An Odissi interpretation of Tagore’s Natir Puja

Sharmila Mukerjee in stills from the dance ballet
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Dancer’s Worship, an Odissi dance production, is choreographed by Odissi dancer Sharmila Mukerjee. The dance is based on Rabindranath Tagore’s play Natir Puja, says Sharmila. “The dance drama revolves around a courtesan called Srimati. Natir Puja translates to ‘devotion of the court-dancer’ and it talks about the untainted spirit of this humble dancer, who perceives herself as undeserving even to be present in the presence of Buddha’s teachings.”

Sharmila says she chose this particular work for her dance ballet as she did not want to do a regular adaptation. “I wanted to work with something that was not adapted before. Natir Puja is about a dancer’s spiritual journey and at the same time takes a critical look at Buddhism, which at that time was creating an imbalance in society. I found this aspect interesting.”

The dancer, who is a student of the late Kelucharan Mohapatra, says it is her aim to bring in more youngsters to classical dance forms with dance choreographies. “The foundation for Odissi is strongly laid by Kelu Babu, our work is a small attempt to keep this legacy alive and also keeping our creativity ticking”.

Sharmila says, the ballet is predominantly Odissi, with a bit of Chau and a spot of karate. “One of my students who is into the martial art does the karate.” Sharmila will perform with an ensemble from her dance school, Sanjali.

The production will be presented on July 30 at Bangalore International Centre, Domlur, at 6.30pm. Tickets on BookMyShow.