GUWAHATI, Jan 10: Eminent Indian classical dancer Sonal Mansingh on Friday cautioned upcoming artistes from remaining confined to their safe zone and emphasised that they must constantly strive to evolve and grow.
While more openings are available for aspiring artistes in current times, the new generation must not appear to be ‘fragile’ and has to pursue their art forms with passion, she added.
“There are so many openings now that we never had. In my time there was no television, no big ‘utsavs’ (festivals). It was by word-of-mouth and reviews by dance critics. Now word-of-mouth is gone as social media is there,” she said in an interview with PTI.
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“Social media gives thumbs up or thumbs down, and young people get discouraged very fast, they go into depression,” she added.
Mansingh asserted that her generation used to take up everything as a challenge and never went into depression.
“If another artiste was getting 10 shows and I was getting two, I would show in these two that I can do it. We only worked harder. But now there is this thing of being very fragile, and that will never help,” she maintained.
She exhorted the youngsters to pursue the art forms of their choice as a challenge and with professionalism, with passion and discipline being the cornerstones.
On opportunities that reality shows offer to the present generation, the former Rajya Sabha member said that such shows have provided a platform for artistes from far-flung areas to showcase their talent and earn money or recognition which otherwise would not have been possible.
But on the flip side, such fame is short-lived and most of them remain confined to their own coterie, she maintained.
“They do not go forward. I think there is hardly a handful like (singer) Shreya Ghoshal who could make a name later. They remain in that very happy, pleasant area, they don’t grow, and life and art is all about constant growth,” the veteran dancer told PTI ahead of a dance performance scheduled here on Saturday.
She stressed that constancy has to be maintained with hard work and constant struggle.
On some dance forms getting more recognition than others, Mansingh said it has to be corrected or balanced by the local artistes.
“They (local artistes) have to do more research, they have to try and see how to present it (before a wider audience) because when they present it, it has authenticity,” she said.
“They can also come and meet artistes like me, and see how can we integrate,” Mansingh said when asked how well-known artistes can help the lesser-recognised art forms find a more wider audience.
Pointing to the rich history of Assam, she said, “Assam has a very rich tribal, folk, classical history, all three levels are here and it is reflected in the music, art forms, even attire, weaving. I would really urge the great artistes from Assam to pay attention to that.”
On her performance scheduled for Saturday, Mansingh said it will be the premier of her ‘Bhava-Ganga’ recital, in which she will present her interpretation of the river Ganga as a perennial flow of life.
The performance will have three episodes, with the first depicting the descend of Ganga to the earth at the prayers of King Bhagirath, the second narrating the encounter of a boatman and Lord Rama while crossing the river and the third having Lord Shiva asking for alms from Annapurna Devi.
“Each of these episodes has its own message. The first signifies how the Ganga flows for the welfare of the people and land. The second is on social equality and the third on the importance of women in our lives,” she said.
Mansingh expressed her gratitude to the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) for its support for the performance. (PTI)
