When you checked out Kumudini Lakhia’s mild, modest and cheerful persona, you might have hardly imagined she was a lady with immense interior energy and a steely resolve. After all, she fought the patriarchal setup in the Kathak world in her personal quiet manner, and inspired many younger ladies to pursue dance on their phrases. And this was about 60 years in the past, when the masters’ diktat couldn’t be defied. She designed a definite choreographic vocabulary to free the dance type of its restrictive repertoire and regressive narratives. Her works, with their up to date sensibility, drew the world’s consideration. Her greatest contribution to dance is remodeling the typical picture of a lady performer — from an unquestioning to a considering artiste.
Kumudini Lakhia handed away on Saturday morning at her residence in Ahmedabad. She was 95. The funeral befell on Saturday afternoon. A prayer assembly will likely be held on April 15 (9 a.m.) at Sindhu Bhavan, Bodakdev, Ahmedabad.
Kumudini and Ram Gopal
| Photo Credit:
Courtesy: Kadamb
The celebrated artiste was conferred with the Padma Vibhushan on Republic Day this yr in recognition of her lifelong dedication to Kathak. She was awarded the Padma Shri in 1987 and the Padma Bhushan in 2010, alongside with a number of different prestigious honours.
From instructing in a small house in her husband’s car store to beginning her faculty Kadamb in 1965, Kumudini (Kumiben to her college students and admirers) was happier being a trainer than a performer. During conversations, she devoted a lot of the time speaking about her college students and the way she doesn’t need them to merely replicate her concepts.
Says Rupanshi Kashyap, one in all her senior college students, “Kadamb has been a home away from home. A hands-on guru, Kumiben was always available for us. Her training method was unique, she wanted us to develop a personal equation with the art. She was delighted when we came up with our inputs to her productions.”
Kumudini Lakhia’s college students performing one in all her common works ‘Atah Kim’ in New Delhi.
| Photo Credit:
Courtesy: Kadamb
During an interview with The Hindu, Kumudini as soon as mentioned, “I hate slavish obedience. My students should never hesitate to question — that is the only way to make learning and teaching exciting.”
Bengaluru-based dancer couple Nirupama and Rajendra, in a Facebook publish, highlighted how a trainer can go away a long-lasting impression on her college students. “During the last week of February, we visited her. When we told her that her art, her legacy continues here in the south through many youngsters learning and performing her compositions, her technique, she held our hands tight and kissed. Her eyes were moist. She proudly mentioned those students’ names who were all doing good work in various cities and different parts of the world. It was great to see Kummiben brimming with pride and she said — “I don’t just teach dance, I create dancers,” it learn.
Pandit Birju Maharaj presenting the ‘Pandit Achhan Maharaj Kalajyoti Award’ to Kumudini Lakhia at Kamani Auditorium in New Delhi on March 10, 2008.
| Photo Credit:
S. Subramanium
Exposed to the life and works of dancers forward of their time, Kumudini, regardless of her coaching in conventional Kathak, travelled to London to affix the pioneering Ram Gopal, who put Indian dance on the international tradition map. He launched her to a broader definition of dance — past the physique. “When touring with him I realised choreography is not just about well-conceptualised movements, it’s also about well-coordinated lighting, costume, makeup and music,” she had defined.
These associations and travels served as a catalyst in her fixed seek for new materials. Though as a soloist, Kumudini blazed by means of the classical idiom with monumental success. Her starvation for challenges led her to undertake an unconventional approach and elegance. She got here up with summary themes, which stood out for his or her ballet-like jumps and glides. The pared-down costume and equipment gave her group works a up to date really feel whereas the music retained an Indian classical flavour.
Kumudini Lakhia was identified for her distinct type
| Photo Credit:
Courtesy: Kadamb
“I did what I did not because I wanted to be called an experimentalist or an innovator. When you are constantly living with the art, it begins to mirror your thoughts and emotions. So I see myself in Kathak and my dance is what I am,” she had mentioned.
Published – April 12, 2025 09:29 pm IST
