tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812053459854550777.post6605280057526811802..comments2023-05-17T03:40:26.994-06:00Comments on Cinema Nritya: Manipuri Dance in Indian Cinema and the Beautiful Dances in Sanabi (1995, Manipuri)MinaiMinaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02868497630163066412noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812053459854550777.post-10855071267673850802018-01-22T12:58:10.480-07:002018-01-22T12:58:10.480-07:00Hi, Minai. Your research is incredible!
Wanted to ...Hi, Minai. Your research is incredible!<br />Wanted to say -- it looks like Guru Bipin Singh composed the dance sequences for Shantaram's Apna Desh (1949). There are a couple of interesting dances echoing Shankar's dance ballet form. a definite Bharatnatyam haze too. Iyesha Geethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03711037567027463487noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812053459854550777.post-66507139437556777652017-01-25T19:47:23.800-07:002017-01-25T19:47:23.800-07:00Hello Gaby, So sorry for forgetting to respond to ...Hello Gaby, So sorry for forgetting to respond to your comment! You are absolutely right that the still is from the film Guide, it looks just like it! See <a href="https://youtu.be/kfA9jjIjJu0?t=1h45m12s" rel="nofollow">the video here</a>. Thanks so much for identifying that, how funny that I missed the still's connection to one of the most famous Hindi films about dance. And thank you for the compliments on my posts. I'm having a bit of motivation dry spell right now, but at some point I'll get some more posts out. There is a long supply of posts in draft for me to choose from. :) Best, ~MinaiMinaiMinaihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02868497630163066412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812053459854550777.post-62540514110328211862016-09-20T23:27:56.129-06:002016-09-20T23:27:56.129-06:00Hi Cassidy,
first of all, I'd like to say that...Hi Cassidy,<br />first of all, I'd like to say that I'm mesmerised by how meticulous and well-researched your posts are!! Owing to my fascination with the use/depictions of Indian classical dance in films, I always look forward to your posts as your in-depth findings never fail to enlighten me...keep up the good work!<br />With regards to the still of Waheeda-ji that you've included in this post, I believe it's from Vijay Anand's award-winning blockbuster Guide (1965, Hindi) because I do recall Waheeda-ji performing the Manipuri dance albeit in a very, very brief scene - specifically, it's in the scene depicting her rise to even greater fame as a touring classical danseuse - and I daresay the still was taken while the scene in question was being filmed. Also, if one were to pay really close attention to detail in the same film, one could see a life-size cut-out billboard of Waheeda-ji striking a pose in the Manipuri Raslila potloi ensemble in the background of a scene in the song Piya Tose Naina Laage Re as her character Rosie and the titular Guide (played by Dev Anand) wave at her fans in public. <br />Hope this information helps, although I am just as intrigued to learn if Waheeda-ji did perform any Manipuri dance sequences "in full" (if you get what I mean) in another film from her illustrious career that may refute my claim and thus initiate a whole new discovery..<br />Keep up the good work once again and hope to hear from you soon!!<br /><br />best wishes,<br />GabyAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16356339351540907123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812053459854550777.post-85047563543638323262016-04-13T20:06:37.171-06:002016-04-13T20:06:37.171-06:00Thank you for sharing, and I always enjoy hearing ...Thank you for sharing, and I always enjoy hearing from people trained in forms like Manipuri that are hard for an outsider to find information on. I had included <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsCxHt1Ltds" rel="nofollow">that dance song featuring Vyjayanthimala in Nagin</a> in my playlist in the post, but I've never seen the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD90GLtmrWE" rel="nofollow">Omkara title track!</a> I guess Beedi was too distracting! The title song has a couple great shots I've not seen used before--an enjoyable watch.MinaiMinaihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02868497630163066412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812053459854550777.post-30776468122096869852016-04-13T08:47:11.654-06:002016-04-13T08:47:11.654-06:00Hi Minai, thank you for this post. I have been res...Hi Minai, thank you for this post. I have been researching on Manipur's performance traditions for a decade and I am trained in Oja Bipin's style. While researching for a paper on Manipuri dance in Indian cinema and documentaries, I found a sequence in Nagin (1954). It is choreographed as Mala, the female protagonist's afterlife with the song 'oonchi oonchi deewarein'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsCxHt1Ltds<br /><br />The 2006 Vishal Bhardwaj film Omkara's title track was choreographed on thang-ta by my guru Ranjeet Chingtham. Thang-ta is a martial art form of Manipur, which is still performed in connection to ritual traditions. That sequence had some Sankirtan dancers as well. <br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD90GLtmrWE<br /><br /> Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08752040054929775987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812053459854550777.post-88399490959284897082016-03-13T00:01:06.037-07:002016-03-13T00:01:06.037-07:00Hello christalin, Many thanks for your comment. Yo...Hello christalin, Many thanks for your comment. Your daughter is the woman in that expertvillage video! Thank you for the sad information about Mahavir Singh's death--the number of dancers of that period in Indian dance history that met with tragic ends is such a great loss.MinaiMinaihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02868497630163066412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812053459854550777.post-39463121738431705502016-03-09T22:14:36.327-07:002016-03-09T22:14:36.327-07:00As an outsider (American) who learned Manipuri dan...As an outsider (American) who learned Manipuri dance for many years, I am just happy to see my daughter Noopur Singha demonstrating Manipuri hasta veda in a teaching film made at Lotus Studio in New York. And thanks for mentioning the legendary Mahavir Singh who died tragically after being bitten by a rabid dog in New Delhi. Also thanks for referencing Ojha Lokendra's article.christalinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01050190194772983504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812053459854550777.post-38703578753755114092016-01-13T20:01:21.299-07:002016-01-13T20:01:21.299-07:00Hello Uttara! I always appreciate hearing from the...Hello Uttara! I always appreciate hearing from the vast knowledge and life experience about Indian dance stored up in that brain of yours. :) I'm thrilled you mentioned <a href="https://www.academia.edu/4166731/Performing_Hybridity_for_publication_1" rel="nofollow">Lokendra Arambam's article</a>--I've not seen it before, and it is well worth a read especially since there is so little critical scholarship out there on Manipuri dance. I also wonder if Bipin Singh's style of dance and legacy (that I realized later I cited in my post as examples of authentic Manipuri dance) is privileged at the expense of other less recognized styles...ah, the conundrum's of the "authentic"!MinaiMinaihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02868497630163066412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812053459854550777.post-8922668931070955762016-01-11T11:11:07.701-07:002016-01-11T11:11:07.701-07:00Hey you amazing dance film buffs. It is totally aw...Hey you amazing dance film buffs. It is totally awesome Minai how you sleuth around, and digest and share with us, your wonderful explorations. Thank you for fearlessly digging out the story beneath the official versions. <br /><br />I dont know how to share this in a 'good' way, because I personally have a long relationship with the Jhaveri sisters, from Nayana the eldest, to her daughter Angana, my dear friend. They are gentle non-violent and totally committed to Manipuri dance. It is no secret that they are outsiders, as am I; (see also Savita Mehta's website) that they are well placed Gujeratis who can make this commitment.This is obvious when people see them perform, but as Bowers and you, and Lokendra Arambam (academia.edu) point out, it is sad when the original dancers are not credited.... And we, so far away from live performances of that time, are fed only the print version. But for all these excited young 'modern' Indian women discovering Indianness in the early 50s and 60s, we would not have the awareness that we now have... Time, social place ('caste') colonial lifestyles, international patronage, image and funding have much to do with what we now see as a kind of 'appropriation.". We could say the privileged, patronized the Manipuri dancers who did not have access to public exposure... The price was the patrons had to learn and perform it themselves. Recently, Darshanaben spent a fortune on sponsoring dancers from Manipur to dance in mumbai theater to celebrate the contributions of her Guru. Bipin Singh. So there is a karmic reconciliation of a sort here....uttarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12599176154039125087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812053459854550777.post-36897708808810485132014-08-13T19:52:15.722-06:002014-08-13T19:52:15.722-06:00Well-researched post. Enjoyed reading and viewing ...Well-researched post. Enjoyed reading and viewing the clips.The Gardenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05412404735122453896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812053459854550777.post-59856418233879450962014-08-13T12:28:53.859-06:002014-08-13T12:28:53.859-06:00It is a highly recommended film of cult status. Yo...It is a highly recommended film of cult status. You should read the book as well. Well written one. In fact, Raju mentions Shanta Rao and Bala's name to motivate Rosie to take up dance again. :)ragothamanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17101534059769515459noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812053459854550777.post-71798177402845385272014-08-12T21:02:23.101-06:002014-08-12T21:02:23.101-06:00gaddeswarup - Yes, there is real-life Manipuri dan...gaddeswarup - Yes, there is real-life Manipuri dance footage in that Net-film clip. Isn't it curious how they don't introduce the Manipuri dancers at the beginning, and it's only during the Naga tribe dance that the names "Suryamukhi Tombino Devi, Chitrasen Singh and Babu Singh" are given. They definitely don't seem to be given the same "status" as the other dancers in the footage. I'm not familiar with the story of Babruvahana. Looks like you have some more researching to do! :)MinaiMinaihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02868497630163066412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812053459854550777.post-84075216958176250552014-08-12T20:42:35.639-06:002014-08-12T20:42:35.639-06:00ragothaman - Ah! You may be right, and if so what ...ragothaman - Ah! You may be right, and if so what a shame that they removed that bit! She looks slightly older to me in the mysterious production still, though it's hard to tell from the small size... It was fun to watch the Guide song again. I don't think I ever made it through that whole film...I think it's high time I sit down and watched it. :)MinaiMinaihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02868497630163066412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812053459854550777.post-9688504165434763522014-08-11T03:16:16.821-06:002014-08-11T03:16:16.821-06:00Apparently, there is a dance drama by Tagore about...Apparently, there is a dance drama by Tagore about Chitranada, mother of Babruvahana and there are also movies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAwYMpBAxv8gaddeswaruphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16509075029154476375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812053459854550777.post-74348586453469281282014-08-11T02:56:23.946-06:002014-08-11T02:56:23.946-06:00Minai, I think that you l;inked to a Manipuri danc...Minai, I think that you l;inked to a Manipuri dance here http://cinemanrityagharana.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/rare-video-of-dancers-tara-chowdhary.html<br />I am surprised that I could not find any Manipuri dances with Babruvahana themes. He was a son of Arjuna, also a king of Manipur, who killed Arjuna without realizing he was his father and later brought him back to life.gaddeswaruphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16509075029154476375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812053459854550777.post-50284839399254983382014-08-11T01:38:34.832-06:002014-08-11T01:38:34.832-06:00Looks like the deleted part of piya tose naiyna la...Looks like the deleted part of piya tose naiyna lage re song form The Guide. See @ 2:10 timestamp of this video.http://youtu.be/jG10krNPSfA<br />You can see the manipuri cutout in front of the building. Mist probably the idea was to shoot waheda rehman dancing in all classical dances, maybe they changed it. Since in the story she is a classical dancer!ragothamanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17101534059769515459noreply@blogger.com