Inside Out/Kazi Latafat Husain

Preparations are on for July 24, when its cultural centre will stage the Ashta Nayika — an excerpt from Bharata Muni’s Natya Shastra.

What’s unique about the performance?

The show will have seven Indian classical dancers staging the eight phases of a woman’s life. "It will be a treat to see all the Indian forms come together for the first time," says Kazi Latafat Husain, the person behind the experiment.

Who is he?

Kazi Latafat Husain is Director (culture), Nehru Centre. He began his career with the institution in 1976 at the Planetarium and moved on to become co-director in 1986. In 1990, he joined the centre’s cultural wing. Here he independently organised Rabindranath Tagore’s Aradhna and a performance based on the freedom struggle movement calledParchayiaan. He also wrote and directed Kainat, a film for the Nehru Planetarium, and moved his way up to becoming the Director three years ago.

What is the Ashta Nayika all about?

It is one of the 37 chapters, comprising 6,000 shlokas, of the Natya Shastra. "Though the text has 384 nayikas based on age, birth and avastha, we have chosen just eight stages of a woman’s life," says Kazi. "It is an essay to popularise the nayika bhedas among common people. To facilitate easy understanding, we have blended the performing arts with English and Hindi translations along with Sanskrit shlokas in vedocharan style. Eight different poems — including the introductory tarana where the artists acquaint the audience with their styles — have been specially composed with lyrics for each nayika in Brijbashi Hindi.

Which have been written by Kazi…

"It took me 15 days to write the poems which are both rhythmic andmelodious. Primarily, the show is aimed at our younger generation who can rarely point the difference between our seven classical dance forms." The translations will also be accompanied by screen projections of L A Chauhan’s miniature paintings of the nayikas.

When did he first think of staging the Ashta Nayika?

Two years ago, a workshop of the same and staging of another ancient text, Abhinay Darpan, by Bharata Natyam danseuse Sandhya Purecha in December, last year, made Kazi set eyes on presenting Bharata Muni’s works.

And the music?

That’s another unique aspect of the performance. The seven classical dance exponents will perform with Hindustani music in the backdrop, even though one needs Karnatic music for Bharata Natyam and Kuchipudi and Swapna music for Mohiniattam. "Despite this, there’s tabla as a major instrument for Kathak, pung for Manipuri and mridangam for Bharata Natyam."

So can we call it fusion?

"No. For, I think there’s more confusion infusion. And we haven’t had purists scoff at this experiment. Our 30 musicians have seen to it that the project comes through without disturbing the tradition of each style."

The costumes?

"Traditional costumes have been used, but in white, off-white and yellow colours. Artists, I feel, will bring colour to the show. In short, it will be a true cultural treat."

— Meeta Bhatti

Ashta Nayika, at Nehru Centre, Worli. On July 24. Time: 6.30 pm.