Marami Medhi, is a dynamic and an accomplished Kathak exponent from Assam and is a well-known name in the field of Kathak. She is the founder of the rapidly growing Kathak dance institute, Sur Sangam, in the heart of Guwahati city which has completed 33 years and is the house for grooming many talented artists like Meghranjani Medhi, Sunita Kaushik, Debarati Choudhury, Sukanya Borah, etc. She is also an "A" grade artist of Doordarshan Kendra, Delhi and is a panel artist of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Government of India in the field of Kathak (Solo). She has performed in many national and international stages. She was also working as a lecturer of Kathak dance at Luit Konwar Rudra Baruah State College of Music. Through her performances she showcases Assam's rich cultural heritage along with Kathak. Excerpts from an interview.
I am a professional Kathak dancer and a teacher. I have been working at Luit Konwar Rudra Baruah State College of Music and have taken voluntary retirement in 2019. I have a dance institute, Sur Sangam, for the past 33 years. Professionally I am still performing as an artist. I have many students who are doing very well. I have released a book in September last year named, Kathak (A theoretical and practical guide), which is based on Kathak. I am working on the second part now. I have choreographed many Kathak productions. I have performed abroad and I am also an A grade artist of Doordarshan. I am also a board member of a dance institute in the US which is known as Rhythmically. I have many students there who are doing very well. My husband, Jay Prakash Medhi, works in the Fisheries Department. He is also a very good Hindustani Vocalist. He has always been with me and has helped in all my productions. In our institute we have a Vocal department, which is run by him. My daughter Meghranjani Medhi is also an acclaimed Kathak dancer and an actor. We have performed together in many productions. My son got his licence very recently, and is now a Commercial Pilot. He also sings, but he sings mostly western songs. Our family is musically very inclined. We have grown in a very musically rich atmosphere. The environment of our house is very beautiful and we plan to work in this field throughout our lives.
I have graduated from Cotton College. I have also completed my Nritya Nipun, (M Mus) in Kathak dance from Bhatkhande Sangit Vidyapith. I was pursuing my Masters Degree in Sanskrit, but I did not complete that.
Actually, I was inclined towards dancing from a very young age. My mother would sing various songs of Dr Bhupen Hazarika and I would dance to them. In my childhood and adolescent years I was not enrolled in any Kathak dance institute and did not know much about the dance form. It was later when I watched old Bengali movies every Sunday morning with my mother and saw the Kathak dances in those movies, that I gradually developed an interest and yearned to know more about this dance form. It was after passing my High School and came to Cotton College for further studies, that I professionally started learning Kathak from Charoo Bordoloi, my first Kathak teacher, who was then also the founder principal of State College of Music, Assam. Subsequently I became a disciple of renowned Kathak maestro Surendra Saikia of Kathak Kendra, Uttar Pradesh. Both of them are now no more. I have also attended some valuable workshops of Kathak dance under the guidance of great Kathak maestro Padmavibhushan Lt Pandit Birju Maharaj.
My biggest inspiration is (late) Pandit Birju Maharaj.
Sur Sangam was founded by me in 1990. I initially started teaching at my home. But when my students increased in number, I established the academy. At present my institute is at Chandmari, Guwahati. We have a stage also in our institute. Our students are doing very well. Every year we make arrangements for the students to receive scholarship from Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Culture, Government of India. Every year we prepare our students to participate in dance festivals across India. We teach them how to perform on stage. And they give their exams under Bhatkhande Sangit Vidyapith.
My most memorable performance is my first performance at Lucknow. The performance was my first programme outside Assam. My Guru was there with me. I received accolades and appreciation from the people as well as from the media. The next day when I saw my pictures in six or seven newspapers, my happiness knew no bounds. Seeing myself and seeing how people appreciated my hard work, it inspired me a lot to do well. I felt that I should work with a spirit. Following this I have performed in many stages in Assam and abroad. But my first performance is my most memorable performance.
All my major performances are in the major dance festivals. And the shows which I have done on stages abroad like UK, Egypt, Palestine, UAE, Dhaka, etc. have been arranged by the= Indian Centre for Cultural Relations (ICCR), which is funded by the Government of India. Every programme has been successful and I have tried my best to maintain the pride of our country.
Participating as a resource person is a very good and memorable experience. I get to interact with many students. This is the case when I go abroad too. = That is a very different experience. When I teach them one on one in three or four days in those workshops, I get to know them and this feeling is something I cannot express. When they perform, I feel very proud. I also feel proud that I got the opportunity to take part in such a noble cause. I want to work further in this area and contribute in making my country and my state proud.
During one of my performances in Delhi Habitat Centre, Arshiya Sethi who was an officer at The Habitat Centre advised how I could showcase the different cultures of Assam through Kathak. Arshiya Sethi is a great writer, and was serving as an advisor at the Delhi Kathak Kendra. At her suggestion, I tried to do a fusion with our local folk songs and Kathak. After that, I have always tried to carry forward our Xatriya dance onto the national and international stages. In all the stage programmes if 20 minutes is devoted to Kathak, in the last 5 minutes I perform a Xatriya dance. And it is not only Xatriya, but I have tried to incorporate our local folk dances in all my dance productions. Mirroring Assam through Kathak is related to me, wherever I go.
I have acted in some feature films like Rickshawala, Bohagar Duparia, Sonmoina, Mon, etc., a long time ago. I have also acted in TV serials like Agantuk, Sandhyatora. Eai Saharate, Anusandhan and telefilms like Anya Akash, Bishapriti, Rangman. But I got busy looking after my family and my two kids. I did get many opportunities, but I did not go ahead with with acting and concentrated on my dance. And we know that in dance also we have to act, to I got involved in dance as I love it more.
I have received the 'Singar Mani' title at the 44th Kal Ke Kalakar Sangeet Sanmelan held at Mumbai. I have also received the title, `Nritya Mukuta' from Northeast Big Cultural Society (NEBCUS) in 2011. Frontier TV in Assam also honoured me with the title `Nava Devi' in 2011. In 2017 I was honoured with the NEEDS Sanman by NEEDS. In 2019 I was awarded the `Anu Prerona Excellency Award'. I was also honoured with the `Nritya Gaurav' and `Nritya Ratna Jibanjura Sadhana Bata' in 2012. I have also been awarded a two-year fellowship in 2000-2001 from Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Culture, Government of India.
Last year in September, we worked on a dance drama, 'Devi' which is based on Devi Durga. In this dance recital I showcased the Deodhani dance form of the Bodos and the music. We also showed Oja Pali in our production. For the very first time I have used graphic designing in this project. We are planning a few more projects. To do a project it takes time and we are planning to come up with something new this year. We have plans to do a few more shows of 'Devi'.
I will just say that whatever you do, do it with dedication. If you work hard without losing your focus and your dedication, you will get numerous opportunities. It does not imply to just dance, it can be in any sector of interest. You should become the best of the best by working sincerely and dedicatedly. You have to know more about the subject of your interest, study about it more, use it practically. Definitely he or she can win and they will rise 100 per cent. This will bring them the honour and the monetary benefits from all sides. I believe in this, as in my life I have achieved everything with my hard work. And I believe I will achieve more through my hard work and my passion. I would just like to share this with everyone.
I would offer my sincere thanks to The Sentinel for giving me the platform to share about me. It is a big opportunity for me. I also offer my sincere wishes and thanks to the readers of The Sentinel. I just wish that they encourage me further with their blessings and love, I can achieve new heights with my dance performances. I believe their love and encouragement will help me move forward and attain new heights, and I can contribute more to the culture of our state and make our country and our state proud.
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