Weaving art forms together

As she walks in, her demure nature is something that you notice first. Shubha Mudgal’s performance might be larger than life, but off-stage, she’s a very quiet person. Shubha says, “This time my performance at Chowmahalla was for a cause that is dear to my heart — revival of crafts and textiles. The entire setup, from Gaurang’s designs to the palace everything is rich in culture. I feel very connected to this cause because crafts and textiles are like any other traditional art form. And there is a need to revive it.”

Shubha’s last album released two years ago, but the artist has no worries. “An album takes up a lot of time. In the two years, I’ve collaborated with many artistes and have also come up with singles. There is a lot of scope to reach out to many people,” she says.By her own admission, Shubha loves technology and she uses it to her benefit. “Right now, social media is not being used to its full potential. We can use the net to our benefit and use it to encourage new and young artists.”

On her performance in the city, Shubha says, “I love how people mix Hindustani classical art forms and fashion or even films. It shows that one can’t ignore the various art forms that have been there for decades.”

For Sufi-Kathak artiste Manjari Chaturvedi, Hyderabad will always have a special place. It was here after all that she saw her first poster on Necklace Road about her performance. Many years and performances later, Manjari is in the city for yet another performance.

“I love performing in Hyderabad because the audience here is very kind. I once performed for two-and-a-half hours, because the audience here kept asking me to perform,” she recollects.

With a form that she calls Sufi-Kathak, she has raised eyebrows where ever she has performed. She says, “People are curious about my dance form. Most of them think it is Kathak, where I dance to Sufi music. But, it isn’t the same. Kathak is basically a form of telling stories, so I’m telling stories of Sufi saints and poets,” Manjari explains.

Manjari’s quest to learn more about Sufism took her to different parts of the country and that’s when she was exposed to Sufism as a dance form. She says, “The Whirling Dervishes play an important part in Sufism, and so, it plays an integral part in my dance.”

Today, the idea of Sufism is construed in a different way, thanks to Bollywood music, she says, “Sufi is not just songs that have the word maula in them, it’s much more than that. There are tales of love and it is more of a celebration and that is what I want to show through my dance.”

Manjari herself has always been drawn to crafts and artisans, she says, “I’m originally from UP and we’re very famous for our chikankari and Benarasi sarees, and I know that the artisans who create these weaves are struggling. Associating myself with a cause for the artisans, always makes me feel better, as I’m trying to do whatever I can to help.