Remo D'Souza, Vikas Gupta are giving Indian classical dance its commercial due

Be it hip-hop, B-boying or tap dance — Indian audiences have steadily been exposed to new dance forms, courtesy the countless reality shows on television

Remo D'Souza and Vikas Gupta

Be it hip-hop, B-boying or tap dance — Indian audiences have steadily been exposed to new dance forms, courtesy the countless reality shows on television. As we embrace Western dance forms, certain shows are making a dedicated effort to train the spotlight back on Indian classical dance.

Remo D'Souza's Dance Plus season 3 is one such example. While the show sees its fair share of Western forms, the group, Sri Rama Nataka Niketan, has been gaining prominence by bringing Bharatanatyam to the fore. D'Souza says, "I've believed in supporting Indian classical dance forms, along with the Western forms that we see on reality shows. They capture the essence of our culture."

Vikas Gupta of Lost Boy Productions, too, is joining the movement with a new show that focuses on Kathak. Starring Harshita Gaur, Punch Beat targets the young viewer. "Punch Beat is a journey of two people and what drives them. While the male protagonist is a boxer, the female lead is trained in Kathak. The decision to explore the Indian style was to make people aware of our traditional roots. Since Harshita is a trained Kathak dancer, it only made things easier."

Given the current generation's obsession with the West, D'Souza hopes Indian classical dance forms don't sink into oblivion. "The youth should understand the importance of our culture. I've seen a great interest in this area — more and more dancers are trying Indian classical dance forms," concludes the choreographer-director.

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