'We would crack up in Gujarati together'

Friends and colleagues pay tribute to Astad Deboo whose generosity and 'Parsi sense of humour' shined as much as his revolutionary craft

A Father figure, a generous soul, and an artiste with a Parsi sense of humour - that's how contemporary dancer-choreographer Astad Deboo's colleagues remembered the man whose steps revolutionised modern dance in India.

Rama Vaidyanathan

Deboo, 73, passed away on Thursday morning, leaving behind an illustrious legacy spanning over 51 years. Deboo, who was known for marrying the worlds of Kathakali, Kathak and folk traditions with modern dance, was, as Bharatanatyam dancer Rama Vaidyanathan said, "a true face of contemporary dance rooted in the indigenous techniques of India."

Mallika Sarabhai

While the Padma Shri winner's family posted that he passed away after a brief illness, classical dancer and friend Mallika Sarabhai shared that he recently informed her that he had been diagnosed with lymphoma cancer. Remembering their "non-dance camaraderie", Sarabhai said, "We had a very fun relationship although we never worked together. Both of us kept away from these politicking dance circles in India. He had a very Parsi sense of humour, so we would crack up in Gujarati together."

Swapnokalpa Dasgupta, head of dance, NCPA

Apart from his unique vocabulary of fusion dance, it is Deboo's generosity that left an indelible mark on artistes and friends. He worked extensively in bringing Manipuri artists to the limelight, Sarabhai noted, apart from teaching hearing-impaired students and underprivileged children.

Swapnokalpa Dasgupta, head of dance at the NCPA (National Centre for the Performing Arts), also said that while the world knew him as an exceptional talent, she will remember him as an unfailing support system. "Astad ji was a very good friend and an inspiration. He would frequently visit NCPA to watch other artistes. He would carefully watch and never fail to give me his suggestions and mostly, his encouragement. It is a great personal loss to lose a friend like him, a senior so affectionate and unbiased in his approach to any art form," she added.

Also Read: Astad Deboo (1947-2020): The Universal Gypsy

Intricate ties with NCPA

Incidentally, Deboo and the NCPA were intricately tied, such that both completed 50 years together last year. "His last performance at the NCPA was for the ADD ART Festival in 2019, where he choreographed and premiered his production, Unbound and Unbroken. His collaboration with us began with his performance at the Little Theatre in 1979. For an organisation he called his home, it would be deeply unfortunate to no longer have his presence light up our stages and theatres," shared a spokesperson from NCPA.

Deboo's contemporaries and juniors marvelled at his brave ability to create art in response to the socio-political climate. In the early months of the pandemic, too, he created Boundaries, a virtual collaborative piece dedicated to migrant labourers. "He is the absolute example of dancers using the medium to question and address various issues," Vaidyanathan said, adding, "His passing is the end of an era."

The world was his stage

• Astad Deboo trained with the iconic dancer Pina Bausch in the Wuppertal Dance Company, Germany
• He was invited by Pierre Cardin to choreograph Maya Plisetskaya, the legendary Russian ballerina of the Bolshoi Theatre
• His collaborations were diverse – from Dadi Pudumjee in puppetry to the Gundecha Brothers, the Pung Cholom dancers of Manipur, to Pink Floyd
• In 2005, he and his troupe performed at the 20th annual Deaf Olympics in Melbourne
• He was conferred with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1995 and Padma Shri in 2007 by the Government of India

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