Umrao Jan...Chinese style

[Ganymede]

Pretty darned impressive.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

Wow that was quite impressive!
Even Muzaffar Ali (who made the film) and Khayyam-sahab (who scored the music) will be reasonably impressed. But its not too surprising really. Somebody known to us spent a few years in Hong Kong and China taeching Kathak, and the response that she got was phenomenal to say the least.

 

[russellpeters]

Kathak- from the refined courts of Delhi to Chinese TV. who would have thought ?

 

[Ganymede]

According to my friend who originally shared the video, Nahid Siddiqui the Pakistani Kathak Icon actually ran some sort of training school in China for a short period and this was the result.

 

[Nitin Goyal]

Kathak is such a beautiful dance form...i simply love it.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

According to my friend who originally shared the video, Nahid Siddiqui the Pakistani Kathak Icon actually ran some sort of training school in China for a short period and this was the result.

That is interesting to know. Unfortunately Nahid had to leave Pakistan and migrate to Britain in the Zia era, when dance was (was it officially?) banned on PTV. But it did her good, she gained an international platform. And (if I may say so), she progressed in her own art as she was able to interact with dancers from India (notably Birju Maharaj) after she made the move. So she came off better.

N.B. on a technical note, the dance in the video sequence is rather influenced by films aka Bollywood; not something that impresses me always.

 

[hembo]

That was really impressive, though the rendition of the song was sort of funny..

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Paan Singh]

although i laughed earlier but its good dance and voice was ok..

 

[Ganymede]

That is interesting to know. Unfortunately Nahid had to leave Pakistan and migrate to Britain in the Zia era, when dance was (was it officially?) banned on PTV. But it did her good, she gained an international platform. And (if I may say so), she progressed in her own art as she was able to interact with dancers from India (notably Birju Maharaj) after she made the move. So she came off better.

N.B. on a technical note, the dance in the video sequence is rather influenced by films aka Bollywood; not something that impresses me always.

You are unfortunately right. Zia was the worst thing to hit the country and was able to some extent destroy the very fabric of Pakistan's society. When you look back in retrospect, its quite evident that the ban managed to impoverish Pakistan's own cultural heritage. All wasn't lost though, as since after the death of Zia, Pakistan managed to recuperate and enhance her cultural richness. Nahid produced talented disciples; Shaima Sayed, Ahsan Nadeem,to name a few. Nahid thrives very well in Lahore and teaches at an academy. Ahsan also teaches. Both, perform at World Performing Arts Festival Lahore, one of the biggest of it's kind in South Asia. Kathak is the only dance form that takes it's traditions from both Hindu and Muslim cultures. Pakistan has diminished its own cultural richness by this norrow minded ban of classical dance.

Ahsan nadeem's rendition of Kathak

 

[Birbal]

Really nice! Accent was a bit weird but cool! I should advertise my upload of the original. Song at 30:55.

 

[Splurgenxs]

i just cant get over the accent ...hahahah
good effort the dancing was good.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

You are unfortunately right. Zia was the worst thing to hit the country and was able to some extent destroy the very fabric of Pakistan's society. When you look back in retrospect, its quite evident that the ban managed to impoverish Pakistan's own cultural heritage. All wasn't lost though, as since after the death of Zia, Pakistan managed to recuperate and enhance her cultural richness. Nahid produced talented disciples; Shaima Sayed, Ahsan Nadeem,to name a few. Nahid thrives very well in Lahore and teaches at an academy. Ahsan also teaches. Both, perform at World Performing Arts Festival Lahore, one of the biggest of it's kind in South Asia. Kathak is the only dance form that takes it's traditions from both Hindu and Muslim cultures. Pakistan has diminished its own cultural richness by this norrow minded ban of classical dance.

Thanks for the info. There is an institution in Lahore (can't remember the name right now) that is doing some great work to preserve the arts just as there is a well known lawyer/music lover who has single-handedly worked to preserve performing arts. There is a revival of sorts post Zia, but is it good enough? For instance do the taqiyas of music in Lahore still exist and flourish? Otherwise it will be another case of what happened to Roshanara Begum who went silent, till the APMC motivated her to sing again in public. I'm not sure if the arts are completely out of the woods yet, seeing some resurgence in fundamentalist thinking that surfaces periodically.

Forgive me for sounding a little pessimistic. But I do hope for better times.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

@Ganymede,

Thanks for the vid. of Ahsan Nadeem. The music is a nice tarana, and he has used some contemporary influences-to good effect.

 

[Birbal]

N.B. on a technical note, the dance in the video sequence is rather influenced by films aka Bollywood; not something that impresses me always.

This version did feel a bit too "bouncy" in contrast to the refined aspects of Urdu culture.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

This version did feel a bit too "bouncy" in contrast to the refined aspects of Urdu culture.

Well yes. There was that touch of "jhatka-matka" which is not part of Kathak. Even the Court Dancers (or the original kothe-wallis for that matter) had a code of behaviour, not being gross was part of that.