In Remembrance

Indrani Rahman conquered the world of classical dance when she was still in her teens. She was an internationally renowned dancer, acclai...

Indrani Rahman conquered the world of classical dance when she was still in her teens. She was an internationally renowned dancer, acclaimed for her skill, charm, energy and vibrancy. She was appreciated by persons no less than Emperor Haile Selassie, Queen Elizabeth II, Mao-Tse Tung and John F. Kennedy. She was a pioneer in more than one way. She was the first ever Ms. India to enter the Miss Universe pageant.

She introduced the east-Indian dance genre 8211; Odissi to the world for the first time. Her many innovations in dance costumes based on designs taken from temple sculptures were unprecedented. Her marriage to Habib Rahman is a rare example of an inter-religious marriage in the India of 1940s. And though her dalliance with different forms of dance led to the critcism that she was not a quot;puristquot;, she remained till the end the most celebrated ambassador of Indian culture. And she was undoubtedly India8217;s unrivalled danseuse until the 1970s, who did not mind promoting genuine talent unreservedly. She was awarded the Padma Shri and the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in performing arts.

The artist community in the Capital, recently celebrated the memory of this illustrious signpost of the world of dance, who died of a stroke in February this year. This comes as a precursor to the presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Asia Society in New York to her posthumously, on April 21. She was the first Indian dancer to tour across the US in their performing arts programme in 1961.

Addressing a gathering of over 200 friends, admirers, fellow dancers and other artists of Indrani, her son Ram recounted some very interesting moments of her vibrant life. An archival video footage of 1968 was also screened for the gathering. It featured Indrani performing a 12th century composition in Kuchipudi. Some rare photographs of Indrani with her family, friends and audiences across the world, along with paper clippings and brochures going back to 1947 were also displayed. Several luminaries in the field of dance, like Yamini Krishnamurty, Radha Reddy, Raja Reddy, Sundari Shridharani and Uma Sharma were present at the meeting. Shagun Butani paid her tributes to Indrani, her mentor, by performing a small Ganapati piece in Odissi.

Indrani was most remembered by the gathering for her efforts to encourage new talent and promote budding artists throughout her life. She played an important role in promoting figures like Pundit Durga Lal, Radha Reddy, Raja Reddy and Sonal Mansingh.

Indrani was the daughter of Ragini Devi, the legendary American dancer who helped pioneer the classical dance revival in India in the 1930s. As Esther Sherman in Petoskey, the future Ragini married Ramlal Bajpai, an Indian scientist and president of the Indo-American League. However, in 1930, she left him and traveled to India with Hirendranath Chattopadhyay, the celebrated poet of the freedom movement. Her husband filed a complaint that she had eloped with a communist who was involved in activities aimed at overthrowing the British in India. Consequently, she could not enter any of the ports falling under the control of the British. Discovering that she was pregnant, Ragini decided to disembark in Madras, where Indrani was born.

Indrani started dancing at the age of five in her mother8217;s company. At the age of nine, her mother took her on a performing spree to Paris and other European and American cities. Though she began her professional career with Bharata Natyam, Indrani is especially remembered for her efforts in reviving Odissi.

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At the age of 15, she married Habib Rahman, an Indian who was studying architecture in the US, and who later went on to become India8217;s chief architect. She had met him for the first time at a ball given by Vijayalaxmi Pundit in New York. After their marriage, Indrani continued to learn dance from acknowledged gurus in south-India.

She performed widely all over the world as a soloist or with her ensemble of musicians and dancers. Unlike most classical dancers, she did not specialise in one dance form, but performed several, such as Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Kuchipudi and Odissi.

Since 1970s, she concentrated more on teaching than performing and joined the faculty of Lincoln Centre8217;s prestigious Julliard School in 1976.

The news of her death came as a shock to all who had known her or seen her perform. Remembering her, Jeborah Jowitt, her friend wrote, quot;She was so full of life that to have that life suddenly ended by stroke is shocking. Luckily, spirits like hers don8217;t disappear, they linger in our memories and fortify usquot;.