A Step into Reality...

A Step into Reality.



I am a student of Lalit Kala Kendra, gurukul, University of Pune. And as usual I was waiting at the university signal to go towards my department. When about 5 to 6 small girls and boys, ages between 5 to 7 came running towards us. Some started wiping my bike, some were selling some stuff they had and some were just begging for money. Just then these small children saw a foreigner walking by us. As the opposite side signal was green with a heck of traffic passing by that foreigner couldn’t cross the road. So she waited by the divider under the over bridge of the University signal. Suddenly all these children rushed towards her and started troubling her. They pulled her hair, snatched her bag, and removed her hair bow. She tried to make them go away but they troubled her more as she scolded them. She at last tried to walk away from signal. But all these kids followed her everywhere. Some girls standing besides her also couldn’t help her as these kids wont listen at all. Some kids were actually touching my feet as they begged for money. I really felt pity for that girl. I tried helping her but I myself was getting away from these kids. What a relief it must have been for her as I watched her cross the road hurriedly as soon as she got a chance to cross the busy road.
As I turned back to look where the kids went, I saw them with an elder man and women supposed to be their mom and dad. The lady just sat besides him and the man was smoking. The sight left be ablaze. And now for the last 15 days, I have been watching them every day under the bridge some times taking a bath under a small tap under the bridge, washing some utensils, clothes, etc. I feel that place is just like a home to them. And now I am truly convinced why Slumdog Millioner was so much praised to show the reality in Mumbai and India. I just hope this reality changes.

Tejdipty.

Incident to Remember for life-long !!!

Today, I would like to tell about a shocking incident which took place with me on one of the busiest road in the city. Senapati Bapat road, near Pyramids. As me and my mom were at the signal we suddenly realized that our car had broken down. After trying for about 2-3 mins it didn’t restart and I got down of my car to wave the traffic behind to pass by from the other side. Till then I could only see people either starring at us from a distance or yelling as they passed by us. One person even said “Don’t know why these women’s drive when they cant take the crises” as he passed by me. Those weird expressions and sentences made me understand that no one was gonna help us. As I started pushing the car to the other end, two hands of an unexpected unknown Uncle of my dad’s age started pushing the car with me when two glittering eyes of 20-30 youngsters just watched us. He not only helped us to take it to the other side of the road but also till our society as we lived near by. He had come after parking his own car to the other end. I do feel there are some good people like that uncle in this world but very few. All happened at around 8pm when our city roads are packed with it’s over increasing population with no mankind.
This is the day when I saw the bar of falling mankind when one out 100 people around came to help us. I don’t know his name but uncle if you are reading this article I really like to convey my regards and hearted THANKS to you. He is proved to be a true hero in my life, a TRUE human being.

Confusion !

Recently I read the book Bharata Natyam by Sunil Kothari.
This is a book which tells us abt the various aspects of Bharatanatyam. Right from its Origin as in ancient times, spiritual background, technicalities and also the well-known dances all over the world. The good thing about this book is that it provides everything in detail with pictures and notations as well. From my side its a great research work. It was first published in 1979 and later repriented with revised edition in 1982. Obviously as I read the reprinted edition, I Suppose they must have made remarkable changes and must have truly done a good job and thus it was reprinted. But here one think is craving my mind from long time though I have read the book long time back. The word "BHARATANATYAM" written as Bharata Natyam ...with space between the two words. I really didnt get the idea behind dividing the word into Two? Is it a Mistake or is the writter trying to convey anythng from it? Or then its truly seems to be a silly mistake which have not been changed even after revision.
I hope if the third revised book atleast comes up with BHARATANATYAM !!!

Lalit Kala Kendra- "The house of ART"

Rhythmic Blend of Performing Arts !

Center for Performing Arts at University of Pune, popularly known as Lalit Kala Kendra, was established in 1987. Since then it has been molding up great and well-known Artist like Sharvari Jamenis, Parimal Phadke, Shambhavi Vaze, Madhuri Potnis for Dance, Akshay Pendse, Mandar Kulkarni, Upendra Limaye, Meghana Vaidya, Mukta Barve, Neha Joshi for Theatre and Aniruddha Joshi, Pushkar Lele, Priyal Sathe, Sayali Panse, Prachi Dubale, Mohan Darekar for Music, Nikhil Phatak, Milind Pote for Tabla, Pramod Gaikwad for Shahenai, Suyog Kundalkar, Milind Kulkarni for Harmonium and many more.

With same outbound ambitions in mind many students like me have come and will always come from all walks of life, city and villages to impart themselves with great knowledge provided by Guru’s like our Head of department Dr. Shubhangi Bahulikar, Guru assistant Hema Deshmukh and such all other immensely talented visiting faculty. Our HOD Dr. Shubhangi Bahulikar says, “An Artist’s personality reflects in his/her Art and thus personality of an Artist is very important.”

Right from day one we were introduced to great artist like Shri. Vijay Sardeshmukh, Pt. Satyashil Despande, Shri. Rajeev Parajpee, Shri. Ramdas Palsule, Smita Mahajan, Manisha Abhay, Rujuta Soman, Sanskrit scholar Dr. Saroja Bhate; etc. These great artists and scholars came up from their busy schedule and guided us for the further years from their respective fields. Rendering us with basic knowledge of Music, Dance and Drama was the main motive behind this Orientation Program. Not only this but also Psychologist like Dr. Sujal Watve and Dr. Rajeev Sharangpani (Sports Medicine Doctor) who helped us to understand the physical and mental preparation which is needed to grow as an good artist and to get better by experience. Last but not the least renowned Hindi and Marathi Theatre and Cinema Actor Mr. Vikram Gokhale also conducted an Abhinaya workshop which was fascinating and rendered us with knowledge and research from his experiences and attachment to industry for last 54 years. A deep thought from him which I fondly like to mention: “To create an illusion is what can be known as an Art”. And we duly know that this knowledge from such great artists can’t be achieved any where else in the world. Also, I must not have understood Music in such simple language and idea but Shri.Atul Upadhye Sir made it for us …he just said, “Music lies between the gap of two notes”.


A unique teaching method which still holds on to the Gurukul pattern of learning under very open and free atmosphere is the Guru-Shishya Parampara. The pleasant atmosphere around our campus, encouraging staff and enormous Library with the help of Audio and Video aids makes it perfect. This institution strikes the balance between the rich cultural heritage of India and awareness of contemporary sensibilities of the young creative minds. Thus, we understood from our Orientation Program that “In order to create one's own idiom in performing arts, one has to respect all cultural traditions and understand the socio-cultural history of the region”.

Albert Murray has rightly said,
“Highest Qualities comes from Art”This surely has proven to me when I stepped into this wonderful Gurukul of Fine Arts in Pune University.