Anil Hankare in a performance

IF you trip over the catchy tunes and beats of the dholak, the sound of ghunghroos and the graceful, expressive dancers of one of Maharashtra’s most popular folk forms, you are in for a treat this weekend. Lavani LIVE!, a day-long event by Godrej Culture Lab, will explore the divergent histories, styles, and discourses around Lavani. This apart, participants can gain insight at a dance-theatre workshop by Lavani performer Anil Hankare, gaze at stunning frames by Sandesh Bhandare and witness a finalé act featuring the coming together of the many avatars of the dance form.“I had chosen the subject, ‘The politics of performance — changing forms of Lavani,’ for my dissertation. There is abundant literature available on Lavani but not much is known about it in English academia. I came across several names who were involved in the art form in different ways, through research or performance, and felt it was important to bring them together to offer a complete picture,” says curator Sejal Yadav, a danseuse and PhD candidate at Jawaharlal Nehru University. “It is important to get varied perspectives as the issues that a stage Lavani performer face are different from those of an actress performing it on screen,” she explains.