A Rhythm for Reverence

Lavani Ke Rang breaks Lavani away from the popular perception that it is obscene and vulgar, while retaining its sensual spirit

- By SAMIYA CHOPRA

In the middle-class Marathi household of Bhushan Korgaonkar, Lavani as a dance form was often looked down upon, considered bawdy and obscene. Korgaonkar felt ashamed that the state of Maharashtra, where the dance form originated, did not have a classical dance of its own.

However, this changed when he experienced a live Lavani performance for the first time 25 years ago. “I realised that it has the same poise, delicacy, and composure as classical dance and has not received its due recognition because of the stereotypes,” he reflects.

To revive the traditional folk flavour of Lavani and educate the audience that it is an art more than just Bollywood item songs, Korgaonkar created Lavani Ke Rang, an experiential performance that explores the dance form’s deeper universe. The director also wrote Sangeet Bari, a book on the lives of Lavani dancers.

Narrated from the perspective of a Lavani theatre malkin in Bambaiya Hindi, the performance introduces the audience to Lavani’s styles and systems, transforming the stage into a private baithak in a Maharashtra town. A harmonium hum surrounds the amphitheater. A Dholak’s quick beats introduce Lavani dancers who enter the stage under ghunghat and reveal their cheerful expressions. The performers also narrate the matriarchal ethos of the dance form.