Rani Mukherjee angers Odissi dancers |
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  Rani Mukherjee and (right) angry Odissi dancer Aruna Mohanty The Odissi dance fraternity in Orissa is furious with Bollywood actress Rani Mukherjee for what they perceive as an insult to Odissi.
Rani Mukherjee performed a filmi dance at the IIFA awards function dressed in Odissi costume and hurt the sentiments of celebrated Odissi dancers.
Aruna Mohanty, noted Odissi dancer and secretary of Orissa Dance Academy, the premier dance institute in Orissa, said, She had no business to do the filmi dance wearing an Odissi costume. She is learning Odissi. She should know how to maintain the dignity of the classical dance form.
Incidentally Rani has been learning Odissi from Mumbai-based Odissi guru Rabindra Atibuddhi, the teacher of Meenakshi Seshadri and Eesha Deol.
A well-known male Odissi dancer, remarked, Like guru like disciple. Atibuddhi knows very little Odissi and when he came to the workshop in Bhubaneswar some years back it was a shame to watch him perform. He was an embarrassment.
There are many who agree. Ramahari Jena, the first national award winning painter from Orissa and reputed printmaker, said, When I saw her executing mudras in the first few minutes I was impressed.
"But then she began wiggling and sashaying in true filmi style with the Odissi costume on. It was an eye sore and a humiliating experience.
Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and his son Ratikanta Mohapatra have not seen Ranis performance at the IIFA awards held in Johannesburg last week.
But they feel Odissi is a classical dance form and its costume being typical, the dignity of the traditional dance should be maintained.
Guru Gangadhar Pradhan the central Sangeet Natak Akademi award winner and architect of Konark Dance and Music festival agreed.
Orissa Dance Academy and other dancers are gearing up to take the issue up with both Atibuddhi and Rani demanding an apology for this perceived insult to Odissi.
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