Navratri Bullies

Updated On: 17 September, 2009 08:59 AM IST | | Shikha Shah

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A dandiya ground is no less than a kurukshetra battlefield with contestants drawing up a strategy to distract competitors, practicing moves 2 months in advance, and carrying secret energy pick-me-ups in their ghagras. Meet the guys who've had to organise spare storerooms to house their prizes, and say "kar ya mar" for 9 days every year

It's three days to go for what some Mumbaikars believe is war; a war that involves vivacious costumes, intricate mehendi tattoos, backless cholis and serious drumming. Navratri, the 9-day dance festival celebrated each year, has its fair share of do-or-die participants. These are the guys who've grown accustomed to winning; losing the Dandiya King or Garba Queen title is worse than failing a board exam.

My competitors leave when I enter
Sanjay Soni, 32, a jewellery designer from Mulund has been dancing at the festival since he was a child. For him, it's not just a festival, but a landmark event that requires two months of gruelling practice. "We prepare way in advance so that we are ready for war!" laughs Soni, who usually steps on to the dancing ground knowing he's going to take the prize home. "It's not easy bagging the trophy every year, because everyone comes seriously well-prepared. You need to formulate a strategy. I distract my competitors; everything is fair on the dandiya ground," he says, before adding matter-of-factly that he's noticed how his competitors often leave the ground when they see him entering the scene.

Soni has won cash prizes, motorbikes and sundry trophies. He forms a team with his wife, and the two conduct garba and dandiya classes in Mulund. Those with the best lehkas (move and grace) bag a place in his competition group.

This year, they are a team of 20 dancers divided into four groups. Each team plans to attack one major Navratri mandal, with the aim of winning the finale prize at any cost. Once they are done, they all gather at a common point to discuss individual performances and share feedback so that they don't falter the next night.
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Trespassers are prosecuted
While each group strives to invent the best Garba steps, they make sure no outsider gatecrashes into their coterie. "A newcomer who wants to spontaneously join the group, is tactfully warded off. He might just end up disturbing our tempo," says Impal Samarkadhi, 36. Samarkadhi runs the Fusion Dance Academy in Mahavir Nagar, Kandivali, with her partner Nimisha Khiara, 28. Unity is what decides the winning team, Samarkadhi says.
"There are times when one of us is not feeling well or is mentally exhausted andu00a0 unable to focus on the moves. Then the rest of us strive to cheer him up and boost his morale."

Devanshi Vithliani, a dentist takes a 10-day break from her practice to prepare to win yet another prize. She has been winning the prize for Best Female Dancer for the last few years

Enjoying yourself still counts
But there are a few contestants who believe enjoyment is above all else. "If you enjoy the music, you will dance like a dream. It's tough for me to control myself when I hear the music play; my body starts swinging to the rhythm. I dance to enjoy myself; the prizes are an icing on the cake," says Devanshi Vithliani, 23, a dentist who takes a 10-day break from her practice to focus on training. She has won the Best Female Dancer prize consecutively over the last few years.

Enough washing machines to fill a home
So what do you do when you win a prize every single year? You win enough washing machines and consumer durables to fit into a whole new home. Dharal Gondalia, 38, is proud that her daughter Charmi, 17, has been competing for a decade, and winning is almost a habit. Prizes, trophies and certificates crowd her Borivali home.
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She's won the award for Best Female Dancer at Kora Kendra, Borivali, for three consecutive years. "The cash prize every year is well above Rs 50,000 and now we have arranged for a separate storeroom to house washing machines and other prizes, since there's no room in our flat," admits the doting mother. Gondalia has prepared nine different costumes, one for each night of the festival. She's personally hand-stitched the mirrors, tikkis and patchwork to lend a dazzling edge to the wardrobe. "This year, I started working on her costumes one month in advance, and they are almost ready. I have a huge collection of jewellery that I have sourced from different parts of the country, specially for her competitions."