Actor-filmmaker Rituparna Sengupta says music and dance connect her with the divine. On a recent visit to Lucknow, where she performed at the Kali Bari Temple’s foundation day celebrations, she tells us how dedicating her dance to Maa Kali “fulfilled her spiritually”.
“The whole idea of the temple dance is very important to me. Temples are always adorned with dancing figures and carvings, so it’s always been part of that culture. They say that through music, dance, and songs, you reach out to the Almighty. The divine connection happens when you express yourself through your talents and art,” says Sengupta.
She adds, “It’s great to perform in a temple atmosphere where the audience truly appreciates, cares for, and respects art.”
She performed Durga Maa and Kali Maa acts during the event. “I chose the Karan Arjun (1995) film song Jai Maa Kaali to start my performance. Then, I presented a piece on the Hanuman Ansh film’s trending song Parvati, which the audience loved. We chose some interesting aspects of our culture, and I had a lovely troupe that performed very well. We also danced to a folk song and the original Bengali version of a portion of Bharat Bhagya Vidhata from our National Anthem.”
The audience, she says, added energy to her act. “We had an amazing gathering, which is so important for us because the audience has changed, and so have their mindsets. But those who are rooted and appreciate art—their feedback is very organic and inspiring. As an artiste, it’s heartening to see that the cultural mindset is still rooted in the audience here.”
Sengupta is trained in Odissi and Assamese dance. “After my initial training I developed my own stye which is an amalgamation of different dance form. Like in my performance we also had Kathak and Bharatnatyam portions.”
She adds, “It is very special to visit for a dance performance. It gives me a great feeling that an aspect of my life that is not related to films is also appreciated. Temple trust official Abhijit Sarkar hosted us very well.”
Back to 2005
Her visit to the city, she says, brought back memories of Chandan Arora’s film Main Meri Patni aur Woh (2005), which she shot with Rajpal Yadav. “The long schedule that we spent in Lucknow got refreshed. I have come after that too, but then I spent nearly two months. While moving around, I was recalling places where I used to travel by rickshaw. We even shot on Diwali day, and it was a beautifully lit-up atmosphere. It all got refreshed. I am really impressed the way city is transforming specially the trans-Gomti area.”
