Shinjini Kulkarni, 30, the granddaughter of Pandit Birju Maharaj did not want to be a dancer. Continuation of the nine-generation legacy of her family was not top of her mind—the civil services were. “I always loved Kathak, but I never considered it as a professional career. My mother chose a different path, she is a visual artist, so is my father, so, it was never expected of me to choose Kathak as a career,” says Kulkarni.
However, as she immersed herself in her preparations for the UPSC examinations ten years ago, she realised that it would mean a strenuous schedule, leaving little time for Kathak. And it was not a sacrifice that the scion of the Kalka Bindadin Gharana was willing to make. As she gears up to perform ‘Kasturi’, a musical tribute to Rabindranath Tagore, she goes back in time to the beginning of the decade when she made that momentous decision.
In 2014, after graduating from St Stephen’s College and returning to Lucknow, the family home, Kulkarni was presented with a great opportunity. “I was asked to perform because I belonged to a family of Kathak dancers known for exceptional artistry. So, I had the privilege of people who were willing to bet on me,” she recalls. This experience, however, was just the beginning; she was yet to fully commit to pursuing Kathak professionally.
Following her performance, Kulkarni received an unexpected call. An audience member invited her to perform at another event. “The caller had no knowledge of my background or heritage. He simply said, ‘You are a new dancer, and we encourage new talent’,” she recalls. This invitation, from someone unaware of her family’s legacy, was deeply satisfying.
“I had been performing since the age of five, often due to my family connections. Even my first professional show was ‘given’ to me. However, receiving this call from someone solely interested in my talent felt like validation. It was the first time I felt I had truly earned an opportunity,” she says. From that moment on, Kulkarni’s resolve to pursue Kathak professionally was unwavering. And her journey of finding her own place began.
Inheritance and individuality
One of the greatest challenges for an artiste, particularly one inheriting a legacy, is to establish their unique identity within an art form passed down through generations. There is a constant struggle between maintaining tradition and adding a personal touch. “If you had spoken to me 10 years ago, I would have said I wanted to find my voice,” Kulkarni reflects. “However, now, with experience, I realise that what truly matters is the art itself, and one’s individuality must take a back seat.”
Kulkarni believes each artiste is an individual but the argument for individuality must not be allowed to overshadow the art. “For example, while some actors tend to let their personal traits dominate the characters they portray, a good actor ‘becomes’ the character and transforms it. The same applies to dancers. In Kathak, we have ‘abhinay’, where we portray roles and tell stories. True achievement lies in moulding ourselves into the roles we play,” she says.
Growing up with Birju Maharaj
Does inheriting the legacy become difficult because of her gender? Not really. “I do not think inheriting the legacy as a granddaughter (Birju Maharaj is her maternal grandfather) as such was tricky. The tricky part was inheriting the maternal family’s legacy,” she says. Carrying the paternal side of the profession is more easily acceptable, while “when you take forward your maternal family’s profession, a lot of people dismiss you for not being the ‘true torchbearer’.” To Kulkarni, this no longer matters. She grew up with legends around her, learning directly from them. “So even if some people dismiss it, it does not change the reality,” she says.
Interestingly enough, growing up, Kulkarni was unaware of her grandfather’s stature. “I would chill with him, joke around with him and often share my crushes with him too. I took all kinds of liberties with him that the rest of the world dared not,” she says. It was only when she became a teenager that she realised the importance of her grandfather. “Whoever carries on the baton, whether it is me or my cousins, what is important is that we understand that we all are the soldiers of the Lucknow Gharana, and we must take it forward,” she says.
The grind
The responsibility of carrying forward a legend’s legacy, however, takes a lot of time, effort and training. “What people see on the stage is just 10 per cent of what actually goes behind it,” she says. There is more to it than glamour. “The most frustrating part is the birthing of an idea. You can go to any party, but your mind will be stuck
on your idea. Then there are trainings, rehearsals with fellow performers, sessions with light designers, set designers—so much goes behind the scenes,” she says.
Creation and conceptualisation of a production sometimes take more than a year, as it was in the case of ‘Kasturi’, she says, “The idea behind ‘Kasturi’ was to introduce Rabindranath Tagore to a pan-Indian [audience]. This idea struck me last year in March. People know about him, but not his works, as not everyone understands Bangla. Through this, we want to touch upon the different aspects of his genius and bring it into a performance,” she says.
‘Kasturi’ is on at Kamani Auditorium today, from 7 pm onwards