
Kathak dancer Shinjini Kulkarni's Aarohan lights up Delhi with classical brilliance
Aarohan is the brainchild of celebrated Kathak dancer Shinjini Kulkarni
advertisementThe evening opened with a ceremonial live painting of Lord Jagannath by artist Kannu Behra. This was followed by a three-part Kathak segment choreographed by Shinjini Kulkarni, performed by junior, intermediate, and senior students of the academy.
The segment began with a Teentaal presentation, rooted in traditional compositions.
Junior students presented Teentaal
Intermediate students, including Aahana Darad and Prapti Chaudhuri, lit up the stage with a graceful Tarana in Raag Raageshri.
Intermediate students presented a graceful Tarana in Raag Raageshri
advertisementThe performance culminated in Yauvan Shringar, a lyrical exploration of youthful love, brought to life by the senior student group led by Divyanshi Singh, Lalita Nishad, and Gouri Deshmukh. Nishha Ashish Jain, founder of Noida-based Thirkan Dance Academy, also featured in the majestic closing act.
Yauvan Shringar was headlined by Gouri Deshmukh, Divyanshi Singh and Lalita Nishad (L-R)
Students of renowned Kathak dancer Mayukh Bhattacharya also delivered a stunning performance.The showstopper was a rare duet by two living legends - Dr Nandkishore Kapote and Bipul Chandra Das - accompanied by a powerhouse ensemble: Zakir Hussain Warsi on tabla, Zubair Hussain's vocals, Janab Ejaz Ahmad on the sarangi along with Shinjini Kulkarni and Pandit Kishan Mohan Maharaj's bols.
Dr Nandkishore Kapote and Bipul Chandra Das presented a Kathak duet
Aarohan, thus, was a reaffirmation of the enduring spirit of India's classical arts and a call to keep them alive for generations to come.- Ends
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


India.com
6 hours ago
- India.com
Meet Madhuri Dixit's sisters, trained Kathak dancers, as gorgeous as her, work as..., their names are...
Meet Madhuri Dixit's sisters, trained Kathak dancers, as gorgeous as her, works as..., their names are... Madhuri Dixit is one of the most iconic and beloved stars in Bollywood. Even at the age of 57, she continues to captivate audience with her grace, beauty and impeccable charm. In 1984, the actress made her Bollywood debut with Abodh and then went on to become one of the biggest stars in Indian cinema. However, do you know Madhuri has two sisters who are as gorgeous as her yet chooses to stay away from the limelight? Madhuri Dixit was born on 15 May 1967 into a Marathi Kokanastha Brahmin family to Shankar and Snehlata Dixit. She has two elder sisters, Rupa Dixit and Bharti Dixit, and a brother, Ajit Dixit. While Madhuri became a cultural icon, her siblings kept a low profile and preferred to stay away from the entertainment industry.


New Indian Express
3 days ago
- New Indian Express
Cycles of time embellished
Traditions are like rivers, they always find a way to keep flowing. Over the ages, Kathak has demonstrated malleability like no other tradition and the credit for this also goes to the practitioners who have shown grit and grace in times of adversities. This has evolved Kathak and it has freed it also from many shackles of its original construct. I reached out to Vidha Lal, a ravishing Kathak dancer, to learn more on how a presentation of Kathak can be best enjoyed. Our conversations begins with Vidha, reminiscing on some of her own experiences of the dance form. 'My earliest memory of Kathak was when my father had taken me to a Birla temple where I saw a group presentation by Smt Uma Sharma. I was only six when I witnessed the performance, but it had a lasting impact on me. It was magical! While as a six-year-old the costumes created the necessary first impression, but today if I were to recollect and analyse why that presentation of Kathak captivated me, then I would attribute it to the synchronised movements of the dancers. At that time, I could never tell one from the other; everyone looked the same, everyone danced well,' she recalls.


The Hindu
4 days ago
- The Hindu
CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby seeks Bharat Ratna for percussion artists
CPI(M) General Secretary M.A. Baby, a connoisseur of Carnatic music, made a strong case for awarding the Bharat Ratna to percussionists in India, stating that percussion music had reached 'Himalayan heights' in the country. 'There is not only Umayalpuram Sivaraman. There were Kishan Maharaj, Alla Rakha, Zakir Hussain, and Samta Prasad. But the highest honour, like the Bharat Ratna, has gone only to Bhimsen Joshi, Bismillah Khan, M.S. Subbulakshmi, Ravi Shankar, and Lata Mangeshkar,' he said during a conversation with Mr. Sivaraman at The Hindu office in Chennai on Sunday (July 13, 2025). Mr. Baby's friendship with Mr. Sivaraman dates back to several decades. He has organised many concerts and even persuaded Mr. Sivaraman to perform for Kathak dancer Birju Maharaj. He added that the Music Academy and The Hindu should play a role in advocating Bharat Ratna recognition for percussion artists. 'This is the most appropriate platform to raise the question: why has a percussion artist never been given the Bharat Ratna? No one deserves it more than Umayalpuram Sivaraman. He is already a Padma Vibhushan awardee. The music fraternity should raise its voice for the recognition that is long overdue. Why is the government not listening to such a sane voice in the field of music and culture?' he asked. He also recalled an incident in which tabla maestro Kishan Maharaj criticised the Centre for its miserly attitude toward conferring awards on musicians. 'Unless we live for 80 or 85 years, no national honour will come to us,' Mr. Baby quoted Kishan Maharaj as saying at an event in Delhi attended by Union Ministers. The CPI(M) leader further pointed out inadequacies and partialities in the selection of awardees. 'Of course, there are genuine North Indian artists, but genuine South Indian artists have not been sufficiently considered,' he said. Mr. Sivaraman said that long ago, he had suggested to the Sangeet Natak Akademi that it institute an award in memory of the legendary nagaswaram player T.N. Rajarathinam Pillai. 'There is the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar. Institute a similar award in the name of Rajarathinam Pillai,' he said. Mr. Baby supported this demand, saying Rajarathinam Pillai was equal in stature to Bismillah Khan. Mr. Sivaraman, who has performed with four generations of musicians, said he was ready to accompany the next generation as well. He also described the specific playing styles required for accompanying great musicians such as Mudikondan Venkatrama Iyer, Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, G.N. Balasubramanian, Madurai Mani Iyer, T.R. Mahalingam, and M.D. Ramanathan. Speaking on the subject of creativity, Mr. Sivaraman cited poet Kalidasa to explain his philosophy: 'Don't think everything old is good; don't criticise everything new as bad. People with wisdom will always select the best from the old and the best from the new. That is my motto,' he said. N. Ram, former Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu, who introduced the two, said the event was meant to highlight and celebrate an unusual association and a relationship that blossomed into enduring friendship. He said that Mr. Baby first encountered Mr. Sivaraman's music during the Emergency, when he was semi-underground and courted arrest. 'His elder brother advised him to visit a temple and listen to concerts. That is how he first discovered the great music of Mr. Sivaraman,' he said.