"I feel lucky that I earned a lot of blessings." Pandit Birju Maharaj shares heartwarming tales about his journey in this 2017 conversation. The Kathak maestro passed away today at 83.
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CreativityTranscript
00:00I asked two uncles and my father, so three of them came to me, Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati.
00:22So I took the bath in three streams.
00:26What was the difference between the three?
00:29The younger one was very male-type.
00:34I learnt it from my uncle in Lucknow.
00:37So I went to Bombay.
00:45What did the younger one teach me?
00:49He taught me this.
00:55Is this a dance?
00:57This is a fight.
01:00I learnt the voice.
01:02The same bowl I learnt from Lachhu Maharaj.
01:15I came back from Bombay.
01:17What did the elder one teach me?
01:21He taught me this.
01:31My uncle was saying,
01:33He made me a girl.
01:35He made you a girl?
01:37I was very worried.
01:40The younger one was saying this, the elder one was saying that.
01:43I said to my mother,
01:45Mother, learn it quietly.
01:47No matter how much you say, you will be beaten.
01:49When I grow up, I will dance like my father.
01:54Like my father.
01:56Learn it now.
01:58I used to dance like him and him like him.
02:03But Maharaj Ji, both the uncles look so beautiful on you.
02:08That is why the three streams,
02:10He is as graceful as he is strong.
02:14Both the uncles used to love him very much.
02:18They were always experimenting on him.
02:21Between three brothers, I was only the boy.
02:24I got everyone's love.
02:27Jhansi, a very useless place.
02:30The place is not useless.
02:33But the people were bad that day.
02:36No one was listening.
02:39Now, poor Ilyas Khan
02:41First, Omkarnath Ji.
02:43Omkarnath Ji, after singing for a while, left.
02:46Now, Ilyas Khan
02:54People are saying, no more.
02:56They are saying, bore, bore, no more.
02:59He understood, more, more.
03:02And he took the sitar and sat again.
03:04No, no, no, go.
03:07I was standing in the meeting.
03:11I told to Chacha Ji, my uncle, he was there.
03:14I said, this audience, oh God.
03:17As soon as I will do this, they will say,
03:19Thu, Thu, Tha, Thu.
03:21What they will say?
03:23I said, call ADM, DDM and return the money.
03:26I will not dance.
03:28But Chacha Ji said,
03:29Don't you remember that flute of the house?
03:32Horse galloping, the sound
03:36Can you make something?
03:39And that sound became
03:41Chho, Rang, Chho, Rang, Chho, Rang, Chho, Rang, Chho, Rang, Chho, Rang, Chho, Rang
03:49He said,
03:50Do one thing,
03:51Put Rani Jhansi, on that horse.
03:55I said, ok.
03:57I came on the stage
04:00I said,
04:01Jhansi,
04:03The Rani here,
04:05Kamal
04:06Kya himmat wali thi
04:08Unka goda bi kamal tha
04:10Ud goda pe Rani Jhansi jo aake ladhi hai sab logon se
04:13Kamal Gaya
04:14Lijiye bandish suniye
04:16Tatta tatta teh tatta teh Tatta, tah tah tah teh
04:29So I dance about one and a half hours
04:31Sometimes bahut audience achi nahi bilti
04:34I am very fortunate that I have earned a lot of blessings.
04:39More than money. I don't have that much money. I don't have.
04:42I will ask for some money. Give me some. But blessings are a lot.