Bollywood lacks classical dancers after Madhuri: Mahvir

According to Mahavir, the actress' exit also marked the departure of classical dances from the repertoire of styles used in Bollywood, which now favours Bachata over Bharatnatyam.

"I can say for a fact that after Madhuri Dixit there have been very few actresses in tinsel town who can carry off classical styles," Mahavir told PTI.
"Most, if not all, yesteryear Bollywood actresses were trained dancers. Their rooting in classical dance helped them emote on celluloid as dancers have a good control over facial expressions for every situation," said Mahavir who was in the capital to stage 'Nupur', a unique Kathak recital directed and choreographed by him.

Born into a traditional family of musicians and vocalists, it didn't come as a surprise when Mahavir, who is also a trained classical singer, got opportunities to work with stalwarts like Lata Mangeshkar, Usha Mangeshkar and Hariharan among others.
Mahavir is currently working on an upcoming movie on Kathak. He maintained that unlike popular misconception Kathak was not a rigid art form.
"It can be fused with any style of music and dance as it is one of the most lucid dance forms which is easy to experiment with and which never lets go of its elegance," Mahavir said.

The artiste has been striving to change the perception about Kathak in India and across the world, to make it more youthful, more relatable to the present times. He believes that Kathak is a perfect embodiment of beauty, aesthetics, emotions, rhythm, pace and joy.
"My main aim is to bring Kathak back to Bollywood and probably to Hollywood and I'm confident I'm not being utopian. A deep knowledge in dance will only work well for actresses," he said.

Mahavir, true to his experimental spirit, has tried his hand as a soap actor when he worked with one of Shekhar Suman's home production serials and has sang along side Sonu Nigam in a music video. He has also directed numerous ad-films but Kathak has always been his first love.

"Kathak is a magnificent art form. It educates you on a lot of things you didn't know about your culture. My 28 years in the art form itself explains the treasure haven it is," claimed Mahavir.

For 'Nupur', which saw 28 artistes performing on stage, Mahavir had introduced a rare amalgamation of traditional Indian dance form with Rajasthani folklore, violin and drums with play of light, shadow and sound.
"Through this performance we took Kathak on a different level by combining it with other traditional and contemporary art forms. We are doing it without losing the flavour of the dance form," said Mahavir.

His biggest dream is to choreograph the grandest Broadway show in India keeping Kathak at its epicentre and to return the flavours of classical dance to Bollywood.
"Many might feel that these are larger than life targets but I know my efforts will pay off some day," he added.