“Deepika will certainly be among the danseuses who carry the torch of Indian dance forward with distinction” read the headline of an article published in the Deccan Chronicle when she made her debut in 1976. And how right it was. 47 years and hundreds of magnificent Kuchipudi performances later, Deepika Reddy has been chosen as a recipient of the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.
“When I got the news I was overwhelmed with joy. My decades-long journey passed through my mind in a flash, bringing happy tears to my eyes. This recognition has made me more responsible,” Deepika says. Reminiscing her introduction to dance, she says, “Dance has been an integral part of my life. When I was a kid, I would watch the performances of stalwarts and be mesmerised by them.”
Coming from a culturally-inclined family, it was only a matter of time before she took her first steps on stage. “When I started learning Kuchipudi, I followed my gurus blindly, trusting them. Fortunately, I never felt any stage fear, but my mother, who was a Bharatanatyam dancer herself, was nervous before my Rangapravesam. Both my parents were lovers of the performing arts. They urged me to follow my heart,” she says.
Interestingly, it was Deepika’s mother who felt that her body language would be better suited to Kuchipudi than to Bharatanatyam. And the tryst with dance that began then hasn’t ended since. Deepika says that she is lucky to have a husband and in-laws who are fans of her work. “My husband Shyam Gopal Reddy has always encouraged me to break barriers. He is my pillar of strength, and my mother-in-law is my biggest fan. We were family friends before I got married. My mother-in-law has even preserved my Rangapravesam brochure,” she says, fondly.
The family’s love for the performing arts doesn’t end with her; Deepika has passed on the baton to her twins Shloka and Abhinav. Shloka is a Kuchipudi dancer, like her mother, and Abhinav is a trained Carnatic singer as well as a tennis player.
Being performers themselves, the kids understand that shows keep her away from home for days at a stretch. “My children have never complained that I am not around. They’ve always encouraged me to travel and perform all over the world,” Deepika says, adding, “I recently performed in Turkey, where I last performed in 2007. After the show, a few guests came up to me and said that they had watched me in 2007, and they remembered me. It felt really nice.”
The veteran dancer’s performances are not confined to traditional themes and mythological stories. She also uses them to promote the art and crafts of the Telugu states and address environmental issues, without diverting from the grammar that governs Kuchipudi. “My evolution as a performer is ongoing. I began as a student, then became a performer, a guru, and finally a choreographer. I have enjoyed all the roles equally, but I feel the role of a guru and a choreographer is most challenging. You have to understand each student’s capabilities and guide them accordingly. I want every show that I am a part of to be memorable. The organisers should invite me again solely for my talent, and not because someone has recommended me,” the danseuse concludes.
