Title of film : Dancing with Nature
Cast & crew :
Producer : Malay Dasgupta,Sudeshna Dasgupta
Editor : Dipak Mandal
Cast :
Synopsis : There is a gentle dignity, a subtle evocative quality about this dance. It is a unique mélange of traditional martial arts, folk motifs and tales of love and pain, gleaned from the pages of Hindu mythology. It is a reminder of our glittering past and a pointer to the subtlest resonances of our art. The Seraikella Chhau is unique in many ways, not the least of which is the eschewing of vocal accompaniment and the complete covering of the face with the mask. Yes, the mask is the essence of this exhilarating dance; it is the magic of this art. Dancing with Nature, a film by Malay Dasgupta, delves into the myriad associations of this mask. A tribute to the master mask-maker, Kanhaiyalal Maharana, this is an exploration of the meaning and structure of the mask that despite it being frozen comes to life as soon as the performer dances. His body magically seems to imbue the mask with a thousand expressions. The royal family in Seraikella did make fundamental and aesthetic contributions to the evolution of this dance form besides, also, patronising it. The kings and princes participated in the dance which is an exquisite coalescing of martial forms and classical motifs; hugely influenced by nature, intricately drawn out exercises and folk elements. Bucolic settings, patches of water, verdant greenery and an arresting dance set to the strains of the flute and the rustic shehnai contribute to a near inexplicable bittersweet feeling: overwhelming and subtly melancholic. All the while Kanhaiyalal, in the twilight of his life, is profoundly analytical; at the same time, a tad wistful. One is deeply touched by the lament for that which was here, resplendent and mesmerising but which, perhaps, will never be the same again.
