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(Pandit Birju Maharaj passed away on Monday, 17 January, at the age of 83. This interview with the Kathak maestro, originally published in 2018, has been republished from The Quint’s archives in his remembrance.)
Love that dare not speak its name in the time of hate will still find its way. Kathak doyen Pandit Birju Maharaj thinks so. Reports of lovers, who dare to flout societal norms by choosing to cross the caste and religion boundaries, hounded by irked family and community members, make the octogenarian sad.
With characteristic grace and subtlety, Maharaj points out the hypocrisy of a society that worships Krishna and Radha and their immortal romance, but persecutes lovers whose love does not choose the right surname.
Speaking exclusively to The Quint, the Padma Vibhushan awardee octogenarian uses Kathak mudras to spread the message of love. Enacting the classical trope of Radha-Krishna banter, Maharaj shows how two or more characters live in a dancer’s body.
While he’s upset at the violent fate meted out to lovers, Maharaj’s demeanour is not devoid of hope. He says, “Kansa lives on even today, and so does Ravana. There are people who have those characteristics. But, there are also people like Rama and Krishna.”
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