How the 'Arangetram' in Bharatanatyam is burning a hole in people's pockets

Saesha Deviprasad, 19, at her Arangetram at Chembur Fine Arts Society auditorium in 2019. She says that for a dancer, the Arangetram is a privilege. Pic courtesy/Saesha Deviprasad

The first public performance for an artiste is bound to be an exciting, memorable occasion. For a student of Bharatanatyam, however, the jingle of ghungroos is often accompanied by the sound of coffers emptying as the first performance, or Arangetram, now costs so much that many are skipping it entirely.

Arangetram, which comes from the Tamil words for stage ("arangu") and ascent ("etram"), translates to "climbing or ascending the stage" and is most closely associated with Bharatanatyam, though it is practiced in other styles too. But it is Bharatanatyam which sees the most ostentatious Arangetram events.

Reshma Manoj, whose daughter Diya, 16, is studying Bharatanatyam, says the expense is what is holding them back from organising it, although Diya is ready to appear on the public stage. "The overall cost of holding an Arangetram can come up to Rs 3 lakh or more per performer," she says. "The cost of the auditorium, music, videography, dinner for guests, it all adds up. If we collaborate with other dancers, the cost gets divided and is less of a burden," she adds, "so we are thinking of doing this."

Saesha Deviprasad practised every day for two years leading up to her Arangetram. Pic courtesy/Saesha Deviprasad

Arangetram costs include the auditorium rental, costume, stage set-up (including design, lighting, and sound), musicians, and catering for the guests. Then there is the teacher's fee (Gurudakshina) and a certain number of expected gifts to be given to the teacher, including jewellery.

According to Bharatanatyam exponent, teacher, and writer Anjana Rajan, "It became a privilege of the rich. Influential people were spending a whole lot of money on Arangetrams. They were wining and dining critics, inviting them with gifts to ensure flowery pieces in the newspapers. They were also part of a movement where the hereditary practitioners of the form were being pushed out, given how caste-ridden our society is."

However, she adds, "Attention spans, audiences, and opportunities to perform have all shrunk now. For Arangetrams, you were groomed to present a full two-hour performance. That hard work, that polishing, that rigour is disappearing. There was a margam. You had to take the steps. It can't be done in half an hour."

Jaisree Pramod with her daughter Daya

Agreeing with this, Bharatanatyam teacher Jaishree Rao says, ""It depends on the guru. There are gurus who will bend over backwards to help the student complete the Arangetram. Ultimately it is not about the guru or the name or the fame, it is about the dance itself. Yes, there are gurus who demand dakshina of as much as a lakh or two. But it can definitely be done simply, for example in a temple if the temple authorities are willing. Gurudakshina is important, the teacher has to be recognised, but there are gurus who will reduce the fee if the dancer finds it difficult to afford."

The practice of holding lavish Arangetrams has been questioned from time to time in the media, and was strongly criticised in 2019 by Bharatanatyam doyenne Leela Samson at the 39th Natya Kala Conference in Chennai. In the panel discussion "Arangetram: Boon or bane?" Samson had spoken out strongly, saying she had heard of Arangetrams in the US costing as much as $75,000, and similar equivalent amounts being spent in India. "It shames me to hear the kind of money being spent. This is criminal in our time."

Reshma Manoj and her daughter Diya

In the community of dance students, teachers, and exponents, however, the peer expectations may not facilitate such simplicity. Saesha Deviprasad, 19, says, "If you held a simpler ceremony, nothing would happen, but parents want their child's Arangetram to be memorable. Nonetheless, an Arangetram is a privilege to have for a dancer whose Guru thinks she's ready to take the stage! It is also a celebration for the parents, who want to honour their child's journey and make the day memorable for everyone who comes to watch."

Deviprasad, a student of the late Guru Rajee Narayan of Nritya Geetanjali and now studying under her disciple Jaishree Rao, says her Arangetram, held in 2019, was at the Chembur Fine Arts Society auditorium - a plush venue - and was a "beautiful experience". "For someone sitting and watching you dance for two hours, it becomes more than a performance; it's an experience," she adds. Rajan says, "Arangetrams are part of the learning, so they are important, but they don't need to be lavish or expensive."

Raka Maitra and Leela Samson

"In Mumbai, the cost is not so much," says Jaisree Pramod, whose daughter Daya, 16, is learning Bharatanatyam. The Dombivli resident adds, "Here, for example, we can hire the costume, for about '400 per day. Back home in Kerala, it is more elaborate. We are expected to give the teacher a gold coin and jewellery, and the cost there is much more than here." However, Pramod says that the Arangetram, even if expensive, is worth it if the dancer is interested in pursuing dance as a career rather than a hobby. "So we will wait and see if Daya wants to go in for dance full-time," she says.

Odissi and contemporary dance exponent Raka Maitra, who is now based in Singapore, says that the practice is followed in other dance forms too. "It's called Rangapravesh, and it is such a waste of money - it's an absolute racket but parents want to do it and the teachers who organise it make money from it," she says. As with Arangetram, Rangapravesh is not compulsory, and used to be a simple event, she says. "But now it has become like a wedding; even celebrities are invited."

Anjana Rajan, dance teacher and writer

As Rajan says, "Arangetrams can be done without that kind of expense. For example, teachers are doing combined Arangetrams. You can use venues like temples, community halls and classrooms because, for dance, all you need ultimately is a space and light. And the teacher has a say in this. They could invite people who would come and see good students perform, who could then get invited for festivals. The lavishness that people associate with Arangetrams is just extra fluff and that'll fall off." Samson had echoed this: "Do it in your home, in a friend's courtyard, in a village square, in a home for the aged. You can do it anywhere. The guru will still be with you."

(Inputs by Sucheta Chakraborty)