Thumri and Kathak

Thumri as a Nritya :

Nritta, Natya, and nritya are the three nartan-bhedas or the three aspects of dance. Nritya is a later concept which is the combination of Nritta, the body movements, and Natya the abhinaya or drama.

Abhinaydarpan mentions that the Nritya is mentioned to be Geetashraya that is ‘the one with a song as its frame’. Thus, Nritya is the form where a Geeta or a song is interpreted through the medium of body movements, body language, mudras, and abhinaya. Thumri performed in Kathak can be considered as the perfect example of this Nritya.

Many other genres such as Dhrupad, Ashtapadis and other Folk-music based genres such as Chaiti, Kajri, Hori were explored and performed in Kathak through ages. However, from the last two centuries Thumri has gained the escalating popularity and has become the the foundation of Abhinaya in Kathak.

Thumri as a genre:

Thumri is a genre that can be categorized into the Kaishiki Vrutti or the romantic style as per Bharata’s distinction.

Thumri is a vocal form considered as a link between classical music and light music. Here, the vocalist sings in an improvisational style, where much stress is on the emotive interpretation of the words or lyrics of the bandish, and less stress on establishing the raga. Thumri is the genre of song that is originated for dance or that is originated as dance-song. The word Thumri itself has the action word ‘ठुमकना’ or walking gracefully in it. Projesh Banerjee has given an interesting definition of the word Thumri.

 ठु- ठुमकना- चाल, म – मन, रि-रिझाना Hence, Thumri is the artistic style which has musical lines and dancing that will attract the mind and heart of the listeners. Thumri generally depicts Shringara, both the shades Sanyog Shringar (Romantic union) and Viyog Shringara (longings in separation). Generally Deepchandi, Chanchar, Punjabi or similar taals are used, the quadrupled or chaugun teental is also used in the climax part of thumri. This kind is sung in raags like Des, Pilu, Kafi, Bhairavi etc. similar to Tappa. 

Thumri – Origin :

Thumri is popularly assumed to be originated in the period of Nawab Vajid Ali Shah. However, Thumri has much earlier origins. Thumri is said to be originated from the Chhalik Sangeet, a similar light romantic style that was performed with Abhinaya. The famous drama penned by Kalidasa ‘Malavikagnimitram’ shows the heroine Malavika performing this Chhalika Sangeet, where her romantic expressions enchant the hero. Even the ancient Charchari style which later developed into the folk style Chanchar are also similar to the Thumri.

The word Thumri is found much before Nawab Vajid Ali shah, in the manuals of Music and  dance like Raag darpan and Radha-Govind-geet-sar in the 17^th Century. However, earlier references of the word do not denote it as an independent type but there, the Thumri is a type of Ragini. Thumri was performed as an independent genre in 18^th century itself in the reign of Nawab Asafuddaula. When the founder of Lucknow gharana Baba Prakashi ji came to Lucknow in the later part of the 18^th century, the Kathak waves began to fill the air of Lucknow and Thumri had a major role in this.  In the beginning period, however, it was a simple dance song lacking sophisticated rhythmic and melodic improvisation. In the later part of the 18^th century, thumri began to be appreciated as a fresh and exciting contrast to the pre-existing Dhrupad style. Soon, it became a semi-classical form of the upper classes and every Mehfil of elites was incomplete without the performance of Thumri.

Contribution of Nawab Vajid Ali Shah:

The reign of Nawab Vajid Ali Shah is marked with the flourishing of many art forms, especially music and dance. In this golden era for music, his patronage encouraged many artists and musicians. It is in this period that the mere dance songs called Thumri used by courtesans were given sophisticated form.

Vajid Ali Shah was himself a trained vocalist and dancer. He was the disciple of Ustad Basit Khan for vocals and was a disciple of Thakur Prasad ji for Kathak. He was also a great wordsmith and has composed many thumris with the pen-name Akhter-Piya. He composed and performed dance-dramas like Indra-Sabha, in which he used Thumris as a part of the dance drama. He also appointed Nritya-acharyas (Dance-mentors) to train the dancer in his famous Parikhana. Nawab Vajid Ali Shah’s inclination towards Thumri not only rejuvenated this genre into a sophisticated elite semi-classical form but also filled the atmosphere of Lucknow with the elegance of Thumri. 

Bindadin Maharaj and Thumri: 

Thumri in Kathak is almost synonymous to Pandit Bindadin Maharaj, such was his contribution as a writer, composer, and performer of hundreds of thumris that are the prime element in the Abhinaya in Kathak today.  He composed the thumri songs specifically with the purpose of presenting the abhinaya through Kathak. His thumris have a fine blend of amour and devotion. Bindadin Maharaj himself was a devotee of Krishna hence, his compositions are centered around various Krishna Leelas and various shades of love between Radha and Krishna.

Thumri in Kathak : Thumri encompasses a major Abhinaya presentation in Kathak. All the shades of Shringara are portrayed delicately in various thumris, be it subtle and shy romance of Mugdha, or mischievous love of Madhya or passionate amour of Pragalbha. Ashta-nayikas come to life in the various thumris of Bindadin Maharaj. To name a few, khandita in Kahe ko more ghar aaye ho, abhisarika in Sab ban than aayi sham. Thumri is presented in its own unique style in Kathak, where a dancer tries exploring layers of the meaning under every line and every word, at the same time, paying attention to the rhythm. The Abhinaya in Thumri presentation is seven-fold as follows:

1. Nayan Bhav- The Abhinaya starts with subtle Nayan bhav where the dancer uses his eyes, eyebrows to represent the meaning of the poetry. The dancer uses various drushti bhed or glances and tries to incarnate the character and present the emotion only through the eyes. The purpose of this subtle expression is to make the spectator concentrate and immerse deeply in the song. For example, while presenting the literal meaning of

बैठी सोचे ब्रिज बाम, सूना लागो मोरा धाम,

The dancer will first express the heavyhearted condition of Nayika, only through sad-longing eyes, he will look around at the sad-house and will suggest its emptiness to express सूना लागो मोरा धाम

2. Bol bhav- The dance itself acts as an interpretation of the song or here of the Thumri. After Nayan Bhav, dancer takes up every word of the composition and represents it through mudras and body language.

Lacchu Maharaj
Bol-bhav expressing the word 'gari 

 Here, the emphasis is on the Angik Abhinaya and this is the test of the creativity of the dancer as to how many different representations of the same word or line, he can show.  This layer of Abhinaya explains the basic or the literal meaning of the bandish and makes a foundation for further deeper meanings. However, the dancer through his gestures and mudras interprets more than one meaning of the same line.

As in the given thumri, the dancer will show the literal meaning of the phrase घिर आई बदरी by hand gestures suggesting clouds. Additionally, he will also suggest the other बदरीs, the one in the eyes of Nayika and also the one in her heart. He may also suggest some interesting meanings, by showing the smoke of Diya as बदरी.

3. Artha Bhav- At this level, in order to into the deeper meaning, the dancer beyond being mere narrator, personifies himself as the character. Here, he may not stick to representing every word, but he will express the overall emotions of the character. For example, for the line, kaun gali gayo shyam, the shabd bhav would be showing kaun, then gali, gayo and shyam with mudras, whereas artha bhav means showing the Gopi questing the Krishna longingly.

4. Sabha Bhav-

The Kathak abhinaya has the intrinsic element of storytelling in it. After interpreting every word for the viewers, sometimes the dancer directly communicates with the audience asking them or pleading them, in order to make them a part of the story. While searching for Krishna on the line Kaun gali gayo shyam, the dancer may ask directly to the audience, have they seen Krishna and may request them to search him.

5. Nritya Bhav – After the dancer has opened up many layers of meaning and has taken along the audience immersing in the rasa, the thumri catches the gripping speed and the dancer now expresses the bliss beyond words through intrinsic footwork and elegant gestures matching the speedy Laggi on table. Here the stress is on expressing the rasa along with the drut laya- laggi, however, maintain the delicacy through soft body movements, giving a climatic experience to the spectator.

6. Gat-artha- bhav- While presenting the thumri, the dancer adds small episodes or supporting stories. He presents them in the gat-bhav format, either on the avartans between the two stanzas or he may also use the vistar of a particular line. Vistar refers to developing a particular line by a number of variations and alapi. This gat-bhav presentation on the sides of Thumri which enhances the Rasa is called as gat-artha bhav. For instance, while showing सूना लागो मोरा धाम, the dancer may show the previous romantic episodes of Nayika and Nayak through Gat-bhav and hence will underline how the same place appears empty for her now without him.

7. Anga bhav- When the performer is immersed in the emotion, to the extent that every anga-prtyanga, every body-part of his, shows the same emotions. This state of Sattvika Abhinaya is called as Anga-bhav

भरतानुसार नाट्य उत्पत्ती, नाट्य प्रयोजन :

तौर्यत्रिकं नृत्तगीतवाद्यं नाट्यमिदं त्रयम् । -अमरकोश

नाट्य हा शब्द आज नाटक अशा सामान्य अर्थी वापरला जातो. मात्र, प्राचीन भारतीय साहित्यशास्त्रात नाट्य या शब्दाचे संदर्भ आणि व्याप्ती वेगळी आहे. नाट्यशास्त्रात नाटय म्हणजे एक अशी दृक-श्राव्य कला ज्यात वास्तव जीवनाचे अनुकरण असेल व हे अनुकरण नाटक, नृत्य, गायन, वादन अशा सर्व माध्यमांतून असेल. म्हणजेच नाट्यशास्त्रात नाट्य ही गायन, वादन, नृत्य आणि नाटक किंवा रूपक यांचे मिश्रण असलेली एक समावेशक कला आहे. मात्र, नृत्य,वादन वगैरेंचा विचार नाट्याचे किंवा नाटकाचे सहकारी किंवा नाटकाच्या एकूण प्रभावाला मदत करणारे अशा दुय्यम स्वरूपात केला आहे, स्वतंत्र कला म्हणून नव्हे. त्यामुळे नाट्यशास्त्रातील नाट्याच्या उत्पत्तीचा विचार हा नाट्याबरोबरच नृत्यादि कलांच्याही उत्पत्तीचा विचार आहे, किंवा नृत्यादि कला ज्याचा अनिवार्य आणि मुख्य भाग आहे अशा नाट्यरूपाच्या उत्पत्तीचा विचार आहे, असे म्हणता येईल.

इतिहासकारांनी नाट्याची उत्पत्ती ऋग्वेदातील संवादसूक्तांमधून मानली आहे. नाट्यशास्त्रातही नाट्याची उत्पत्ती आणि प्रयोजन याबद्दल एक विशेष कथा सांगितली आहे. कथा पौराणिक स्वरूपाची असली तरी तिचे अनेक पदर नाट्याच्या मूळ रूपाबद्दल अनेक वास्तविक पैलू सुचवतात.

त्रेतायुगात सामान्य जनांना जेव्हा षड्रिपूंनी ग्रासले होते, प्रपंचाच्या श्रमांनी दमवले होते, आणि संसाराच्या शोकांनी ताडले होते तेव्हा इंद्रादि देव ब्रह्मदेवाकडे गेले आणि त्यांनी विनंती केली:

क्रीडनीयकमिच्छामो दृश्यं श्रव्यं च यद्भवेत् ।

असं काही तरी साधन निर्माण करून आम्हाला द्या जे एकाच वेळी मनोरंजनही करेल आणि प्रबोधन ही, असे साधन ज्यात वेदांचे सार असेल, आणि तरीही सर्व वर्णांना ते उपलब्ध असेल.

तेव्हा मग ब्रह्मवेदाने, नाट्यवेदाची निर्मिती केली. या नाट्यवेदात ऋग्वेदातून पाठ्य म्हणजे शब्द घेतले, यजुर्वेदातून मुद्रादि अभिनय घेतला, सामवेदातून गीत घेतले आणि अथर्ववेदातून रस घेतले. ब्रह्माने तेव्हा भरताच्या शंभर पुत्रांना या नाट्यवेदाची दीक्षा दिली. या शास्त्राचा अभ्यास व अनुशीलन करून त्यानुसार पहिला नाट्यप्रयोग बसवला गेला. अमृतमंथन हा तो पहिला नाट्यप्रयोग इंद्रध्वज-उत्सवाच्या मंगल प्रसंगी सादर करण्याचे ठरले. नाट्यप्रयोग सुंदर झाला आणि देव प्रसन्न झाले, मात्र प्रयोगात विघ्न आले. नटांनी असुरांचे काम इतके चोख वठवले की, ते पाहून असुर संतापले व त्यांनी प्रयोगात विघ्न आणले. तेव्हा इंद्राने आपला ध्वजदंड जर्जर नटांना रक्षणासाठी देऊ केला तर ब्रह्मदेवाने आपले कुटिलक (वक्र-दंड) हे शस्र देऊ केले.

कुचिपुडी नृत्यनाट्य- इंद्रध्वज व कुटिलक

आजही कुचिपुडी सारख्या नृत्यनाट्यांमध्ये, सुरुवातीला इंद्रध्वजाची स्थापना आणि पूजन होते. त्याचप्रमाणे आजही पारंपरिक कुचिपुडी नाट्यप्रस्तुती मध्ये, सूत्रधाराच्या हातात इंद्रध्वज आणि विदूषकाच्या हातात कुटिलक असतो.

नटराज शिवशंकराने तंडु मुनींना व त्यांच्या शिष्यांना रौद्र नृत्याचे प्रशिक्षण दिले. तंडू मुनींमुळे या रौद्र नृत्याचे तांडव असे नामकरण झाले.

या प्रथम नाट्य प्रयोगात तीन वृत्तींचा किंवा शैलींचा समावेश होता. भारती वृत्त ज्यात शब्दांचा किंवा संवादांचा प्रामुख्याने वापर असतो, सात्त्वती वृत्ती ज्यात सात्त्विक अभिनयाचा प्रामुख्याने वापर असतो, आरभटी वृत्ती ज्यात रौद्र आंगिक अभिनयाचा प्रामुख्याने वापर असतो. मात्र ब्रह्मदेवाला यात लालित्य नाही असे वाटले तेव्हा त्यांनी चौथ्या कैशिकी वृत्तीचा अंतर्भाव करण्यास सांगितले. मात्र कैशिकी वृत्तीचे सादरीकरण स्त्रियांशिवाय शक्य नाही. त्यामुळे, या उद्दिष्टासाठी ब्रह्मदेवाने तेवीस अप्सरांची निर्मिती केली. पार्वतीने लास्य नृत्याचे शिक्षण त्यांना दिले. पार्वतीने बाणासुराच्या कन्येला, उषेला लास्य शिकवेले जे उषेने पृथ्वीलोकात प्रसृत केले. नाट्याचे हे नियम आणि पद्धती भरतमुनींनी नाट्यशास्त्रात एकत्र केली.

कथेतून नाट्याच्या मूळ रूपाबद्दल निष्कर्ष :

वरील कथेच्या विश्लेषणातून नाट्याच्या मूळ स्वरूपाबद्दल पुढील निष्कर्ष काढता येतील :

1. नाट्याची उत्पत्ती आणि विकास धार्मिक परिसरात झाला जसे यज्ञादि मंगलप्रसंगी नाट्य सादरीकरण.

2. मूळात नाट्य हे उत्स्फ़ुर्त, अनियोजित लोक कला स्वरूपाचे असावे. मात्र नंतर राजाश्रय आणि विद्वानांचा आश्रय मिळून त्याला सुनियोजित स्वरूप आणि नियमबद्ध असे शास्त्रीय रूप आले असावे.

3. नाट्यवेदास सार्ववर्णिक वेद म्हटले आहे. नाट्य सुरुवातील शूद्रादि बहुजनांकडून केले जात असावे, मात्र नाट्यातील मनोरंजन आणि परिणामकारकता पाहता, अन्य वर्णांनीही त्याचा स्वीकार केला असावा.

4. भरतमुनी व भरतपुत्रांद्वारे लोककलेला शास्त्रीय रूप दिले असावे तसेच नटांना शास्त्रशुद्ध प्रशिक्षणाची व्यवस्थित पद्धत सुरू केली असावी.

The Origin and the Purpose of Natya as stated in Bharata’s Natyashastra:

तौर्यत्रिकं नृत्तगीतवाद्यं नाट्यमिदं त्रयम् । -अमरकोश

The word Natya (नाट्य) is used in the general sense of Drama today. However, this same term has a different context and scope in ancient Indian literature and Rhetorics. Natyashastra considers Natya as a comprehensive audio-visual art form that includes Drama as well as, dance (नृत्य), vocal music(गीत) and instrumental music (वाद्य). However, the dance and music were treated as secondary to drama and were used to adorn the main form of drama. Hence, the topic of the origin of drama as discussed in Natyashaastra is not only about the origin of drama but also about the origin of this comprehensive art form call Natya that includes dance also as the eminent part.

Historians trace back the origin of drama to the Dialogues or the Samvaad Suktas in Rigveda. Natyashastra gives a detailed account of the origin of Natya in the form of a legend or a tale.   

In the Tretayuga, when miseries and evil deeds had rolled over the lives of the ordinary people, Indra and the other Gods requested the Brahma to create such an instrument with the purpose of entertainment as well as  enlightenment, the instrument that will have the essence of the Vedas, still it should easily available and understood by the common people. क्रीडनीयकमिच्छामो दृश्यं श्रव्यं च यद्भवेत् ।

Brahma  then created the Natya Veda by amalgamating the Words from the Rig Veda, Song from the Sama Veda, the gestures or the mudras from the Yajur Veda and the Rasas or the emotions from the Atharva Veda. This science was then imparted by Brahma to Bharata and to his hundred sons. After learning this Shastra, the first play as per these instructions, depicting the story of the Amruthamantana was staged at the festival of Indradhvaj and the presentation pleased the gods. But a mishap occurred. The defeat of the Danavas enacted by the actors annoyed the actual danavas so much so that all the actors on the stage were dumbfounded by the asuras by casting a magical spell.   

Kuchipudi performance opening-
Artists holding Flagshaft and curved stick

 The Indra, then bestowed the actors with a Jarjara, his flag-shaft-like weapon to ward off all such mishaps from happening. Even today, in some styles, Jarjara or the Indradhvaja is worshipped as the essential opening ritual.  Indra also directed Vishwakarma the divine artisan to construct a Natyashala or an auditorium for this purpose and Brahma advised that this form is for gods as well as for danavas. Brahma gave the actors Kutilaka, the curved stick. This curved stick is observed in the traditional Sanskrit drama in the hands of Vidushaka and is also observed today in the Kuchipudi dance-drama form.

Lord Shiva, the cosmic dancer, taught Tandu his assistant the art of vigorous dancing which was later identified as Tandava.

This drama presentation included the three vrittis or the styles of presentations namely; the Bharathi vritti that is the use of words or dialogue, the Satvati or the presentation on sattva or intense emotions and the Arabhati, use of the energetic movements. The lack of the feminine grace was observed, and the Brahma asked to include the fourth style or vritti called as Kaishiki adding that This style cannot be practiced properly by men except with the help of women. Brahma then created the twenty-three apsaras for this purpose. These apsaras were then taught 'Lasya', the art of dancing gracefully by Parvathi who taught Ushas, the daughter of Banasura to propagate it on Earth. Further, the rules of Natya were compiled by Bharata in the form of verses in a text called the Natya Shastra.

Inferring from the story:

The above story can be analyzed and interpreted to infer following hints regarding the earliest form of Natya.

1. Natya originated and developed in the religious premises such as drama presentation at the Yagya ceremony.

2. Initially, Natya may be an unorganized and spontaneous folk form in the beginning, however, royal patronage further shaped this form and it was then studied by the scholarship and presented in a sophisticated rule-bound format.

3. Natya is mentioned as सार्ववर्णिक वेद. Natya may have been performed by the menial or lower caste who had no inhibitions of social taboos, but looking at its entertainment and the content value was adapted by other Varna’s as well.

4. Bharata can be that school of sages which gave a sophisticated elite form to the presentation of drama as well as formalized the education of artists.