Subhash Ghai: He taught me dance is expressed through eyes

Filmmaker Subhash Ghai on how the legend influenced classical dance numbers, including Madhuri’s Bada dukh dina, in his movies

Over 30 years since the release of Ram-Lakhan (1989), people remember Madhuri Dixit dancing to Bada dukh dina — a song immortalised by Lata Mangeshkar’s beautiful rendition, choreographer Saroj Khan’s steps and the leading lady’s grace. But little do people know that the inspiration behind the dance was Pandit Birju Maharaj, the doyen of the Lucknow gharana of Kathak. Subhash Ghai, who directed Ram-Lakhan and is known for his keen ear for music, recounts, “It was initially difficult for Madhuri to pick up the steps. She said, ‘Sir, I am not able to get Saroj’s form of dance and expression.’ I advised her to watch Saroj’s eyes and face to understand the emotions she is trying to convey, rather than [following] her body movements. After that, Madhuri learnt the steps quickly. I had learnt this [trick] from Birju Maharaj. The maestro has been a major influence in the dances in my movies.”

Ghai counts himself among the fortunate to have interacted closely with the Kathak legend over the years. While he never got the opportunity to collaborate with Maharaj, chance meetings with him were enough to shape the filmmaker’s ideas about the art form. “My first learning was during a college festival when he performed a romantic conversation between Lord Krishna and Radha. We had all gathered at night in a hall — actors, directors, dancers and students. He came, chatted with us, and then spontaneously performed for us. Birjuji showed us, expressing entirely through his eyes, how Radha is upset with Lord Krishna, and he pacifies her. We couldn’t stop clapping at the end of the performance. He told us then, ‘Dance is expressed through the eyes. Our body has a limited language of bhavnayen [feelings] and mudras. ’ Since then, whenever I picturised a dance number, I always remembered what he taught us.”

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