The link between flamenco and India has intrigued and interested scholars and historians for decades. Now noted Spanish filmmaker Carlos Saura celebrates the cultural ties between the two countries. Im exploring a film on gypsy dancers who migrated from Rajasthan to parts of Spain in the early 20th century, says 81-year-old Saura,at the screening of his musical short film,Flamenco,Flamenco (2010) held at the Instituto Cervantes auditorium in Delhi. Saura was in India to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 18th International Film Festival of Kerala at Thiruvananthapuram. The feature-length film,which is still untitled,will be based on the life of Spanish flamenco dance legend Vicente Escudero,who travelled to India in the early half of the 20th century to trace the roots of the dance form. He was not a gypsy,but stayed among them to understand the nuances of the dance and created his own style. He developed a guideline of 10-steps for male flamenco dancers,which is still followed today, says Saura. He visited kathak centres in Chennai and travelled through Jodhpur (which is believed to be the birthplace of flamenco) to research on the subject. Saura received the Silver Bear award at the 16th Berlin International Film festival for his film La Caza (1966) and two years later for his psychological thriller Peppermint Frappe (1967),besides a Golden Bear award in 1981. His current film will look at the distinct styles between male and female flamenco dancers and also how the gypsies entered Europe and mingled with the community. They entered Europe from the north and the south and formed two unique styles of flamenco, he says. Saura returns to Spain but says he,will return to India soon to develop the project further.
