Mangala Bhatt and Raghav Raj Bhatt | Photo Credit: Nagra Gopal
Kathak dancer Raghav Raj Bhatt and his wife Mangala were recently selected for the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2019) from Telangana. The couple is happy that their work has been recognized. “It is a proud and happy moment when our efforts and commitment are recognised; This path is based on the guidance, knowledge and philosophy of our Gurus. Looks like we have chosen the right path,” says Raghav. The dancers describe that they feel humbled by the award and it will motivate them to work harder in the field.
The couple is currently engaged in Antaranga, an annual music and dance festival organized in the memory of Pandit Durga Lal (guru of Mangala). Hosted by his dance institute, Aakriti Kathak Kendra, the intimate will be held on December 16 and 17, after a gap of two years.
In between hectic practice sessions, the duo took out time to reflect on their journey.
father and master
Raghav grew up listening to the rhythm of folk dances around him. Her father, Gopal Raj Bhatt, a pioneer of folk/tribal dance in Hyderabad, was her first guru. “Her contribution to the dance culture in Hyderabad is immense,” says Raghav, recalling how his house reverberated to the tunes of Lambadi and Gond tribal dances before her performances.
Being exposed to the arts at a young age left a deep impression on Raghav, making him a multi-faceted artist with expertise in choreography, costumes and set design. He is also an artist who draws with minimal lines.
At his father’s insistence, Raghav pursued Kathak and in 1979 won a national scholarship set up by the Kathak Center in Delhi. The chance to work with the great Pandit Birju Maharaj turned into a lifelong guru-shishya bond.
On the other hand, Mangala belonged to a family of non-dancers. A native of Maharashtra, she joined the Kathak Center in 1982 as her brother, Kiran Kulkarni, was a student of theater at the National School of Drama. “He asked me to do something creative; I just believed him,” she recalls.
Mangala Bhatt and Raghav Raj Bhatt | Photo Credit: Nagra Gopal
The two met at a Kathak center and their marriage was decided in 1989 by their gurus, Pandit Durga Lal and Pandit Birju Maharaj. The two married in Hyderabad, where they established the Aakriti Kathak Kendra.
Her life has been immersed in dance for more than four decades. Performing and choreography in India and abroad is one of his many contributions towards taking forward the Kathak legacy. While he trains budding dancers to take up mantras at his institute, Raghav is also the principal of Sri Tyagaraja Government Music College in Ramkot, Hyderabad. “It is overwhelming as a teacher to enter an institution where you have been a student; Being the Principal is a great honor and I look forward to fulfilling the responsibilities that come with the role.
speaking on the changing dynamics of guru-shishya paramparaRaghav says, “That was an era when we believed in gurus and focused only on dance. There was no other pursuit for us other than dance but today it is different when students take up creative arts as they want to do something other than education. We cannot lament about it, just accept it as the new way of life.
Raghav, who is known for his minimalist art works, is currently working on a music series.