Shinjini Kulkarni on dance, cinema and more

The young, talented Kathak dancer Shinjini Kulkarni, who is the ninth generation of Kalka Bindadin lineage, is also the granddaughter of the late Kathak maestro Pandit Birju Maharaj. She is all set to present the city with a solo recital, Kashi Utsav, in the city, which is a tribute to her grandfather Pandit Mohan Lal Mishra. Ahead of her show, we speak to her about her performances, her experience in cinema and more.

Tell us about your performance in Kolkata.

I will present the traditional style of solo Kathak, and certain aspects of Lucknow Gharana, which is my gharana of Kathak. I will be presenting some old compositions of my grandfather Pandit Birju Maharaj, along with some newer compositions by my uncle Pandit Jai Kishan Maharaj. In the Nritya section, I will be doing a Teen Taal and Jai Taal — a 13-beat time cycle — which is very rare. Not many people perform that. I will also be doing an Abhinaya Paksha piece, most probably a Dadra, composed by my great grandfather Pandit Bindadin Maharaj.

You have toured across the globe. How different is it performing in Kolkata?

Kolkata has by far the toughest audience. They are seasoned true art connoisseurs and very vocal about their critiques. So, you have to be wellprepared and sure of what you are performing. I think there are very few cities left in India like Kolkata, Pune and Benares, which have a conscious audience base.

You have performed in a few movies, including Har Har Byomkesh. How different is it to shoot for a film?

When one is performing on stage, there is a certain kind of energy that is flowing through, and there’s a kind of spiritualistic inspiration you keep on getting. When on a set, there are multiple shots, multiple takes, and technical disturbances. So, it is more challenging. You have to recreate the same expressions and same steps multiple times for the sake of continuity. The approach is very different. But on a positive note, performances in films have a farreaching impact, and reach a much wider audience that classical arts can truly benefit from in today’s age.

Upcoming projects?

I will perform next in Chandigarh, Indore and Delhi. I am working on a production on Mirabai, collaborating with vocalist Padmashri Sumitra Guha, and another ballet production, in collaboration with Muzaffar Ali, called Huma. I am doing a project in collaboration with the Prabha Khaitan Foundation on Rabindranath Tagore’s death anniversary, in which we are exploring his women characters, who are way ahead of their times, and were not necessarily the most chaste ones, and had their shades of grey. 

Shinjini is performing on July 2. At GD Birla Sabhagar. 5.30 pm onwards

Also Read: A dance through the decades