BENGALURU: I have noticed whenever I meet with my ilk (people), my soul feels uplifted and I’m back to feeling that there is a purpose for my existence. I have been put on terra-firma, to fly like there is no horizon, to dance like no one is watching, to motivate and be motivated, to laugh, sing and all the things that don’t contribute much to one’s financial kitty but torrentially pour down on you artistically. It fulfils some deep-seated need to contribute and be surrounded with beautiful-talent.
From a very young age I was irresistibly drawn toward all types of performing arts. I could sing, dance, act, draw and make people laugh. My mom often called me a ‘nautanki’ (drama queen) and I would beam with pride at being called one! Right through school and college, I was popular, because I would light up the moment I hit the stage.
Even now, my heart lifts and my artistic genes sing (don’t call me a snob now) every time I am in an artistic space. My soul-sistah and friend, a danseuse par-excellence Madhu Nataraj invited me to witness ‘poetry-in-motion’, a dance ballet by her institute, Natya STEM Dance Kampni. As she eloquently stated: ‘Kathas retold through vintage and contemporary choreographies’.
The beauty of the shows that Madhu presents is that she herself becomes the ‘kathakar’ or story-teller weaving a mesmerising tale of how historical veracity coexists with artistic resilience! It was an exercise in sheer beauty. The clap of the dancer’s feet on the wooden stage told a story with the tinkle of their ‘ghungroos’. I was elated as I whispered the stories and their significance to a young-man (a fan) who sat next to me on the stairs of the packed auditorium.
I felt flushed, and my heart thumped as hard as the dancer’s feet. I was truly blessed that day to be in the presence of such passion and dedication. My lithe and beautiful friend, Madhu, has fiercely and passionately kept her mother, the uber-talented Dr Maya Rao’s legacy alive.
I learned something new that day. Since Kathak as a dance form has survived through the ages from being temple dancers to dancing in the Mughal courts, perhaps the awe-inspiring twirls, which is a hall-mark of Kathak dancing came from the Sufi whirling dervishes! After my small sojourn to Sri Lanka, the beautiful little island with its gentle people and familiar cuisine has grown on me. There is a familiarity about the island where one is at home and still in a foreign land.
I had a chance to taste their multi-faceted cuisine once again when I was invited by writer-food aficionado Rupali Dean, and her daughter Akanksha to dine at a pop-up of Sri Lankan food in the tasteful environs of Le Cirque, Leela Palace. This meal promised to have a modern contemporary presentation without losing the quintessential flavours of Sri Lankan cuisine. To say I was intrigued was an understatement! The handsome Chef Rukie accompanied with his lovely assistants Senuri and Yasara from the Galle-Face Hotel in Colombo were an instant hit with their friendly demeanour and deep-seated knowledge of the gastronomic and beverage legacy of their charming island-home.
“What you leave as a legacy is not what is etched in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”.
