Monday, August 26, 2013
PANDIT DURGA LAL (1948 - 21 Jan
1990) was a renowned Kathak dancer of the Jaipur Gharana.
He was born in Mahendragarh, Rajasthan. He is known for playing the title main
role in the 1989 dance drama Ghanashyam; the music of which was
composed by Pandit Ravi Shankar and was produced by Birmingham
Opera Company. For his contributions to the field of Kathak form of dance
he was awarded Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, by Government
of India.He had also received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for the
year 1984.
Lal was a
disciple of Sunder Prasdji. Along with being a Kathak dancer he was also a
singer and would play Pakhvaj. He taught Kathak at the National
Institute of Kathak Dance (Kathak Kendra), New Delhi. Lal's brother
Pandit Devi Lal was also a renowned Kathak dancer. Devi Lal's wife
Gitanjali Lal is also a Sangeet Natak Akademi Award winner (2007). Both
brothers died at an early age. After Durga Lal's death his children and
other art fraternity members have been organising an annual festival called
Pandit Durga Lal Memorial Festival. He has two children, elder daughter Nupur
and younger son Mohit. Nupur is Kathak performer and vocalist and
Mohit is a percussionist. His disciples include renowned dancers Uma
Dogra and Jayant Kastuar amongst others. In memory of Lal, Dogra has
arranged the "Pandit Durga Lal Samaroh" for more than 15 years as of
2005. She has also made a documentary Nirvana Through
Dance on him.
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