Anna Rao Gangavalli

At Ethnic Hall, Shilparamam, Madhapur, a Kathak recital took an unconventional approach to the familiar idea of devotion. Aavahan: Some Dialogues with the Divine, presented by Aangan and Nadee School of Movement, explored prayer not as ritual or surrender, but as an intimate conversation between the seeker and the divine. The 40-minute solo production was performed by Niral Uprit, an Indore-based dancer who has trained in Kathak since the age of five and is a senior disciple of Guru Damayanti Miradwal. Uprit is also the founder of Technrityam, a digital riyaz companion for Indian classical arts, and works as a public speaker and writer while studying management science. The performance created an intimate setting for its central idea. A line of flowers bordered the dance space, while Uprit appeared in a flowing, silvery-white costume that complemented the movement. A telephone placed on a table became an unusual theatrical device through which the Gods were “summoned” one after another. A carved wooden screen provided transitions between sections.

Ganesha, Shiva, Devi and Krishna were each approached through a distinct musical and choreographic language. Rather than retelling their familiar stories, however, the production questioned how people inherit forms of devotion. The dancer-seeker encounters the silence or ambiguity that can follow conventional prayers and begins to question whether inherited ways of asking and accepting can remain meaningful.

The production therefore sought a more personal path to the divine. Traditional Kathak compositions and Sanskrit shlokas shared the stage with spoken word, English voiceover and original Hindi poetry. Ancient and contemporary elements were placed side by side, turning mythology into a subject of enquiry rather than simply narration. The prerecorded music, composed by Savni Bhatt, combined singing, instrumental passages, recitation and voiceover. Tabla and pakhawaj formed the rhythmic foundation, while harmonium provided melodic support. The bansuri was particularly prominent in the Krishna section, adding a distinct melodic character to the movement.

Kathak’s rhythmic vocabulary remained central to the production. Teentaal featured in the invocatory and celebratory sections, including Ganesha and Devi, as well as the final movement. The Shiva bandish used Roopak, whose uneven cycle brought urgency to the section. Ektaal appeared during faster passages, allowing Uprit’s swift movements and chakkars to heighten the performance’s intensity. Kavitts, parans and bandishes were woven into the choreography alongside Sanskrit verses from the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. These textual elements operated as another layer of meaning beneath the dance, connecting the physical vocabulary of Kathak with the philosophical questions at the heart of the production. Uprit differentiated the four deities through rhythm, expression and movement. Her portrayal of Shiva, in particular, combined poetic composition with a striking interpretation of the Lord of Dance. The Krishna section drew on the interplay between flute, voice and choreography. Across the recital, clean footwork, controlled angika patterns and fleet chakkars demonstrated her command of the classical form. The performance gradually moved towards its central philosophical insight. As the dancer addresses the deities and finds that their answers repeatedly return the questions to her, the search turns inward. The ultimate realisation echoes the Advaita understanding that what one seeks outside may ultimately be discovered within the self. Aavahan thus emerged as an exploration of seeking, questioning and self-discovery through Kathak. Its distinctive quality lay in bringing a traditional Indian classical form into dialogue with contemporary theatrical devices, original poetry, technology and philosophical enquiry. The programme was organised and introduced by Aditi Rao Ashtaputre, founder of Nadee School of Movement. The performance was received with appreciation,particularly for the way it retained the discipline of Kathak while creating space for a contemporary interpretation of devotion.