• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

FRI0AYREVIEW N^ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2019 SPOTLIGHT 9 'I have everything in my mind' Padma Vibhushan Teejan Bai says the award is a great achievement for every one who practises folk art MANJARI SINHA kartal in another. As the perfor­ mance progresses, the musical in­ alent is a gift, but real talent is strument is also used imaginatively to refine that gift into an art. as a property or weapon related to TTeejan Bai has done just that. the tale like the bow of Arjuna or the She has just been conferred the Pad­ maceofBhima, etc. ma Vibhushan, the second highest How did you get interested in civilian honour of our nation. When this traditional art and at what congratulated for the great achieve­ age? ment, she confesses politely, "I am I was born in Atari village of dis­ honoured to receive India's presti­ trict Durg in a very poor family of gious civilian award, the Padma Vib­ Pardhi community of the Adivasi hushan. It is a great achievement belt. I was very mischievous in my not only for me but each and eve­ childhood but good at singing. I ryone who practises folk art. Panda- loved the way my nana (maternal vani is not just my art or your art, it grandfather) Brijlal Pardhi used to is the country's art and we all sing the mythological stories of Ma­ should be proud of it. It gives me im­ habharat. I can still remember my mense joy that our government re­ goosebumps on hearing him sing cognises and honours traditional art the story of Draupadi and her des­ forms like Pandavani which is a tra­ perate call for Krishna, during the ditional art form of Chhattisgarh. It Cheer Haran Prasang, for the first is very encouraging for performing time. That was the day I decided to artists like us to come ahead and master this art at any cost. I had to promote our culture through this look after my younger siblings and form of art." help my mother in cooking and oth­ Synonymous with 'Pandavani - er chores during the day time, but in Pride of India Teejan Bai in performance • SANDEEP SAXENA the evenings I stopped playing with Gaayan' all over the world, her for­ my friends and stealthily went to ceful narrative coupled with the tra­ first ever public performance at the me away. We did not have proper learn from him. Within a few ditional and sometimes contempor­ age of 13. Apart from the fees of ten utensils to eat and drink from, but months, I learnt by heart the whole rupees, I also received a lot of food for the coconut shells. Hardships o ary interpretation of Mahabharat, story of Mahabharat from Adi Parva grains and other goodies. My pa­ and struggles are the best way to I'm into my 70s, I am the hypnotising Teejan Bai embarks to Swarg-Arohana Parva. upon one absorbing episode to rents brought me back home with learn how to live with life. And there losing my hearing another elucidating the ancient I was performing the 'Keechak all the stuff. I started giving regular is no alternative for passionate dedi­ scripture with full gusto. It was a Vadh' on the day of 'Guru Pariksha', performances and never looked cation and arduous hard work to capacity. It is high rare opportunity to discover the se­ when my guru was testing me. My back from then on. learn anything. time when other cret of her magic, to know about her mother caught me red-handed and What are the different styles of How do you compose tunes? Is challenging journey struggling gave me a good smacking. I was so Pandavani and which one do you it based on some folk music? Teejan Bais take against all odds; refining and honing cross with her that I left home and practice? When I am on stage with my over! her skill for decades on end, as a ran away to the nearby village 'Cha- There are two styles of Pandava­ whole live orchestra comprising pioneering female artiste of the nakhuli', with a neighbouring fami­ ni: Vedmati and Kapalik. Vedmati dholak, dafli, manjira and the in­ across the globe. In the beginning, I 'Pandavani' (which was till then ly on their bullock cart. A large was conventionally practised by wo­ spiring 'Raagi', it comes on my own. was shocked when they would hug considered a male bastion) when crowd gathered that evening to lis­ men because here you sit cross- Sometimes, I also compose tunes in me, and bounce me in the air after the Sangeet Natak Akademi invited ten to my singing when I gave my legged and recite the story. In Kapa­ my dreams and at times the folk the show, but then I realised that her in their 'Meet the Masters' series lik, you use your imagination in tunes of Bharthari, Dadariya et al al­ this is the way they express appre­ last year and one had to interview singing and enacting while standing so come handy. The real energy and ciation and reconciled to their ways. her for the SNA archives. and roaming on the stage. I chose to effervescence takes over the mo­ The only problem was the boiled Unlike her flamboyant Pandavani Fearless warrior practise Kapalik because it is the ment I enter the stage and enact the food without any 'Mirch-Masala' but Paridhan (costume), the bright red Prof. Mandavi Singh, Vice Chancellor, story of the battle between dharma story. It's not me but the character later our team used to take our own sari, the big vermilion tikka, white Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwa Vidyalaya and adharma, truth and falsehood, I'm playing, that comes forward and cooks. metal jewellery with the conspicu­ (IKSVV), Khairagarh says, "Teejan Bai righteousness and chhal-kapat. guides me instantly. What is the state of Pandavani ous kardhani (waist-band), baju- has become a living symbol of Pan­ How can you show the valour of the Which are your favourite epi­ in its home state Chhattisgarh band (armband) and dozens of red davani. It you take the name of one, Gadadhari Bhima in a sitting posi­ sodes and characters? now? the other resounds automatically. bangles and kadas adorning her fo­ tion? Draupadi Cheer Haran, Dushasan It is flourishing in full swing. A Our University, the Indira Kala San­ How do you read and prepare rearm, one is used to see her in per­ geet Vishwa Vidyalaya (IKSVV) had Vadh, Bheeshm Pitamah-Arjun and number of Pandavani Melas are or­ formances, she was dressed in a conferred an honorary D. Lit degree the performance script? Which Krishna-Karna Samvaad are my fa­ ganised on a regular basis and a blue silk bordered sari and a sleeve­ upon her in 2016. text do you use? vourite episodes. I love all the cha­ number of young artists are coming less blouse. It was sad to notice her By nature, she is a simple folk artiste I and my whole family is 'an- racters from the Adi Parva to the up. hearing loss while answering some like any other, but once she climbs gootha chhap' (illiterate) who have concluding Swargarohana Parva Have you trained any? of the questions for which she apol­ the proscenium stage, she is alto­ never seen any school. There is this that I play with full earnestness. Yes, more than two hundred. Ac­ ogised, in what she says her 'tooti- gether a different person. Her de­ text by Sabal Singh Chauhan written You have performed all over tually, 216 to be precise. I teach at phooti (inadequate) Hindi'. meanour, the walking gait, in fact, in Chhattisgarhi dialect. Like the Ra- India and abroad, popularising home and also keep taking work­ Edited excerpts: the whole contour exudes self con­ mayana (Ramcharitmanas) of Tulsi Pandavani. How do you establish shops in places like Delhi, Mumbai, fidence and pride. When she enacts What is Pandavani? Dasa, we all have it by heart. rapport with such varied Kolkata, Bangluru, Bhopal, Durg, Pandavani is in fact the 'Pandava Bheem, walking with her tambura on I don't read books and texts, I audiences? her shoulders like the gada; she just etc and also with SPIC MACAY. Five have everything in my mind and it Vani', the story of the Pandavas looks the shoor-veer fearless warrior, I have received the same love and six of my foreign students are also based on the epic Mahabharat. It is a that Bheem was!" comes out impromptu! affection everywhere I perform, but performing professionally. traditional performing art form, Pt. Mukund Bhale, Head, Department You can never imagine the penu­ I feel that at home all are acquainted I'm into my 70s, I am losing my from Chhattisgarh. The perfor­ of tabla, IKSVV, adds, "She has been ry and hardship I have gone with our Pauranik literature hence hearing capacity. It is high time mance involves enacting the story, quite ill recently, hospitalised also, through. communication is easier here. I, when other Teejan Bais take over! singing with live instrumental ac­ I'm sure this recognition will work as We didn't even have a door in our first of all, participated in Festival of Teejan Bai will perform on Fe­ companiment, an_ektara or a tam- a 'sanjeevini' (life rejuvenating medi­ hut, made of dry hay. I was just six India in Paris in the eighties and bruary 9 at the Arth Festival, bura in one hand and sometlmesT cine) for her. days old when a stray dog dragged then to a number of other countries IGNCA, New Delhi .

Load more

  1

Copy Link