While some break their heads disputing with their neighbouring states over water and language, some are busy doing the thapanguchi on the dance floor. This South Indian cultural treasure blurs all lines. Especially when people unabashedly start busting those pelvic moves to Ram Charan's Kung Fu Kumari or Dhanush' s Otha Sollaala. But what is so special about thapanguchi that binds kings, peasants and everyone in between alike on the dance floor?
Veena Basavarajaiah, a contemporary dancer/choreographer, believes that music and beats know no language. "Anything with a beat evokes a primordial response in us. It is not just confined to tapanguchi. There are African and South American beats that evoke similar movements and people respond to those beats.The repetition of a simple energising beat and the fact that the movements are simple to follow are what makes dances like these catchy and popular."
Dhruv Sarja's unforgettable Ah Ammate is still a first pick for many. Like Ashitha Chopra, a post graduation student of Mass Communication, who believes that this dance blurs gender lines and perception. "It doesn't restrict any one to perform in a certain way. Its dancing the way you want." She also feels that it breaks the whole north-south language barrier as such songs and dance are very popular on Hindi reality dance shows.
Does the language of these songs make a difference? Not to Karun Wilson, a post graduate student of Botany, who has a 'who cares what the language is' approach towards the subject. "If a kickass song is being played, we don't pause to think which language the song is or who the composer is or to which state he belongs. We just enjoy the song and dance to it," he declares.
So what is so alluring about thapanguchi that youngsters find hard to resist? Answering in very simple words that any lay 'dance-person' can understand, Jayanth, a dance instructor/choreographer at Studio Venus says, "It is the only form where all the people can connect and perform together. Be it Telugu , Kannada or Tamil. They just enjoy the beats and forget everything else." The Sandalwood number Kuladalli Kilavudho is a favourite among his student he adds.
— Jeevan Biswas
