team (crazy to take this project on despite all the odds stacked against it) all converged into to the painful, tiring and yet profoundly fulfilling realization of the BollyTruck project.

I am sure that the organizers on the ground, living the daily realities will soon share their experiences soon. But in the meantime, here are a few photos that only begin to share the an idea that now became a reality. All photos are from the United Islands 2010 Festival in Prague today.

Our Indian Embassy support team present at the event.

And there were many moments to remember.

The event will be capped off with a screening of Om Shanti Om later tonight.

Bollynatyam™ and Bollywood/Bhangra at Los Angeles Music Center

2010-06-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

It was a warm evening and downtown Los Angeles was happening. On the Music Center plaza next to the fountains, approximately 450 people stepped and skipped to the beat of the Texas Two-Step. This was all part of the Music Center's Dance Downtown free dance summer program.

Then at 9pm, the mood changed as Bollywood/Bhangra took center stage in a preview lesson. Suddenly the plaza came alive with swings, jumps, and facial expressions all set to a contagious Bhangra beat. So much fun. Such a great and diverse crowd. And everyone was willing to give Bollywood/Bhangra their best good humour.

This was an experience that Bollynatyam will not forget for a long time.

Sangita Shresthova (Bollynatyam™) Cited in Dance - The Sacred Art

2010-04-13T16:57:00.000-07:00

It is always nice to learn your work is read and referenced... (yes we all crave recognition for our efforts), so excuse me as I allow this (controlled) highlighting of my work in Cynthia Winton-Henry's book Dance - The Sacred Art: The Joy of Movement as Spiritual Practice:

Winton-Henry writes (quote): "Although the West has only acknowledged dance as a subject worth studying for the last fifty years or so, Sangita Shresthova aptly reminds us, in her article "What is Endangered Dance?" that over the eons, in Eastern traditions, dance is regarded as the "apotheosis of human knowledge." Sacred dance, in particular, passes on humanity's most principled values." (pg. 161)

Read a more contextualized section of the text here.

Dancing Kathmandu Online Premiere

2010-03-22T17:25:00.001-07:00

At this point, I want as many people as possible to see my first documentary Dancing Kathmandu. It is that time.

So let's raise our glasses in a toast to this online premiere:

Director: Sangita Shresthová
Director of Photography: David Čálek
Editor: Lucie Haladová
Sound Mix: Marek Musil
Producers: David Čálek / Sangita Shresthová
Country: Czech Republic / Nepal
Duration: 41 minutes
Year: (c) 2007

Read the reviews, see the blurb and learn more about Bollynatyam.

Enjoy

Bollynatyam™ in Collaboration

2010-03-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

About a year ago, Bollynatyam™ collaborated with Shyamala Moorty to create a video for her performance piece Carrie's Web:

Carrie's Web Excerpt: Carrie helps Artesia from Shyamala Moorty on Vimeo.

Find out more about Shyamala's work and Carrie's Web on:

TeAda's Website
Post Natyam's Website

"Between Bollywood and Bharatanatyam" article in Pulse Magazine

2010-03-17T15:37:00.000-07:00

Check out Bollynatyam and Sangita Shresthova in this issue of Pulse magazine:

Visit the Pulse magazine site here.

More article content info coming soon!

Bollynatyam™ on Cityfolk

2010-02-03T18:45:00.000-08:00

Thinking back over the past years of Bollynatyam™ , I found this short documentary on City Folk that featured some Bollynatyam™ dancers.

When I watch it now, I do see it as a very candid behind the scenes look at my life.

Enjoy.

My Heart Swayed: Dola Re Dola

2010-01-28T15:45:00.000-08:00

In 2002, choreographer Saroj Khan received Filmfare’s “Best Choreography Award” for her choreography of the “Dola Re Dola” in the film Devdas (2002). Colloquially referred to as the “Oscars of India”, the Filmfare Awards are generally recognized as one of the most prestigious honors in popular Hindi cinema. The awards are distributed based on a poll by the readers of Filmfare magazine and were constituted in 1953. A testimony to the growing influence of choreographers in popular Hindi cinema, the Best Choreography Award was first awarded in 1988 and that year Saroj Khan took home the prize for her choreography of “Ek Do Teen” (Tezaab, 1988).

While the scale of a film’s budget and consequently visibility achieved through star casting and extensive publicity contribute indirectly to the selection of dances for the Best Choreography award, the fact remains that Filmfare awards provide public recognition for dance choreography in popular Hindi films.

The “Dola Re Dola” dance sequence dominated Devdas’ (2002) publicity efforts, press reviews, and theatrical trailers. The influence of the two lead performers in the sequence, Aishwarya Rai (as Paro) and Madhuri Dixit (as Chandramukhi) as a guarantee of success cannot be underestimated. Selected as Miss World in 1994, Aishwarya Rai is recognized as an unofficial cultural ambassador for India. Madhuri Dixit is respected for her refined acting abilities. Both female stars have been recognized for their dancing skills, and their "classical" dance training is often cited as testimony of their professionalism in film related media. The spectacular draw of these two actresses dancing together in a fast-paced, glitzy sequence was an important consideration when this new song and dance "number" was inserted into Bhansali’s remake of the Devdas classic. At the same time, this dance, masked as a spectacle, engenders an alternate space at once connected to and distinct from the film narrative.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s remake of Devdas (2002), adapted from Sarat Chandra Chatterjee’s novel with the same title, deviates from the original story by adding a meeting between Devdas’ first love Parvati or Paro (Aishwarya Rai) and Chandramukhi (Madhuri Dixit), the courtesan with whom he develops a relationship. This meeting results in a public duet performance of “Dola Re Dola”, which is witnessed by Paro’s in-laws and other guests at the Durga Pooja celebration. Significantly, this meeting between Chandramukhi and Paro did not occur in previous filmed versions of Devdas including Bimal Roy’s Hindi version released in 1955 and Dilip Roy’s 1979 Bengali language version.

The dance, which takes place in the home of Paro’s in-laws, becomes a public demonstration of affinity between the Paro and Chandramukhi as it allows for a temporary equality to emerge between the two women usually precluded by their opposing social positions. Paro is the wife of a respected landlord; Chandramukhi is a courtesan. The dance facilitates the meeting of the two women on the pretext of a duet performance during a religious festival, despite their class differences. In narrative terms this temporary equality helps validate Chandramukhi’s love for Devdas, even as Paro symbolically relinquishes her hold over him. The dance postpones the inevitability of tragic events to come and follows a scene in which Devdas, the object of affection for both women, submerges his head in water, foreshadowing his eventual demise. In the following scene, Paro is sentenced to lifelong confinement on her husband’s premises as punishment for her persistent love for Devdas and her friendship with Chandramukhi.

Chandramukhi is a courtesan and represents a recurring character in popular Hindi films. Like courtesans in films like Pakeezah (1971), Mughal-E-Azam (1960) and Umrao Jaan (1981), Chandramukhi belongs to a long tradition of women trained in the dance of "refined" seduction. As she commands a certain power in society, she is respected for her mastery of singing and dancing, yet her profession as an entertainer and association with prostitution places her on the outskirts of society. Her tragedy is confirmed through her impossible longing for respectability and the unattainable love of a single man. Chandramukhi’s previous dances, choreographed by Kathak Pandit Birju Maharaj, demonstrate her skills as a performer as well as her affection for Devdas. The opulent setting and movement content of Madhuri Dixit’s performances differ from Chandramukhi’s dances in previous filmed versions of Devdas (1955, 1979), which tended to stress the seductive elements of the courtesan’s dance. Her technical mastery of complex rhythms are accented through rhythmically coordinated camera cuts, and ability to emote through facial expression and gesture are emphasized through close ups. The camera moves with her, accentuating rather than fragmenting her movement.

For Paro, respectability would not normally support a public performance and even less so in the company of a professional courtesan. Though Paro dances earlier in the film, the dances take place in the privacy of her home or in dream sequences. Earlier in the film, Paro’s mother was humiliated for performing publicly on behalf of her daughter at Devdas’ house.

As Paro and Chandramukhi perform together to express their love for Devdas, their backgrounds dictate acceptability of such a public display. Chandramukhi's performance is socially acceptable; Paro’s participation is not. By partaking in the same performance, Paro and Chandramukhi complicate a polarity of respectability and disrepute. Despite the social constraints they face as courtesan and married woman, Chandramukhi and Paro clearly communicate their camaraderie and understanding by using dance to create their own, shared realm. The identical costumes worn by Paro and Chandramukhi strengthen their perceived relationship.

During the recurring refrain, the two women dance in unison to the lyrics: "Hey Dola Re Dola˛ re dola re dola" (Hey, I swayed, I swayed, I swayed), "Haai dola dil dola mann dola re dola" (Oh, my heart swayed, my spirit swayed). The movements incorporating a gentle sway of the hips, with one arm behind the head and a look off to the diagonal, stress that the sway of the women’s hearts, caused by their love for Devdas, is what allows and simultaneously forces them to perform. Female dancers in the foreground and male dancers in the background echo their movements and suggest that the "Dola" or "Sway" of the heart motivates their dance as well. The slow cyclical motions of the camera complement the dancers’ movements.

More than spectacle, the "Dola Re Dola" dance sequence validates Chandramukhi’s love for Devdas and sets up the loveless life of physical and emotional confinement that becomes Paro’s punishment for the rest of the film. The choreography executed by Paro and Chandramukhi alludes to a more abstract and transient realm that permits the expression of subconscious, or hidden, emotions and desires in ways that influence plot and character development. At the end of the dance, this temporary equality and the possibility of this ideal are shattered. But both women retain a degree of stoicism in the face of the adverse consequences of their public display as the temporary realm, that fulfilled its function by allowing a courtesan to perform with a married woman, disintegrates.

Bibliography:

1. Dhareshwar, Vivek and Tejaswini Niranjana.1996.”Kaadalan and the Politics of Resignification: Fashion, Violence and the Body” in Journal of Arts & Ideas. no. 29. (http://dsal.uchicago.edu/books/artsandideas/toc.html?issue=29)

2. Prasad, M. Madhava. 1998. Ideology of the Hindi Film: A Historical Construction. Oxford University Press: New Delhi.

3. Thoraval, Yves. 2000. The Cinemas of India. Macmillan India Limited: New Delhi.

Pyar Kiya Tho Darna Kya

2010-01-27T16:08:00.000-08:00

Without doubt, this is still by far one of my favorite Hindi (or rather Urdu?) song-and-dance sequences. The overlapping of Madhubala's poignant emotionality and Gopikrishna's virtuosity sets up this sequence as a truly historical moment in Indian cinema.

Astad Deboo Visit to Prague Indian Film Festival

2010-01-21T16:39:00.000-08:00

In 2006, Astad Deboo dropped in on the Prague Indian Film Festival - and was interviewed by Czech Radio/BBC correspondent Rob Cameron. Also interviewed were Radim Spacek, Indian Ambassador Raghavan and moi.

You can read/listen to the interviews here.

Globalising Bollywood - Prague hosts 4th annual panorama of Indian film

The Prague Bollywood Festival, now in its fourth year, all came about back in 2003, when three friends - students at Prague's Film Academy FAMU - organised a few showings of Indian films for their fellow students. The following year they decided to organise a real film festival, at Zizkov's arthouse Aero Cinema. That was such a resounding success, so they did it again the next year.
It's now grown into a week-long celebration of Bollywood and Indian cinema, and is fast becoming a regular date on the Czech film calendar. This year's theme is "Globalising Bollywood". The festival takes a critical look at current trends in Mumbai and how they're affecting ways in which Bollywood is perceived both within South Asia and among the diaspora. One of the festival's three co-founders is Sangita Shrestova, a half-Czech, half-Nepalese classical Indian dancer and choreographer.

"I think in terms of the number of films we haven't really changed much, but what's changed is the scope of our festival, and I think its reach as well. We took a couple of risks. The first risk is that we expanded our theme. We chose globalisation and under this theme we actually included a couple of films that are not Bollywood films, like 'Water' from Deepa Mehta and a Nepali film. Which was a bit of a risk, because we weren't sure if our audiences would take it not. The other big change is our guests, because we really worked very hard to bring international guests, to comment on globalisation from their own perspective."

It's a question I ask you ever year Sangita, but what explains the huge appeal of Bollywood film?

"I think it's because Bollywood brings a different experience. I really feel that Hollywood films bring a certain kind of spectatorship, and Bollywood engenders a completely different experience, much more active in a way, with its dances, its approach to narrative. I think that's what the appeal is - that people are looking for something else."

The Bollywood festival offers 25 films at Kino Aero and Kino Svetozor, most of which sell out. The event enjoys the enthusiastic support of the Indian Embassy in Prague. I spoke to Ambassador PS Raghavan.

"One has to say that Bollywood is a part of Indian popular culture, and it has actually long moved beyond India's borders. You can see that in the UK, the Indian diaspora there, and in fact the South Asian diaspora in the UK, has not only popularised Bollywood among the community in the UK, today you can see a much larger proportion of non South Asians in the UK watching Bollywood films - going to see Bollywood films in theatres and watching them at home in their drawing rooms. So this is a phenomenon which I think is gradually spreading to Europe as well and I think the Czech Republic is no exception."

So it's no surprise to you then that this festival is becoming more and more popular among Czech audiences.

"It's not a surprise but I will say that the movement into the Czech Republic has certain unique features. Almost everywhere else, Bollywood has come on the backs of the Indian and South Asian diaspora. In the Czech Republic, there isn't an Indian diaspora to speak of, there's a very small Indian community, and the increase in popularity of Bollywood films is among the Czech people in this country. And that I think is a unique feature which is interesting, and I think very gratifying for an Indian."

Sitting in the audience I'm never sure whether the Czech audience was laughing with the film or at the film. Is there a contradiction there, the way the Czech audience interprets Bollywood films? After all there are so many differences between Indian and Czech culture.

"No, there would be differences in interpretation. There would be areas where a Czech audience would find something meant to be serious in a Bollywood film funny. It's not unique to the Czech people. You'll find there are very many different views within India itself about Bollywood films. There are Indians who condemn certain films as being too melodramatic, some as being too escapist, some as being too serious, or some as being too less serious. This kind of think is part of a process of getting to know and appreciate any art form. It's not only films. So I'm really not concerned about that. Part of it may be due to translation as well. One should not forget that it's very difficult to translate an idiom into another language. I think it takes a lot of experience. So maybe with more experience and more exposure some of the translations will become better. It may be due to that. But partly it may also be due to lack of understanding of the culture. That's a challenge. You need to eventually get to understand it."

Are there any personal favourites of yours being screened this year?

"I don't want to name favourites among films. I think what's particularly good about this Bollywood film festival as it's organised in Prague is that it contains a panorama. It has films from the 1940s, 50s, 60s, 70s, right up to the present day. It also has a variety of themes. It has a diversity as well. So there are films which you might reject as frivolous and flimsy. There are films which you have to accept as serious. So there is a wide range. There's a range for every taste. And that's what I like about this particular film festival."

Astad Deboo is a leading Indian dancer and choreographer, whose work occasionally takes him to Mumbai and Bollywood. He says Bollywood remains a pillar of Indian popular culture, but that one that strives to remain fresh and modern.

"Talking to friends, they always say - do your stories still revolve around people running around trees and singing songs? I say - well, yes, it's part of our culture which makes it unique. But we don't run around trees now, we probably run around Eiffel Towers and the Charles Bridge. I think the foreign audiences are also educating themselves in looking at Bollywood."

Some of the films aren't Bollywood at all, perhaps the title should be "the Prague festival of Indian film"?

"Well, the umbrella of Bollywood is large, so I don't see that's anything wrong. I mean, sure, they are showing a lot of films, but they're also showing films which have been made by Indian diaspora directors and producers. You have Deepa Mehta's 'Water'. You have a film-maker from Holland. So looking at these little gems thrown in, I think it's a good tossed salad which is offered to the people."

Dancer and choreographer Astad Deboo - and as he says there, Bollywood is about much more than just running around trees, and equally Indian cinema is about much more than Bollywood.

But the Prague Bollywood Festival is first and foremost about having fun, and it's the colourful song and dance extravaganzas that have made it such a success. So if you're in Prague and fancy sampling a taste of the Indian subcontinent, check out www.bollywood.cz The festival ends Sunday October 15th.

Bringing Indian Dance to Prague

2010-01-21T12:39:00.000-08:00

I am still working on making my work accessible to everyone. Digging back in history, here is an interview with Czech Radio where I spoke about my relationship to Bollywood dance - and dance in general. Going back in time!

You can read and listen to the original interview here.

Sangita Shresthova - Czech-Nepalese dancer bringing Bollywood to Prague

09-11-2004 | Rob Cameron

Sangita, tell me more about your unusual background.

"Um, yes, there aren't many Czech-Nepalese, that's true. My parents met here. My father's from Nepal, my mother's Czech. My dad was actually here on a scholarship during Communism. That was one of the policies of Communist countries, to really provide an opportunity for students from developing countries to come and study. So my father came on one of those scholarships, and my parents met here. They're still together, they've been together ever since."

What about you? Where were you born and where did you grow up?

"I was born here in Prague, because my parents were still here. But we moved to Nepal when I was two, then we moved back to Prague when I was six, then we moved back to Nepal when I was nine. So I really spent all of my formative teenage years in Nepal."

So you've had a good dose of both cultures and are able to compare the

"Yes, I think so. I feel very privileged, because I have a lot of friends from mixed backgrounds, or diaspora communities, and I think I'm very privileged to have really experienced both cultures as opposed to living in one and having to imagine the other."

As we can hear you're also fluent in English, your background must have left you as quite a linguist - Czech, Nepalese, English...

"I grew up with three languages, Czech, Nepalese and English, because I went to an English medium school in Kathmandu. But then just to complicate matters I decided to study German literature at university as an undergraduate. So I added German to that. I think I really would advise anyone who has a bilingual household to really bring up their kids that way, because it does change the way they learn languages."

What's your mother tongue?

"I don't know. I guess it would be Czech. My mother's Czech. So I guess it would be Czech.

You're a film scholar, and have a great interest in film, where did that interest begin?

"It's actually funny, but I came to that from dance. I'm a dancer, a trained classical dancer, and I became fascinated with Bollywood dance, more from the dance side. It's interesting, because shows that happen around the world, if you have a classical Indian dance, you're struggling to sell tickets, if you have a Bollywood dance show, you're going to sell out. So I started wondering what is it about the films and the dances, and through that I really got interested in Bollywood film, and through that in film in general. So really dance on film is what I focus on, but by extension of course I study film as well."

You were the co-organiser of Prague's first proper Bollywood film festival, at Prague's Aero Cinema. Tell me how the idea for the festival came about.

"There were three of us: myself, a Czech film-maker who's very interested in Bollywood films and then an Indology scholar who studied here at Charles University. We were literally sitting around discussing the fact that we didn't have a chance to watch Bollywood films here, so we said - let's organise a festival. It just happened. Along the way we were like - are we really going to do this? And at every point someone said - no, let's keep going. And then it just happened."

Was it a success?

"It depends how you measure success. I think from our side it was, extremely. Attendance was great. Our objective really was to bring Bollywood to Prague, and I think we've succeeded in doing that. We also really wanted to motivate the South Asian community here to be more active, and I think maybe we've succeeded in that. So, yes, I think it was."

That's a quite small community isn't it?

"It's hard to measure. Numbers range from 300 to 800 for the Indians themselves. Then you have the other South Asians - Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, Nepalese and so on. I don't have numbers, but yes, compared to London or Paris it's nothing. But still, you work with what you've got!"

You mentioned there that you came to film through dance, and you also teach traditional dance and Bollywood dance. It must be quite difficult teaching people from Central Europe to do this very, very ancient dance from India.

"Yes. I don't call myself a teacher as such yet. I feel like I have time for that later. But the reason I started to teach was that I feel that through dance and through film it's pretty much the same mission - it's a medium to bring other cultures to people, and that's why I do it. I really enjoy seeing students struggle almost, not with the movement, but with the historical content of the dance, and with Bollywood the specific gestures and the background. So when I teach I really don't only teach technique, I really try and explain to them where it's come from, why it's there, what it means. It's interesting. I've taught in Belgium, I've taught in the States, and I've taught here. I find that some of the questions are the same, some are different. I feel that Czechs are really just starting to embark on this sort of multicultural journey, so it's kind of fun. It's really exciting in a way to be a pioneer. You can make a big difference as one person here I think."

There's a fairly sizeable community of foreigners here with their own restaurants and their own meeting places, and the two communities - foreign and Czech - do collide. But often people claim that Czech society still remains rather closed to new ideas, to foreign ideas. Do you think that's changing?

"It's very hard to answer in generalisations. I think it is changing. It's changing perhaps more slowly than we all anticipated in the early 90s, when we thought 'open border, open mind'. So in that sense definitely. I think as people travel more, the young generation is really going to push the change I think. For older people it's probably going to be more difficult to accept multiculturalism as inherent to a society. We'll see what happens. I really do think that it is changing, but as I said more slowly, and differently in Prague than in the rest of the country. I think that's very important to point out."

So no Bollywood festivals planned for, say, North Moravia?

"We've thought about Brno, because there's a sizeable Indian population in Brno. But I think the appeal would be so much smaller, the press coverage would be very different. The excitement is big, but I feel Prague has really moved on a lot further. I recently had a show in Bratislava, and there it felt like Prague was this big city that they looked to. It's funny because when we sit in Prague we compare it to London, we compare it Berlin, and we say it's not multicultural enough. But from Bratislava's perspective Prague is incredibly multicultural!"

Is Prague multicultural enough for you to want to spend the rest of your life here?

"That's a difficult question. I don't think I'd answer 'yes' to any city for that question. I think for me it's really critical to keep connections to places that I've been to. I'm a little bit alone, not completely, but in terms of how I think. I'm part of a big minority, whereas in London I feel that lots of people think the way I do. While I feel the relative impact that you can have here in Prague is bigger, I feel that the connections are really important to keep me going. So I don't know what's going to happen in the future in terms of where I live. I have no idea."

And if you're in Prague on November 30th, you can see Sangita at the Kalaripayat - a performance of South Indian Martial Art and Classical Dance. It's on at the ABC theatre, for more details see www.divadloabc.cz

Bollywood Dancers in Nepal, US and Mumbai Tell their Stories

2009-12-02T08:58:00.000-08:00

I know my "Global Bollywood Beats" article came out two months ago, but I just realized that the Confluence magazine, a South Asian magazine published in the UK, may not be available to a wide enough audience. To make it available to everyone, I am providing a link to my article below. This way, you can all read my latest musings about Bollywood Dance!

Read the full text of the article here.

A lot of the material included in the article comes from my Ph.D. research, which is in the midst of a rewrite and should be coming out as a book in 2010. Stay tuned!

Remembering How Prague Celebrated India's 60th Independence Anniversary

2009-11-10T09:44:00.000-08:00

I was overcome with emotion, when I came across a Prague Post article from August 2007, which prefaced the Prague Indian Film Festival's celebrations of India's 60th Independence Anniversary, featuring the Bollynatyam dancers. Read more about the Czech dance troupe (now renamed) here. I reprint the article here in remembrance of this amazing event:

You can also read the full article on the Prague Post website.

Dancing to a different tune

Independence day festivities bring Bollywood to the Vltava
Stage Review
By Brooke Edge
For The Prague Post
August 8th, 2007 issue

Last year, organizers of Prague’s annual Bollywood festival hosted a movie night as part ofthe summer outdoor film series on Střelecký ostrov. One of the festival’s founders, Sangita Shresthová, laughs while recalling that, as often happens in Indian culture, she and some friends arrived at the event late. But their tardiness afforded them an amazing sensation as they walked across Legions’ Bridge to the island.“There was something very funny, arriving and hearing Bollywood all around,” says Shresthová, pictured on the cover. “We just loved it.”So when plans began to take shape for honoring the 60th anniversary of Indian independence Aug. 15 this year, Shresthová knew just where to celebrate — on the river, in the heart of this international city.“What better place to show that India’s arrived?” she says.

Now in its fifth year, the Bollywood Film Festival has grown from what Shresthová calls a “modest” event put together by three friends into a four-day marathon of Indian films, dances, parties and meals. To continue the momentum, organizers began introducing smaller events throughout the year leading up to the large autumn festival. “We’re trying to expand the experience,” Shresthová says. So far this year, the group has held a lecture and put in an appearance at the Colours of Ostrava festival. Next week, the 60th anniversary of India’s split from the United Kingdom provides an ideal opportunity to further the festival’s goal of entertaining and educating via traditional Indian culture.

A dance performance will precede a screening of the 2001 hit Indian film Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India. Lagaan tells the story of a northern Indian village in the 1890s confronted with an oppressive tax burden by British overseers, who agree to forgive the tax if the villagers can beat them in a game of cricket. The 224-minute epic was a worldwide sensation, nominated for the 2002 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. “We’re celebrating what the film is about,” Shresthová says, describing it as “a rewriting of Indian history” in that it portrays colonialism from an Indian, rather than a Western, point of view. Beyond the politics, Lagaan also embodies what makes Bollywood films so popular, with colorful dance numbers, romantic subplots and rousing speeches. That entertainment factor is what Shresthová and her friends want to share with Prague as a warm-up for the Bollywood Film Festival in October. “We really want to make watching a Hindi film an experience,” she says, explaining that, in India, families set aside entire days to enjoy a film, talking, eating and dancing throughout. “That’s what I think of when I think of Bollywood,” she says. This won’t be an all-day affair.

But before the film begins, Shresthová will lead a 45-minute presentation of Indian dance troupes. “It’s a showcase of key groups in the Czech Republic dancing dances related to India,” she says. “As far as I know, it’s the first time these groups have performed together.”Most of the dancers in the troupes aren’t Indian, but rather Czech. They are drawn to Indian dance for various reasons, Shresthová says, ranging from its religious aspects to its “exotic appeal” to a simple love of dancing.Shresthová’s ancestry is Czech and Nepalese, which has caused her some discomfort in Prague. “I’ve always felt I didn’t have a place here,” she says. She and her friends founded the Bollywood Film Festival “to create a space” for themselves, as well as educate the public about Indian culture. It’s been amazing, Shresthová says, to watch Czechs, Indians and people of other nationalities experience a dance or film event together. “The segregation here just sort of falls apart when they sit in the same audience.”That’s why the celebration is being held outdoors, in the middle of the river — so that the sounds and images of Indian independence will reach as many people as possible. (Source: Prague Post)

Revisiting Frame by Frame - A Bollywood Dance Event

2009-11-05T18:11:00.000-08:00

I already wrote my enthusiastic praises of the the Frame By Frame Hindi Film Dance symposium organized by UK's Akademi a few months ago in a blog entry a few months back. But now, I am happy to add visual evidence of high quality dancing I described:

Mumbai's stars wouldsoon watch out if these high quality London dancers joined the filmi dancer ranks!

Bollywood Paves the Way for Bharat Natyam?

2009-11-03T15:02:00.001-08:00

Recently, I have been fascinated with comparisons between Bharat Natyam (Indian classical dance) and Bollywood. Though somewhat strained, I increasingly feel that more overlap exists than initially meets the eye. Following these thoughts, I stumbled across a fascinating story reported in the Hindu, which relates the way in which Bollywood actually opened doors for Bharat Natyam instruction in that country. I sense this is not a unique example and decided to reprint it here:

Bharatnatyam Gaining Popularity in China

— PHOTO: PTI

BEYOND BORDERS: China’s leading Bharatnatyam dancer, Jin Shan Shan, with her daughter Jessie in Beijing, where Jin has opened an Indian dance school.

BEIJING: After Bollywood films, classical Indian dance has caught the imagination of the Chinese, with a young woman actively promoting Bharatnatyam among her compatriots, especially the tiny-tots.

For 33-year-old Jin Shan Shan, a Jawaharlal Nehru University alumnus, it has always been a passion to become an exponent of Bharatnatyam. She has established a school for Bharatnatyam here.

While Bollywood films, Indian cuisine and yoga have become popular in China, learning classical Indian dance is also gaining ground here, Ms. Jin said. Around 50 Chinese children were attending classes every week to learn the intricacies of the classical dance.

Ms. Jin said the situation was ripe for starting the school since Bollywood and its music are becoming popular among the Chinese , especially among the youngsters, who could play a vital role in future in promoting India-China cultural linkages. — PTI

Read the original article here.

Bollynatyam™ mentioned in Femina!

2009-10-30T16:18:00.000-07:00

Please forgive this moment of vanity, but I really just do have to share this, what I consider to be, pretty fun and exciting news. Femina magazine, probably the largest Indian women's magazine, contacted me a few months ago regarding a Prague feature they were planning for their late October issue. I was, of course, more than happy to provide them with information about the Prague Indian Festival and Bollynatyam™ , as I fully believe in a little self promotion in the spirit of raising Prague's profile as a culturally diverse Central European city.

After quite a mission impossible (here I play on the title of the Femina feature title), I finally managed to get my hands on the Nov 4th issue. And there it was a full article on Prague, with a third dedicated to the Prague Indian Film Festival with a special mention of Bollynatyam™!

I could not resist and put the whole article online here. This way, everyone can share my jubilations. Proud to be from Prague today!

What Gandhi-ji May Have Said About Bollywood Song-and-Dance Sequences....

2009-10-05T14:50:00.000-07:00

I know that I am on a slippery slope even opening this discussion. But with Gandhi's recent anniversary, I just felt I had to ask what he may have said about Bollywood song-and-dance sequences.

As I began to think about this, I immediately stumbled upon the film Lage Raho Munnabhai and its playful and Bollywood-like, yet committed, revival of Gandhi. For those not familiar with the film, a ghost of Gandhi convinces a crook (Munnabhai) to change his criminal ways.

This particular instance is even more intriguing given Sanjay Dutt's arms possession charge, which was subsequently dropped. While Munnabhai is definitely evidence of Gandhi's appearance in a commercial Hindi film, it is not exactly what I thinking about.

Rather, I really wonder what Gandhi would have said if he saw Bollywood song-and-dance sequences.

No doubt, he probably would not have been ecstatic about film dance. Given his Swaraj (self governance and usage) beliefs, he probably would have frowned at the system of borrowing inherent to Bollywood dances. In particular, he may have been bothered by Bollywood's current taste for non-Indian influences.

In all likelihood, he would have also probably objected to increasing competition and commercialization underway in the song-and dance industry. And, the sexual innuendo would have probably not pleased him either.

So is there really nothing that he would have liked? If I could speak to Gandhi-ji about Bollywood, I would point to Muslim-Hindu collaborations and tolerance that run through the production process. I would also show him a song from Veer-Zara to show that perhaps there could be moment of national reconciliation encouraged by song-and-dance. He probably would have looked at me and smiled, his tolerant smile. And perhaps, we would have then watched a Bollywood film together.

Professional Accreditation for Bollywood Dancers?

2009-09-28T11:54:00.000-07:00

Photo of Honey Kalaria and her dance troupe

The past few years have brought a lot of interesting developments to the world of Bollywood Dance, but the news of professional accreditation for Bollywood dancers is still a bit of a surprise. Yet, it seems to really be true. According to Chai Samosa - a news portal in the UK - Honey Kalaria has taken yet another step in solidifying her lead in UK's Bollywood dance market by opening a "professional" dance school in South Hall that will give our accredited certificates in Bollywood dance.

Read the full text of the article here.

Wow, I guess anything is possible these days. I just cannot help wonder about the content of the final exams. Will the students have to wiggle their hips, lip-sync the words, and skip to the beat? Will some students fail out for insufficient eye lash batting? Will a panel of experts evaluate their proficiency? What will the professional certificate do for these emergent dancers? The whole concept sounds like a great idea for a Holly-Bolly screen play, doesn't it? I guess I will have to wait and see what this turns out be.

Honey Kalaria is a mover and shaker in the world of UK's Bollywood Dance scene. She paved the way to today's abundance of Bollywood dance dvds, classes and perfomances all around Europe. Maybe this new certicificate program marks the beginning of yet another stage for the world of Bollywood dance?

iTunes + Bollywood

2009-09-17T16:53:00.000-07:00

I was in the United States when the iTunes adverts featuring silhouetted dancers first hit the streets. As a dancer, I appreciated the dancing and movement even as I wondered about the strange anonymity afforded to these shadow dancers. Who were they? Where were they? Had I met them somewhere?

Well, iTunes has now rolled out a Bollywood version of the ad series:

As a dancer, I am quite fascinated with how clearly the meanings of the movements are communicated even though we only see the dancers' silhouettes. A playful hipshake, finger waving, and foot tapping all have their clear significance. I found myself wondering whether this clarity and intercultural versatility may actually be what is contributing to Bollywood dance's ever growing popularity.

So, I looked up the Bachna Ae Haseeno song-and-dance sequence to see if there is anything I could learn:

Strangely, the clean lines of the iTunes ad, which clearly borrows movement from the song-and-dance sequence, actually seemed to communicate more meaning that the glossily edited title song. But this is just my humble opinion.

The Old and The New

2009-09-14T17:18:00.000-07:00

Even before recycling became a catch phrase of nouveau environmentalists, commercial Hindi cinema subscribed to an ecology of creativity, openly acknowledging its inspirations from other sources. Though this practice of borrowing is often still viewed with disdain by many, I see this system of borrowing as a profound process, akin to the sensibilities of post-modern pastiche. Perhaps, this is why I continuously return to song-and-dance sequences in Hindi films as fascinating instances of collaborative creation.

Just as one Hindi film dance dance director explained to me in passing, "There are so many wonderful dances out there, why should I make something completely new?" Three cheers for honesty!

Here is a first installment of the old and new series of Hindi (well in this case, more precisely Indian) film dance.

The "old" is the famous drum dance from the Tamil film Chandralekha. The film was directed was produced and directed by SS Vasan. I am not sure who created the dances (any information on this would be much appreciated!):

The "new" is its newer reincarnation in the film Jodhaa Akbar, which of course starred Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan. The dance itself was choregraphed by Rekha and Chinni Prakash (read their interview on the making of the film on rediff):

Hindi Film Song and Dance in Soviet Film

2009-09-02T16:02:00.000-07:00

I am often touched by the "older guard" audiences that regularly attend the Raj Kapoor and Guru Dutt film screenings at the Prague Bollywood Festival.

Under communism, Hindi films, with their then social undertones, enjoyed quite a popularity in the former Soviet bloc. For those interested in this topic, I highly recommend Sudha Rajagopalan's book "Leave the Disco Dancer Alone," which explores Hindi cinema in post-Stalinist USSR.

Still, moments of actual cooperation between Soviet and Indian filmmakers are hard to trace (though there were many). Here is a wonderful moment in the Soviet/Indian coproduction "Stranger," featuring Hindi cinema's Padmini:

Click here or on the picture to watch this video.

Click here or on the picture to watch this video.

Reincarnating Tillana in Hindi Film

2009-09-02T15:46:00.000-07:00

I was quite surprised when I found this song-and-dance sequence from the film Chori Chori, starring Raj Kapoor and Nargis. I believe everyone, even remotely interested in the South Indian dance of Bharat Natyam today should look at it as a fascinating historical reference.

For me, the Thillana has a personal reference as I actually learned the very same dance (with noticably altered movement content) when I was a student at Neena Gulati's Triveni.

Enjoy!

Frame By Frame Impressions: London Takes on Bollywood Dance

2009-08-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

Attending and presenting at the Frame by Frame Symposium on Indian Film Dance organized by London's Akademi was a pleasure and delight on so many levels. Put together with clear artistic, historical and cultural sensitivity, the event allowed a unique exploration of the world of Indian (actually mostly Hindi) film dance. As a key entity in the South Asian dance world in the UK, Akademi had the knowledge and ability to put together an event that exuded professionalism on every level.

My section on the tribute to Indian cinema followed a series of presentations on the current globalizing face of the Indian industry, an interview with Gurindher Chadha, and a thought provoking presentation on the song in Hindi films by Nasreen Munni Kabir. (Incidentally, Kabir's new book on Lata Mangeshkar is wonderful)

As I prepare full fledged article that builds on my presentation at Frame by Frame, I feel I have to pause to hightlight the brilliant film-to-live dance element that Mira Kaushik (Head of Akademi) incorporated into my presentation. Rather than rely exclusively on film clips to highlight particular moments, personalities, and junctures in Hindi film dance over the past century, dancers leapt onto the stage to (quite literally) bring Hindi film dance to life.

I pause to highlight a few of the moments below:

Ankur Bahl's hilarious gyrations inspired by Mithun Chakravarty in "Disco Dancer" challenged any Bollywood disco rendition you may have ever seen!

To jog our memories, here is the filmed version:

Kavitha Kaur matched Madhuri's execution of the still provocative "Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai" (What is Behind the Blouse?)

You can also revisit my previous blog on (and watch the video of) "Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai?" here.

Finally, Karan Pangali's dance troupe raised Hrithik Roshan's dance moves to new levels of professionalism.

See Hrithik Roshan performance in Filmfare Awards here:

I mention only three examples, but in reality each dancer deserves full credit for their stunning, entertaining, and brilliant live renditions of Hindi Film dance.

Many thanks to Akademi for putting together this important event. May there be many more!

I also came across this review of the event.

Photo credits: RJ Fernandez. All photos courtesy of Akademi.

Calling the Ghosts of Film Dances Past

2009-08-24T09:19:00.000-07:00

Though a somewhat mediocre film in itself, Bhool Bhulaiyaa (English title: The Maze) does have a few exceptional dance moments. The most prominent one is the ghostly finale performed by Vidya Balan (as Avni). Here we see a fine (and in Bollywood cinema increasingly rare) moment in which Indian classical dance becomes stunning film dance. I found the circling shots and the sharp cuts to details of hand gestures particularly effective.

A Stroll Down Bollywood Dance Memory Lane

2009-07-07T10:22:00.000-07:00

As I re-view the old-but-gold of Bollywood Dance (or Hindi song-and dance as it would have been called then), I am once again drawn to the close links to Indian performance traditions. Of course this makes sense as dance directors and dancers migrated to film. Still, it is particularly striking when we consider where the dance genre is today.

There is Sohan Lal's choreography in Azaad:

And, here Gopikrishna and Sandhana mesmerize us with their rendition of Radha-Krishna:

Finally, I am once again impressed by the famous dance off between Padmini and Vyjanthimala in the Tamil film "Vanjikottai Vaaliba":

Legendary Sandokan in Prague

2009-06-27T13:24:00.000-07:00

TRANSLATION OF ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN MF PLUS (CZECH WEEKLY) IN OCTOBER 2008

“I AM NOT ONLY SANDOKAN”

Owning a t’shirt with his face was a must for the Czechoslovakian youth of the 1980s. Kabir Bedi, the charismatic protagonist of the staggeringly popular Sandokan serial, is heading to Prague as a guest of the Prague Bollywood Festival. Here he is in conversation with Sangita Shresthova, the Festival's Programming Director, about himself, Bollywood and his planned visit the Czech Republic.

You will be arriving in Prague soon as the guest of the Prague Bollywood Festival. Have you been to Prague before?

I came to Prague when I was shooting a mini series called The Lost Empire, directed by Peter McDonald. We shot in Prague for about twelve weeks. It was a very wonderful and busy experience. They made us work like dogs from morning to night, and I didn’t get a chance to interact much with the city of Prague. But I have fond memories of it. I was absolutely enchanted by the fairytale beauty of the old city. There was also a lovely Indian restaurant, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Were you surprised to learn that the Czech people remembered you so fondly from the Sandokan serial?

I am always very amazed at the success of Sandokan not just in Italy, France, Spain and Germany but also in Eastern Europe. I knew that Sandokan was popular in Czechoslovakia because I get a lot of fan letters from there. I have also been to Hungary where I saw the enthusiasm for the series. I am very flattered by this.

You did the Sandokan serial in late 1970s. Was this serial important for your career?

The serial was very important in my career because it opened the world for me. I was acting on the stage in Bombay. I was acting in Bollywood films, and I had a career there. But I really wanted to explore the possibility of international films. So when I was offered this opportunity, I took it. It changed everything. With the success Sandokan had in Italy, it was possible for me to then to venture forward to Los Angeles. Eventually, I worked on three continents for thirty years in film, television and theater.

Tell us about your life. Did you grow up in India?

I grew up in India, primarily in Delhi and I went to a school in the Himalayas. I came to Bombay to make films. Acting used to be hobby of mine, and I acted in a few successful plays in Bombay. That got me offers as an actor which launched my career in Bollywood films in the 1970s.

You seem to travel a lot. Where do you actually live?

I am based in Bombay. But, as you know, a lot of Bollywood projects are not shot in Bombay. I just came back from shooting a film with Govinda in the UK. Whether I am doing Bollywood films or foreign films, it is true that I always seem to be traveling.

What projects are you currently working on?

Currently I am working on a film called Kites with Hrithik Roshan, which is being produced by his father Rakesh Roshan. It is being directed by Anurag Basu. In fact, I am on my way now to America to shoot for that film. I will be coming to the Prague Festival right after my shooting finishes there on October 7th.

As you say, you are someone who has, and continues to, move between Hollywood and Bollywood. Czech audiences do not know so much about Bollywood or other Indian cinema. As someone who knows both, what are some key similarities or differences?

Well the Indian industry is a freewheeling industry in the sense that it has a lot of small producers, lots of talent and as a country makes the largest number of films in the world. Hollywood is much more disciplined, much bigger budgeted, and much more world film oriented. They plan to reach international audiences. The two industries also have very different ways of working. In India, the script evolves as the film goes along. In Hollywood, the script is the first thing to be finalized. It is the foundation stone. In India it is the final punctuation mark.

There are also differences of style. Very often, Indian films are not shot on a start to finish basis. They are shot on a start/stop plan. You know, we shoot for a week or two and then stop. Then we shoot for another week or two. In between we shoot other films. In some ways, it is a much more flexible system than Hollywood. This is why Hollywood takes so long with their pre-production. It takes almost two years to get a Hollywood project off the ground. Here, we just start and then we find our way. The timeline for creating films is about the same – one and half to two years. It’s just that Hollywood spends more time on pre-production. We spend more time in production.

As someone who moves between these two worlds, how do you schedule your work?

Well, the Hollywood commitments are fixed, and I can always adjust things in Bollywood. I can delay dates a little. As long have enough notice in Bombay, nobody minds. Hollywood films are planned long in advance and people to know what the schedule is going to be. Even the Italians shoot from beginning to end and on a fixed schedule. Whether it is an Italian or Hollywood film, as long as Bollywood knows the score then they work with me to make it possible. They just need to know that I am not going to run away and abandon their film. They know that I have never done that.

Indian film industry is changing. How would you characterize this change over the last five to ten years?

Indian films have become much more technically savvy. They now excel in every technical area, from cinematography to editing. Music has always been their forte. They are also making films that more modern. They aren’t just focused on traditional tales. I think we are also seeing a modern filmmaker coming into play. We are also beginning to see films that are not just looking at the traditional Bollywood markets but also at the larger international markets. Mango Movies, the film company that I have set up, aims to produce such films.

Do you think Bollywood will soon begin to compete with Hollywood on the world market in terms of profits?

Hollywood has been an established brand for almost a century whereas Bollywood as a brand has only come into existence over the last five to fifteen years. Even though Hindi films were made right from the 1930s, the awareness of Bollywood as a term has only grown recently. In terms of overall revenue, there is no way we can compete with Hollywood. But Indians, other people from the region (includung Pakistan and Bangladesh) living abroad, people from the Arab world, and increasingly other mainstream audiences from other regions do watch Bollywood films. So, we clearly lead in terms of the size of audiences. But I do believe that we will see a major Bollywood film crossover into the mainstream of world box office cinema in the very near future.

What will this crossover film look like? Is it going to follow the traditional Bollywood “masala” genre or is it going to be something completely new?

I think it will be a blend of the traditional Bollywood film and Western sensibilities. I think it will probably be a film with a lot of music and songs. But, they will be used in a realistically rather than in the almost surrealistic ways songs are treated in traditional Bollywood films. In traditional films, the song begins and then you cut to locations all around the world. That kind of fantasy won’t cross over, but songs in the context of realism may. They may not even be songs that the hero and heroine sing to each other. The songs may just stay in the background to appeal to international audiences.

So you are still describing something that is quite distinct from the mainstream Hollywood film….

We have to compete head to head with Hollywood in realistic films as well. I am sure we will also have filmmakers who make Hollywood-like realistic films. But then again, Hollywood is also looking towards Bollywood. If you look at Moulin Rouge, Mama Mia, and other films, they are all using music in films in ways that are similar to the Bollywood formula. So there is a bit of crossover in both directions.

We have talked a lot about the world arena for Bollywood films. What about the rural Indian audiences? Will there still be films for them or are their preferences changing as well?

Well, it is true that the rural market in India has become less of a consideration. It is not ignored, but if a film does not appeal to the rural market, it does not mean that the film is dead. Bollywood films can succeed if they appeal just to urban sensibilities. That has affected the kinds of films that can be made today. The new Bollywood is backed by corporate finance. The new Bollywood is not subject to the whims of regional distributors. The new Bollywood is a world of immense possibilities that will allow all kinds of films to emerge. They will emerge.

Do you think there is going to be segmentation of the filmmaking process along urban and rural lines?

I am sure there will be that too. Ideally we want to make films that appeal to all audiences. Om Shanti Om is a great example of a film that appeals to rural and urban audiences alike. It is traditional story, which is told in a very modern way.

But the term Bollywood is still somewhat controversial, isn’t it?

I don’t think so. There are some people who oppose it, but I think they are living in the stone-age. You have to have a name for an industry that is distinct from the larger Indian industry. The larger Indian industry includes Tellugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Marati, Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi and other films. So how do you distinguish the Hindi film industry? The term Bollywood emerged and is not going to go away. We have to learn to live with the term Bollywood. I am quite happy. I think it is a brilliant brand name.

What do you expect from your visit to Prague?

I hope the audiences in the Czech Republic get a chance to see one of my recent films Taj Mahal: Eternal Love Story. I hope people realize that I have done more than Sandokan. I have done 60 Bollywood films. I acted in a James Bond film called Octopussy. I have worked on the Bold and the Beautiful soap opera and much more. I hope people get to see me as I am today.

by Sangita Shresthova

Thrilled by Thriller in Kathmandu

2009-06-25T16:03:00.000-07:00

Hearing about Michael Jackson's passing fills me with (somewhat unexpected) sadness and nostalgia for the time when his tunes and dances carried me through the days. Growing up Kathmandu (Nepal), a city which was then without television, I knew little about American pop culture. Music and later music videos trickled in through pirated cassettes and video tapes. If a friend managed to get new music, we all huddled around the tape recorder in a shared moment of popular culture bliss. Michael Jackson's melodies always elicited the most enthusiasm (with Madonna coming in at a close second). Billy Jean complicated our naive grasp of paternal responsibilities. Beat It lent itself easily to becoming a playful sportsfield chant. But it was, Thriller that changed our lives forever.

Watch the Thriller video here.

I still remember the day my cousin called me over to tell me that she had a new dance video to show me. I expected the video to be yet another Bollywood song-and-dance sequence and settled in comfortably as she popped the tape into the VCR. I sat up in surprise as a mini-thriller vignette unfolded on the TV screen in front of me. My cousin grinned at me as the actors broke out into dance. "It's great, no?" she asked me. I nodded, completely mesmerized. I tried to memorize as many steps as I could and spent the rest of that evening rehearsing them on our darkened terrace. I slid my feet side to side and tried to snake my head forward and up. The movements did not come easily, but I was determined.

A few weeks later, our music teacher walked into the classroom with unusual enthusiasm. "Today, we are going to begin our work on our annual dance performance. And this year, we are not going to do our usual Nepali folk dance." I knew what he would say even as he took a breath to begin. We were going to perform our annual dance to Thriller. The next weeks filled with an enthusiastic flurry as we struggled to master the dance movements, make our costumes and build the stage sets. We cut cardboard, stitched fabric and proposed stage positions. We rehearsed again, and again and again. And then finally, we performed our creative interpretation of this hit that took the world by storm. In retrospect, I realize that my introduction to Thriller more than five years after its initial release.

Looking back now, I can only smile at how our performance must have looked to an outsider. But to us, it was a magical moment when the distance that separated us from the world beyond Kathmandu valley disappeared as we floated up high above the stage to claim our share in Michael Jackson's world for that short fleeting moment, a moment that jumps out at me in all vividness so many years later.

Also check out a fascinating (and somewhat disturbing) rendition of Thriller by prisoners in the Philippines:

Lonely in LA?

2009-06-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

A realization came to me last Friday as I navigated more-dense-than-usual Friday traffic through downtown Los Angeles. It all began as an inkling that took root in my mind as scrolled through my music library for a song list that would take me through the next chapter of my journey. I hit "play" and the easeful melodies of the South Asian contemporary music scene filled my car. At peace with the realities of my commute, I sat back in my seat and took around. That is when it struck me with full force.

Unlike the many people who see Los Angeles as a city that oozes Hollywood-like superficiality and materialism, my own experience in this city has been a much more spiritual one. I am not speaking about consumer-friendly spirituality defined by a slick packaging and promise of classy enlightenment that drives LA's new age movement. I am not speaking about the religious institutions that dot the city with their organized communities and shared spaces. No, Those are not what I mean.

Rather, it is the crevices of humanity that emerge through rough edges that mark imperfect suturing of this jagged city and the profound isolation caused by its sprawl that continues to inspire me. The glamorous veneer of tinsel town peels at the edges to reveal a less than perfect and raw layer that hides beneath. Millions of people call Los Angeles their home and yet it is not a city that dwells on history. People here today may be elsewhere tomorrow. Between the toned beaches of the Westside and the towering hills of the north, traveling across Los Angeles is indeed a journey into many worlds, that appear even as they fade away. It is very easy to be lonely in LA.

And yet, it is this potential for loneliness that makes me feel poignantly alive in this city, alone but not lonely.

Reflecting on "Dear Lemon Lima"

2009-06-22T13:30:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make: Dear Lemon Lima is not a Bollywood Film. It is not even India related, though it does contain one film dance!

That said, I still do want to talk about this film here because it deserves to be written about. Told from the perspective of a thirteen year old girl adjusting to a new highschool as she recovers from her first entanglements with love, the film director (Suzie Yoonessi) has created a truly sensitive, magical and nuanced film that is indeed "as sweet and colorful as a snow cone." In the darkened sold out Mann film theater in Westwood (Los Angeles) last Saturday, the film's nuanced storytelling took us through the, at times, funny, at times, heartbreakingly sad, but always poignant, young lives of the film's protagonists in small town Alaska.

A filmed dance marks the culminating moment in the film. In the final moments of the high school Snowstorm Survivor competition (inspired by Eskimo survial strategies and Olympics), Vanessa (film's female protagonist) reaches for her Yup'ik Eskimo tradition to perform a solo dance. As much as I enjoyed the the rest of "Dear Lemon Lima," this dance disappoints as it falls back on cliched conventions for filming dance. We see a simple frontal establishing shot, transition to a closeup and plod through the rest of the dance alternating between the two. Despite a few indications towards nuance (in facial expression and gestural close-ups), the dance leaves a flat after-taste. Admittedly, the dance is not a focus of this film, but given its narrative significance, a little more attention to its filming and editing would have benefited the film immensely.

Aside from my dance film hesitations, "Dear Lemon Lima" was definitely worth the battle we waged to get into the film's sold out premiere!
Read an interview with Suzie Yoonessi here:

"So You Think You Can Dance" Goes Bollywood (Again)

2009-06-17T16:36:00.000-07:00

Last week, Bollywood dance returned to Fox Television's popular dance competition So You Think You Can Dance? Under the guidance of Nakul Dev Mahajan (a Cerritos-based choreographer and dance instructor who owns NDM Productions), Caitlin and Jason performed to Jai Ho, a song popularized by the smash-hit Slumdog Millionaire.

Evidenced by the audience reaction on the show and later online assessments, the Bollywood sequence seems to have been a success. In effect, Bollywood choreography seems to have saved the contestants from elimination. As Gina Carbone observes:

"I don’t think it will be Caitlin and Jason because they lucked out – they got Bollywood. Bollywood rules. It just does. It did last season for Katee and Joshua and it did again for Caitlin and Jason … even though they are no Katee and Joshua."

Bollywood seems to be the "get out of jail free" card of So You Think You Can Dance!

Yet, as many audiences rejoice over the multicultural overtones this inclusion of Bollywood brings to American prime time television, I found myself hesitating. Unlike stalwart supporters of Indian classical dance who feel under assault by the growing popularity of Bollywood dance in the United States, I am not worried about cultural authenticity. Instead, my interest is piqued by the ways in which Bollywood dance now seems to stand in for Indian (read Exotic) dance in India and the ways in which Mahajan (understandably) adjusts his choreography to meet these expectations.

In this latest rendition of Bollywood dance on So You Think You Can Dance?, Jai Ho, a celebratory dance originally performed as the credits rolled on Slumdog Millionaire, transforms into a a romantic, classically infused duet.

Unlike the dancers in Slumdog, who jutted and shimmied through rhythmic movements that responded to the club-like electronic beats of the song, Caitlin and Jason jumped, stamped and gestured in movements generally borrowed from the Bharat Natyam (Indian classical dance) and Bhangra dance (folk dance) repertoire. Their costumes (resplendent in their glittery Indianness), contrasted sharply against the casual 'n hip street wear worn by the dancers in the film. In this rendition of Jai Ho, an exotic India emerges once again.

As an enthusiastic Bollywood dance supporter, I am of course happy to see this dance form appear on primetime television in the United States. At the same time, I cannot stop by wonder whose definition of India now takes center stage...

Entry Approved (An Anecdote)

2009-06-12T13:04:00.000-07:00

What is the purpose of your visit to the United States?” The immigration officer at LAX peers at me over his glasses as I hand him my passport. My hand shakes a little. Will he notice that I am nervous? I really have no reason to be nervous I tell myself. All my papers are in order.

“I am a student.” I explain as I fumble with my handbag, searching for the envelope containing my I-20 form, the document that will substantiate my claim.

“Don’t search too fast,” I tell myself, “It makes you look more nervous.” I feign nonchalance as I start to panic. Did I leave the envelope on the plane? Or even worse, is it still in the bathroom in transit in Munich? Just as my hands start to shake a little, I see it, peeking out of my core course reader.

“So what is your course of study?” Officer Chang, as his badge proudly states, is now perusing the form I just handed him.

“I am working towards a PhD.” I offer more information helpfully. The more information I give him, the less ambiguous I will seem; that’s the advice I was given.

“A PhD? So who is funding that?” Mr. Chang is now studying my face. Is my eyeliner smeared? Is hair sticking out my ponytail? Will that look suspicious to him? Is messed up hair not in line with the PhD student profile?

“I have a fellowship that covers the cost of me studying at UCLA.” I hope he does not ask for my bank statement.

“Do you have a document stating that?” Mr. Chang glances at the line of people gathering behind me. LH452 was a packed flight.

“I have print out of the email confirming my funding.” I bend over to open the backpack that I put down on the floor. I pull out the red folder labeled “back-up”. I slowly the hand the print-out to the officer who begins to read it carefully.

“A three year fellowship and they didn’t give you a document to prove it?” He raises an eyebrow at me. “Do you have any other proof that you are a student?”

“I have my UCLA ID card.” I pull out my wallet.

“Is it valid?” Mr. Chang asks and he turns it over looking for a date.

“Yes, UCLA does not have the expiration date written on their ID cards,” I keep my voice steady, open and almost friendly. I lay my hands on the counter to appear more relaxed. Examine my nails intently.

“Where do you live in Los Angeles?”

“In graduate housing. In Westwood.”

“Do you have a driver’s license that states your current address?”

I hear the German woman in line behind me cough and make a loud, frustrated comment; a clear indication that this is taking too long. “I don’t own a car. So I didn’t go to get a Californian license issued.”

“Well, then you really cannot prove that you are currently living in Los Angeles.” Mr. Chang flips through the pages of my passport.

“I have the university ID…” I offer feebly.

“Yes, but where do you live? I can’t see proof of that in any of the documents you have given me, miss.” So does that mean that I will not be able to get past immigration? My thoughts drift to my things in my apartment. What will I do if I am not able to enter? Will they mail me my things? Would someone else have to fly in to get them for me? I need to focus. There must be something I can show to prove where I live.

“I have the university housing contract.” I hold up the document for Mr. Chang to see.

“I see,” the response is terse. I try to hide how pleased I am and remind myself that I really have no power in this relationship.

“Do you have copy of your grades at UCLA?” The international student office advised me to carry a print out of my grade report. Does this man really have a right to know my GPA?

“Yes, I do.” Another sheet comes out of my red folder and migrates to the Mr. Chang’s desk.

“So what do you study?” This is, of course, a rather complex question. How can I explain the winding theoretical tendrils that engulf my current PhD. research?

“I study Indian cinema.”

“Indian cinema as in films made in India or by Native Americans?” Good question.

“No, films made in India in Mumbai, I mean Bombay…” How am I ever going to explain to Mr. Chang the logic of coming to Los Angeles to study films made in South Asia?

“Oh, you mean Bollywood?” Mr. Chang peers at me over his glasses again.

“Yes, Bollywood. I study Bollywood”.

“Bollywood? I know Bollywood”.

“You do?” I guess it’s my turn to ask the questions. I look, really look, at Mr. Chang.

He looks back at me and then… without warning bursts into song:

„Hoo, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, oh
Mehbooba ae mehbooba
Ooh, mehbooba ae mehbooba
Mehbooba ae mehbooba hoo hoo hoo“

My jaw drops.

„Do you know what film that song is from?“ Mr Chang takes off his glasses and wipes them on his shirt. My hands feel damp. I am short of breath. Desperately, I flip through my mental library of Bollywood songs. It must be there somewhere. Suddenly, my future, my Phd and my fellowship all hang in the balance.

„Mehbooba….my darling… mehbooba.“

I know that song. I know that song. And then, it hits me. I do know that song. I know that film.

I look at Mr. Chang with newfound confidence.

“The song’s from the film Sholay. With Amitabh Bachchan.”

Mr Chang’s face softens into a smile. “Yes, Amitabh Bachchan, What a hero! They don’t make heroes like that any more these days. Have you met him?”

“Um no, not yet.” I stutter. Mr. Chang flips open my passport and, without any hesitation, stamps it. Entry approved. “Well when you meet him, will you say hello from me?” he asks as he scribbles on my I-94 form.

“Yes I will make sure to do that, Mr. Chang.” I reach out to take the documents he hands over to me.

“Hope your studies go well, Sangita.” Mr Chang winks at me as I turn to leave, “… and don’t forget to say hello to Amitabh. Tell him Mr. Chang at US immigration said hi.”

A Little Indian Theater in "A Flowering Tree"

2009-06-08T16:15:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I attended the dress rehearsal of John Adams and Peter Sellars opera "A Flowering Tree" at the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The opera is a magical and interculturally poignant retelling of a South Indian folk tale. Reading through the review published later that week in the LA Times, I was struck by the mixed reactions the show seems to have elicited through its pacing and melodramatic tone. Some audience, members allowed themselves to be transported to an emotionally rich place far beyond the theater. Others were literally lulled to sleep by the what they perceived as the opera's monotonously slow paced lull. Given these strong reactions, I pause to consider my own.

Unlike some other audience members, I was mesmerized by the melodrama, theatricality and emotionality of "A Flowering Tree." In many ways, these actually reminded me of the narrative mechanisms deployed in early Hindi films, which drew heavily on Indian folk theater traditions. Resplendent with song and dance (so to speak), I felt "A Flowering Tree" allowed me to experience an opera rendition of an Indian folk tale. As I left the Walt Disney Hall, I wished audiences in South Asia could somehow get a chance to experience it too.

Is There a Bollywood Dance in Slumdog Millionaire?

2009-06-04T15:48:00.000-07:00

"I just recently saw Slumdog Millionaire and found this Bollywood film just delightful," an acquiantance in a Los Angeles dance class related to me, excited to have found a kindred soul. " I nodded politely, both delighted to see someone completely unfamiliar with India so enthusiastic and startled that she categorized this film as Bollywood.

A few months ago, Slumdog Millionaire's unanticipated success gripped critics and fans alike. In India, the film ruffled feathers for its unabashed portrayal of Mumbai's slums. For a country eager to present itself a rising global superpower, Slumdog was not necessarily the best advertisement for the new and global India. Yet, these critiques faded into the background amidst the sheer enthusiasm expressed by audiences around the world. The film's affirmative love-conquers-all story, set against a rags-to-riches backdrop, brought out the romantics in even the most skeptical of viewers.

As the film spilled into mainstream theaters in the Western World, it began to attract a broader spectrum of audiences, some with little or no previous exposure to Indian themed cinema. Somewhere along the way, Slumdog Millionaire began to stand in as an Indian, and at times even a Bollywood film. On one hand supporters of this view want to recognize the brilliant contributions of the Indian crew and artists that are at least in part responsible for the film's success. There is A.R. Rahman's musical score, awarded with an Oscar. There are the performances of the child actors that stole audience's hearts. Despite this, those even somewhat familiar with Indian films recognize that the Bollywood label is, of course, inaccurate for many reasons. Not only was the film directed by a British Director, its distinctive gritty style also definitely differentiates its content from mainstream Bollywood fare. Slumdog Millionaire is, if anything, a global film.

Through all this, it seems to be the "Jai Ho" film dance performed as the credits roll that makes it susceptible to being called a Bollywood film, thereby raising the inevitable question of whether this dance is really a Bollywood dance.

watch excerpts from the Jai Ho Dance here

Sure, the dance is choreographed to a a Hindi film song (which became a jingle for the Congress Party's campaign in 2009). Yes, it features choreographed movement set by Longinus, an up and coming Hindi film choreographer (whose career took off since the film's release). Yes, it contains catchy choreography that has been picked up as live performance by audiences around the world (including Ellen's Show Crew!).

Yes, it transports us in time to re-experience the enduring love shared by the leading characters. Yes, it makes us want to get up and dance along. In these ways, Jai Ho is, indeed, a Bollywood Dance sequence.

But, there are certain elements, elements that I consider crucial to Bollywood dance, that I miss in this otherwise catchy song-and-dance sequence. Bollywood dance, is first and foremost a meeting space between the possibilities of film and the nuances of dance. In every film dance shoot I have attended, the dance director (and not the film director) takes charge of filming the dance. He, or she, sets the shot, the lights, chooses the lenses, and directs the dancers. Dance directors like Saroj Khan and Farah Khan repeatedly display their mastery of this in their work, demonstrating that Hindi film dance is not about filming dance it is about creating film dance.

I miss this meeting between film and dance in the Jai Ho dance sequence. For one, emotionally refined choreography, and camera work, falls by the wayside, as unison movement takes center stage. The camera sweeps across the dancers, seemingly on its own trajectory, its intersection with dance more accidental than compelling. This is a dance that has been filmed, but it is not necessarily a film dance.

But perhaps, that is all beside the point. Ultimately, Slumdog Millionaire transports and delights, and, as the credits roll, succumbing to the contagious melody of Jai Ho is just the cherry on this already scrumptious cake.

A Peek Behind the Blouse

2009-06-01T11:16:00.000-07:00

More fifteen years after its release, I often find myself returning to the brilliant and nuanced choreography, staging and camerawork created by Saroj Khan in the in-famous “Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai” (What is Behind the Blouse) song-and-dance sequence in the Hindi film Khalnayak (1993). Almost banned by the Indian Censor Board for its sexually suggestive lyrics (and title!), the song went on to become a true Bollywood classic as theater hall audiences often demanded an encore screening of the song after the film finished! Though Madhuri Dixit’s star power and the film’s popularity contributed to the film’s success, it was really the choreography that etched this sequence into the Bollywood Dance hall of fame.

The dance takes place at a crucial moment in the film when Ganga (Madhuri Dixit), a policewoman, goes undercover as a dancing girl to seduce and ultimately capture the villain, Ballu Balram. Saroj Khan used her choreographic mastery to portray the heroine’s noble intentions while allowing her to perform a seductive dance.

The “Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai?” sequence opens with a shot of two female figures facing each other. They heave their chests in time with the music. Their veiled faces, in costumes that audiences are meant to believe are Rajasthani, mirror one another’s to communicate a shared ethnic identity. As the dancers’ chests move to touch each other, the camera cuts to seated Rajasthani folk musicians. Ganga enters her face veiled and dressed in bright orange backless blouse and knee length full skirt. Her costume differs from attire worn by the other dancers and establishes her as different.

The explicit bantering lyrics of the song are presented as a dialogue between Ganga and Devi, a woman assisting the undercover mission. Staring into the camera, Devi smirks “Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai?” (What is behind your blouse?). Facing away from the audience, head still veiled, Ganga answers playfully, “Choli me dil hai mera” (In my blouse is my heart). The camera cuts to her dance partner who jeers at her evasive answer. This sequence in the dance establishes a crucial dialogue between the two women that communicates Ganga’s respectability as she continues to rebuff Devi’s direct questions with evasive playfulness. The game unfolds and the song continues.

When she first lifts her veil, Ganga looks into the camera playfully, but breaks her gaze coquettishly to look away. She maintains this indirect sideways look and keeps her body slightly turned away from the camera in a bashfulness that contrasts Devi’s unapologetic stare and hardened expression. In a brilliant camera strategy, most of Ganga’s potentially erotic movements are shot from waist up. Fast turns and intricate rhythm-based combinations undermine the effect of her sexually suggestive gyrations and demonstrate her dancing ability. Playfulness, communicated through skips and innocent coyness, mitigates the sexual innuendo of the lyrics.

Later, Ganga teases Ballu Balram about the money that he offers her. Initially she throws it back at him. Then she approaches him again, snatches it away, and suggestively tucks the cash inside her blouse. Her mission achieved, Ganga leaves the dance floor soon thereafter. Close ups of her face turning back mouthing the word “Dil” (heart) intercut to an entranced Ballu Ram. A chorus group dance marks her successful exit.

My Debt to Bollywood Dance

2009-05-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

I don’t remember when I watched my first Hindi film. It must’ve been many, many years ago in Kathmandu. I would go over to my relatives’ house. My cousin ran a video rental store and was always making copies Hindi films. I would just sit there and watch anything that was playing. Most of the time, it was some Hindi movie. I would just watch a part of one movie and another part of another one. I don’t think I ever really even knew what their names were.

I would look forward to the songs and dances. I loved the dances most of all. I watched the heroes and heroines and the dancers and tried to memorize every movement that they made. The looked so beautiful, confident and moved with such ease.

Looking back, I think I was particularly drawn to the way that these dancers seemed to blend movements from different parts of the world together to create the medley of Bollywood dance. There was a bit of classical Indian dance, a bit of ballet and a bit of Madonna’s latest music video. They got all mixed to become a dance in a Hindi film. I loved that. It was almost as if the cultural conflicts I felt as a product of an inter-cultural marriage could be resolved if the definitions of what is acceptable could be expanded wide enough.

I always wanted to dance, but never seemed to be able to get the courage up to tell my parents. It’s not that they would’ve gotten angry or something like that. I just felt that it was not what was expected of me. No one in our family had ever danced or even pursued art as a full time job. The idea just seemed completely preposterous. So I didn’t tell them until much later.

So I would watch these Hindi dances and try to remember how the dancers moved: the steps, the hand gestures, and facial expressions. When no one was at home, I would move the furniture in our living room and try the moves out. I would imagine that there were other dancers there too and would try to choreograph group choreographies. It seems so funny now [laughter]. But back then I could sometimes barely wait to get home on some days. I would dance and dance. Throughout the day I moved through such different worlds – my Czech family, my Nepali family, the international school. I had learned to act appropriately in each situation. But when I danced, I could just be myself and mix up everything. Sometimes I would go up to our rooftop terrace at night and try the movements against the wall where I could see my shadow. That way, I could see what it looked like. But then I noticed some neighbors watching me one day and I stopped doing that. I was so ashamed. I avoided the terrace for weeks.

Years later, I got the courage up to go to my first dance class and today dance is an inseparable part of my life. Looking back, I don’t think I would ever got the courage to do that had I not seen those dances in Hindi films. I guess I dance because of them.

Expression in Hindi Film Dance

2009-05-27T11:06:00.001-07:00

“The expressions in Bollywood dance as always so amazing,” an enthusiastic guest approached me following a screening of Om Shanti Om at the Prague Bollywood Festival last year. I nodded in agreement. “Where do they learn to use facial expressions like that?” the guest asked, clearly taken by her experience with Bollywood dance.

Expression, or Abhinaya, is central to many Indian performance traditions. In the Natyashastra, the Sanskrit text of the dramatic arts written between 200 BC and 200 AD, Abhinaya connects the physical, presentational and inner elements of a dance to create expression and meaning. According to the Natyashastra, Abhinaya is made up of nuances of nine bhavas (or moods). They are: vira (heroic), krodha (fury), veebhatsa (odious), shanti (peace), bhaya (fear), karuna (compassion), shoka (sorrow), and sringara (erotic). Whether it is a story or an emotion, Abhinaya allows the performer of Indian dance to express and emotionally experience the dance’s meaning through gesture, body movement, and facial expression. Given the romantic and sensual context of many dances in Hindi films, the expressions deployed in Hindi film dance are often amorous, sensual or seductive.

In the early dances of Indian cinema, film dance directors drew heavily on Indian performing arts, not the least as dancers trained in the classical dances migrated into the film industry. As they adopted classical movements, and themes, they also integrated the use of Abhinaya, particularly as facial expression and related camera conventions, into the Hindi film dance repertoire. For example, Abhinaya allows (Waheeda Rehman) to gently seduce, court and intrigue through facial expression in Jaane Kya Tune Kahi (Pyaasa 1957).

Watch Jaane Kya Tune Kahi Video

As dances in Hindi films change over time, expression remains important as Hindi filmmakers tend to use dance to accompany and express song lyrics through choreography that incorporates and builds on expressive elements.

In Birju Maharaj’s careful use of Abhinaya in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s remake of Devdas, the courtesan Chandramukhi (Madhuri Dixit) uses expression to communicate her vulnerability, desire and dignity through a dance choreographed, staged and filmed to express these emotions.

Watch Maar Dala Video

Nuance in expression may be used to communicate a transition from hesitation to arousal through seductive dances. Expressions communicated through dances are often crucial in anticipating further narrative development in the films. Expression creates the emotional and narrative meaning for song and dance sequences in Hindi films.

Payal Kadakia's Sa Company Born in NYC

2009-05-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

I met Payal Kadakia years ago. Back then, she put all her efforts into forming Chamak, MIT's first Indian film dance themed dance troupe. I wrote about her troupe and stayed in-and-out of touch with Payal after she graduated and moved to NYC.

Most South Asian undergrads find it hard to keep up with their Bollywood dance after they leave college, but this was clearly not the case for Payal. She kept dancing and even became an assistant choreographer for Pooja Narang's Bollywood Axion. Now, I hear she has launched Sa Dance Company, her very own 14 member strong dance troupe dedicated to her exploration of South Asian dance!

I look forward to seeing her new work.

Bharati Comes to Prague

2007-12-23T10:14:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, Bharati, the show that decribes itself as the "wonder that was India," came to Prague. Though many cringed at the pricey tickets (starting at around 2000 Czech crowns), the audience that finally turned up for the show was sizeable, but now big enough to fill the performance venue.

Of course, we didn't actually get to become an audience for the show for quite a while. In a poignant commentary on current Central European immigration issues, the company was apparently delayed at the border when coming in from Poland, a country crazed by Bollywood. More than an hour after the scheduled time, we were finally allowed to enter the Congress Hall. The lights dimmed and we were off to meet Bharati.

As someone involved with the Indian film dance industry, I brought more than a healthy critical eye to the show. This perspective was not necessarily eased by the fact that I previously met several of the performers a few years earlier when I attended their rehearsals in Mumbai. I had heard their praise and complaints. I had also interviewed Bhavna Pani, the female lead, and had learned about her extensive Odissi training and dreams of Bollywood stardom. Still, I was determined to leave these insider tidbits at the door to witness Bharati as it presented itself to me on that wintry December evening.

Centered around the time tried boy-meets-girl-but-family-resists formula , the story soon fell by the wayside as the audience drifted from scene to scene, from dance to dance. The show featured an rainbow-like extravaganza of Bollywood dance songs, that stood in for India as a whole. Ranging from mainstay classics like Nimbooda Nimbooda to a little less known items like Woh Sharabi, Kya Sharabi, we were easily carried by the melodies and rhythms. The live musical interludes and well designed projections added immensely to the show. In fact, the "bhol" bantering of the percussionists was definitely a key show highlight. Some of the national symbolism (costumes in the color of the national flag, and flag waving in general) was admittedly a little heavy-handed. But I am sure the Indian Embassy staff left the theater feeling a little taller!

While much of the dance choregraphy followed the conventional, there was one dance that had me sitting on the edge of my chair. In a stage reworking of the driving in-front of a screen backdrop motif, the dancers traversed the countryside, through rain or shine, to the rhythms of Dil to Pagal Hai. The brilliantly executed choreography and staging of this sequence made up for more conventional, though spectacular, scenes.

In true Bollywood dance style, the show ended with a "get up and dance" moment, which would have been better had the Czech moderator actually been able to execute the movements himself. And yes, I confess that I breathed a secret sigh of relief when the curtain finally dropped.

As we spilled out of the theater and braved icy winds to the metro, I had one more confession to make: all in all, this show was a colorful, mindless and uplifting way to gear up for a long Central European winter.

What is Bollywood Dance?

2006-10-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

Generally speaking, Bollywood dance is a term used by film professionals, amateur performers, and audiences to describe dances choreographed to film songs. Though dances, as choreographed movements set to musical accompaniment, appeared in films soon after the introduction of film technology to India in 1896, the use of Bollywood dance as a term to describe dances choreographed to Hindi film songs is much more recent. First references to Bollywood Dance as a movement category date back to the early 1990s and coincide with a wave of transnational expansion within the Hindi film industry ushered in, at least in part, by pro-market reforms in India and the simultaneous coming of age of the South Asian diaspora in the United Kingdom, Australia, and United States. Today, Bollywood dance is often used to describe both dance movements contained in Hindi films and live performances inspired by these sequences. Inspired by Hindi films and evidenced by the proliferation of new and fresh dance videos uploaded to Youtube.com, Bollywood dance has today become a global phenomenon. It is not just that Bollywood films are being shown all over the world. It is also that their dance sequences are performed live in great proliferation.

As an example of how Bollywood dance travels between film and performancer, here is a dance set the song Dhoom Again, from the Hindi film Dhoom 2:

(Watch the Dhoom Again Dance Film choreographed by Shiamak Davar)

And, here is one of the many ways in which dancers around the world have interpreted it as live performance :

(Watch the Dhoom Again Live Dance Performance Uploaded on Youtube)

Over the past decade, Bollywood classes have sprung up in many cities in India and abroad. In Germany, instructional DVDs extol the cultural authenticity and health benefits of Bollywood dance. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s West End musical Bombay Dreams brings Indian film dance firmly into the spotlight in London and New York. In the United States, staged versions of Hindi film dances dominate South Asian and Indian cultural shows, where these dances become opportunities for the performance of diasporic cultural identities. In India, Bollywood dance instructors promise new and lean bodies to their urban clientele. The growing popularity of Bollywood dance through film, Internet, classes, informal performances, and professional productions provides a powerful testimony how huge Bollywood dance has become.