Decoding lavani

Lavani, the traditional dance form of Maharashtra has come a long way from the time women dancers performed mostly for a male audience. Often reduced to item numbers in reality shows and mainstream films with popular songs such as ‘pinga’, and ‘Malaa Jau De’, there is more to this art form which has evolved over the years. And Savitri Medhatul and Bhushan Korgaonkar’s Baithkachi Lavani is all set to trace the social history of lavani in Maharashtra while presenting the form of traditional lavani Sangeet Baari where preference is given to singing than dancing.

The duo who have made a documentary on Lavani performers in 2009 and released a book Sangeet Bari in 2014 feel that most know lavani as a Bollywood dance pattern. While this has given the art form a universal recognition, Savitri is unhappy about the fact that in the last few years, the dance form has leaned more towards Bollywood.

Though the form has many dialects specific to a particular region, Savitri works with Sangeet Baari artists - a style of bidding by rich male patrons for female dancers. Savitri explains the form as dominated by women from a particular community that talks about their world of emotions and traditions, “we have traditional artists who perform with us and it is much more than just dance and music,” says the researcher.

Generally, lavani scripts are written by men and meant to be performed for upper class men by these women, but Savitri differs by saying, “lavani in its own is very much feminist”. Certainly, this Sangeet Baari is a different experience, as this does not have any particular storyline apart from the first person narratives at the beginning by Savitri and Bhushan Korgaonkar. They talk about their journey with the form followed by the performers sharing their experiences woven into live songs and dance performance. “Through our work and eyes, we give the audience a peek into the world of Sangeet Baari,” says Savitri.

Savitri has been working with the form and its artists for more than 12 years and has explored various traditional aspects attached to it. She is intensively working to bring the form back to its original structure.

Baithkachi Lavani will be performed on September 21, 6 pm (Marathi) and 9 pm (Hindi) at Prithvi Theatre