How Ranveer Singh's Kathak Performance In RARKPK Establishes A Strong Case Of Art Above Gender

“Ap apni beti se mujra kyu karwa rhe ho? (Why are you making your daughter perform mujra)” said a man to my mother while I was on stage performing on Rekha’s famous ‘Dil Cheez Kya Hai’ from ‘Umrao Jaan’ (1981). I was a little girl, maybe not more than 10, but the man’s comment had a lasting impression on my mother’s memory. She told me about it when I was a 15 or 16-year-old teenager. Since then, I have always wondered why someone would pass a comment like that when I was performing Kathak on that song.

I realised that in the Hindi cinema, we have only seen courtesans performing Kathak, one of the oldest classical dance forms of India. The postures, footwork, and rhythm that I have admired since I was 2.5 years old have been portrayed in mainstream cinema as something that only courtesans would do in their rather shimmery and glitzy anarkali outfits.

How could the audience not consider the dance form to be feminine and something that is only performed to entice men? They were fed this notion constantly through films. From Meena Kumari in ‘Pakeezah’ and Rekha in ‘Umaro Jaan’ to Madhuri Dixit in ‘Devdas’ and Deepika Padukone in ‘Bajirao Mastani’, actors gave memorable performances but their role was downgraded to that of a nachaniya (courtesan).

It was until last week, July 30, 2023, when I saw Karan Johar’s directorial ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ and felt that Kathak dancers around the world might be able to relate with Tota Roy Chowdhary aka Chandan Chatterjee.

‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ Establishes Case Of Art Above Gender Roles

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In a scene, Dhanalakshmi Randhawa, played by Jaya Bachchan, wanted to humiliate Tota Roy. She declared in a Punjabi wedding celebration that he was a phenomenal dancer who would entertain the audience. Unknown of the malicious intentions of Dhanalakshmi, Roy performed Kathak on ‘Kaahe Chhed’ from ‘Devdas’. People started laughing at him.

At home, disheartened Roy explained to Rocky, played by Ranveer Singh, that he was always interested in becoming a professional Kathak dancer. His father used to beat him, and his friends used to make fun of him. They told him that his choice of profession was not manly enough. But his mother Jamini Chatterjee, played by Shabana Azmi, supported him despite all odds.

Hearing Roy’s ordeal, Rocky poured his heart out about his family not finding it much enough for him to dance. As the two accepted each other’s differences and hugged it out, the next morning Rocky’s gesture to attend Roy’s Kathak class moved him.

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Ranveer Singh’s Kathak Performance In ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ Broke Gender Stereotypes

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During Durga Puja, Rocky and Roy gave a mesmerising Kathak performance on ‘Dola Re Dola’ from ‘Devdas’. While it moved the Chatterjees, Randhawas were furious. However, looking at two men performing Kathak in a Dharma movie was a sort of validation for me.

Not many people would know, but the most popular Gurus of Kathak in India have always been men. Pandit Birju Maharaj, Pandit Lachhu Maharaj, and Pandit Durga Lal have always been the epitome of grace. Pandit Birju Maharaj even choreographed several Kathak-based performances in Bollywood films.

I never doubted the art and what it stands for, but I always wished to see it being portrayed as something more. It is an art of storytelling in which the artist does not even say a single work but their expressions are worth a thousand words. The song of Ghungroo takes us to the world in which the artist has established their characters.

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Singh’s performance was a reminder that we should keep art above gender, and looking at him perform Kathak made the little girl inside me clap so hard. It was as if I was trying to tell everyone around me that the dance form goes beyond the barriers our society has confined it to.

I have seen my guru, Ruchi Sharma, international Kathak Dancer and founder of Urvashi Dance Academy in Agra and other artists leaving their audience mesmerised several times with their performances. The discourse around Kathak in ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ will strike a chord with artists who are trying their bit to keep one of India’s ancient classical dance forms alive.

Stay tuned to HerZindagi for more such film analyses.