The Tehzeeb-e-Tawaif Seminar -Talk by Shri Yatindra Mishra скачать в хорошем качестве

The Tehzeeb-e-Tawaif Seminar -Talk by Shri Yatindra Mishra

Conceptualised and Curated by Kathak Dancer and Founder of the Sufi Kathak Foundation Manjari Chaturvedi under "The Courtesan Project" research series. This symposium will be divided into sessions that re-tell stories, reaffirm histories and address issues related to these exemplary performers. The seminar will aim to encourage awareness and academic exploration of the fast-fading history and legacy of the Tawaif and highlight the important role of women performers in the shaping of, preservation and promotion of cultural heritage. This symposium follows on the heels of its recent iteration held in Delhi in March 2019, and continues the exploration of the subject since the first-ever All-India Tawaif’s Conference held in 1961. Through discussions, film screenings and performance, the Symposium will aim to introduce alternate narratives about these incredible women performers that have been marginalized by history. Any study of India’s rich history of arts will be incomplete without a reference to the Tawaif, Baiji or Courtesan who served as vision and muse for poets, painters and musicians, and is a consummate artiste in her own right. Courtesans were known for their delicate poetry, a fine interlacing of Persian and Awadhi languages, their profound influence on musical traditions (like ghazals, dadra, thumri and gayaki) and their most indelible impact on expressive dance disciplines, imbuing the language of dance with poetics and soul. The Tawaifs and Baijis were once considered the epitome of performance art. They were held in high esteem and treated at par with Royalty. However, the important contributions of Courtesan Culture to Indian heritage have unfortunately been mitigated in the pages of history, having left residual and often highly romanticised traces. Journey back into India’s performative past with a unique event that brings the magic, the mannerisms and mujras of the Tawaif back to life! Session 2 | Tawaif: The Muse in Cinema with Shri Yatindra Mishra From the Royal courts and dance halls, he will trace the journey of courtesan performance culture, its tehzeeb (grace), quafs(pronunciation), riyaz(practice) and nakhara, (the art of pretence) as manifest onscreen. When the cinema debuted as a burgeoning form of entertainment, courtesans already possessed and demonstrated the right skills, training and professionalism as performing artists led some of them to enter India’s fledgling film industry The earliest female roles in cinema were given to courtesans and soon the mysterious world of the tawaif itself became the fascinating premise for many films. Films such as Pakeezah (1972) or Umrao Jaan (1981) are recognised as classic courtesan films for the wealth of visual and cultural detail they offer. Shri Yatindra Mishra examines the role of the courtesan in film and the way the cinema, namely Bollywood, has in turn created and propagated the myth of the tawaif. They will examine if there is any cathartic value to the representation of courtesans onscreen. They will also discuss the cultural impact of the courtesan in shaping and renegotiating gender roles (especially women) in Bollywood even today. They will discuss how tawaif-centred screen narratives offer opposition to conventional gender roles and unpack the social notions of gender attached to the concept of the tawaif. Sufi Kathak Foundation under the guidance of Manjari Chaturvedi is dedicated to work towards removing social stigmas associated with courtesan and thereby giving them much deserved respect and place as artists par excellence. www.sufikathakfoundation.com