Bhaskar Parichha
This is an amazing book and being a memoir is still more amazing. The family chronicle begins with Esther Luella, born in Petoskey, Michigan and who, in the Orientalist passion of 1920s- America, transformed herself into Ragini Devi. She became so engrossed in Indian dance that she changed her name to ‘Ragini Devi’. She ran off impulsively to India in her pursuit of what she felt she had been reincarnated. That journey into the Orient resulted in an acclaimed career as a Bharatanatyam and Kathakali dancer. But the story didn’t end with Ragini Devi.
A Roma clairvoyant had seen something even bigger happening: that her daughter’s fame would eclipse her own. Indeed it was. It was Indrani Rahman—mutinous, brilliant, handsome, defying her mother by marrying at the age of fifteen—who truly brought Indian classical dance to the world stage. She is the one who pioneered and introduced Odissi, until then performed only by the marginalized Devadasi community of the Sri Jagannath Temple Puri, to widespread appreciation.
Cut to the third generation. Sukanya Rahman, granddaughter to Ragini Devi and daughter to Indrani, as author of this book, takes us through that immaculate journey of three generations of dancers. But for this family trio, Indian classical dances would have been poorer. It explores the truths behind the celebrated lives in the backdrop of the history of the dances, India’s cultural milieu for almost five decades and how the grandmother-mother -daughter band popularized the dance forms in pre- and post-Independence India. She delves into her own life with unpretentious sincerity, reflecting upon her instantaneous desire and her inability to draw away from this compelling legacy of dance.
The volume is the real-time story of Sukanya’s grandmother; synchronized story of her mother’s struggle to get away from the “stigma” of becoming India’s first “Miss India and also the captivating story of her own endeavor to stay afloat in this family of energetic, unconquerable women.
Written with rare honesty and humor about matters close to the heart, this is an insightful and fascinating look into the Indian dance scene from the 1920s onwards. More than 50 archival family photographs, dating from 1893- some of them rarest – contribute to make the book a gem in the history of Indian dance. Divided into twenty chapters, each of the nuggets in this 250-page book is simply engaging and inspiring.
‘Dancing in the Family’ is an intergenerational saga and told with a frank authenticity which makes for a gripping read. It deserves to be read, not merely because it is about three extraordinary women set against the changing historical backdrop of Indian classical dance, but primarily because it is a story well told.
This much acclaimed book is a welcome addition to the twentieth-century dance history of India , as well as an extraordinary east-west narrative. Besides the chronicle of a remarkable family, this tome is a veritable source of factoids about India’s classical dances and how they have evolved over time. Because the author had a ringside seat for many of the adventures, she has been able to write it with copious charm, hilarity and much insight.
A must-read for classical dancers and connoisseurs of art.
‘Dancing in the Family’
By Sukanya Rahman
Speaking Tiger Publishing
4381/4, Ansari Road,Daryaganj
New Delhi 110002
Rs 399