When Birju Maharaj Mesmerised The Audience For 90 Minutes

Brut India

"I feel lucky that I earned a lot of blessings." Pandit Birju Maharaj shares heartwarming tales about his journey in this 2017 conversation. The Kathak maestro passed away today at 83.

Transcript

00:00I asked two uncles and my father, so three of them came to me, Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati.

00:22So I took the bath in three streams.

00:26What was the difference between the three?

00:29The younger one was very male-type.

00:34I learnt it from my uncle in Lucknow.

00:37So I went to Bombay.

00:45What did the younger one teach me?

00:49He taught me this.

00:55Is this a dance?

00:57This is a fight.

01:00I learnt the voice.

01:02The same bowl I learnt from Lachhu Maharaj.

01:15I came back from Bombay.

01:17What did the elder one teach me?

01:21He taught me this.

01:31My uncle was saying,

01:33He made me a girl.

01:35He made you a girl?

01:37I was very worried.

01:40The younger one was saying this, the elder one was saying that.

01:43I said to my mother,

01:45Mother, learn it quietly.

01:47No matter how much you say, you will be beaten.

01:49When I grow up, I will dance like my father.

01:54Like my father.

01:56Learn it now.

01:58I used to dance like him and him like him.

02:03But Maharaj Ji, both the uncles look so beautiful on you.

02:08That is why the three streams,

02:10He is as graceful as he is strong.

02:14Both the uncles used to love him very much.

02:18They were always experimenting on him.

02:21Between three brothers, I was only the boy.

02:24I got everyone's love.

02:27Jhansi, a very useless place.

02:30The place is not useless.

02:33But the people were bad that day.

02:36No one was listening.

02:39Now, poor Ilyas Khan

02:41First, Omkarnath Ji.

02:43Omkarnath Ji, after singing for a while, left.

02:46Now, Ilyas Khan

02:54People are saying, no more.

02:56They are saying, bore, bore, no more.

02:59He understood, more, more.

03:02And he took the sitar and sat again.

03:04No, no, no, go.

03:07I was standing in the meeting.

03:11I told to Chacha Ji, my uncle, he was there.

03:14I said, this audience, oh God.

03:17As soon as I will do this, they will say,

03:19Thu, Thu, Tha, Thu.

03:21What they will say?

03:23I said, call ADM, DDM and return the money.

03:26I will not dance.

03:28But Chacha Ji said,

03:29Don't you remember that flute of the house?

03:32Horse galloping, the sound

03:36Can you make something?

03:39And that sound became

03:41Chho, Rang, Chho, Rang, Chho, Rang, Chho, Rang, Chho, Rang, Chho, Rang, Chho, Rang

03:49He said,

03:50Do one thing,

03:51Put Rani Jhansi, on that horse.

03:55I said, ok.

03:57I came on the stage

04:00I said,

04:01Jhansi,

04:03The Rani here,

04:05Kamal

04:06Kya himmat wali thi

04:08Unka goda bi kamal tha

04:10Ud goda pe Rani Jhansi jo aake ladhi hai sab logon se

04:13Kamal Gaya

04:14Lijiye bandish suniye

04:16Tatta tatta teh tatta teh Tatta, tah tah tah teh

04:29So I dance about one and a half hours

04:31Sometimes bahut audience achi nahi bilti

04:34I am very fortunate that I have earned a lot of blessings.

04:39More than money. I don't have that much money. I don't have.

04:42I will ask for some money. Give me some. But blessings are a lot.

Category

Transcript

Recommended