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Kathak gave me purpose in life, Pune my identity: Shama Bhate
Shama Bhate recalled the teachings of her guru Rohini Bhate and emphasised that the award had put on her the additional responsibility of taking more initiative and urging the city’s dancing community to stay together
Renowned Kathak exponent, guru Shama Bhate, said that Kathak gave her purpose in life while Pune city gave her an identity which helped her in establishing herself. Popularly known as ‘Shama tai’, the septuagenarian dancer on Tuesday was felicitated at the MES auditorium, Kothrud, for receiving the prestigious ‘Sangeet Natak Akademi Award’ from the ‘Shastriya Nritya Sanvardhan Sanstha’, a trust formed by dancers and dance gurus in Pune.
“Kathak gave me a purpose in life. It also gave my life a meaning, through which I lived beautifully. Pune city gave me an identity and helped me in establishing myself. My students also played a vital role in my journey as I always got students who were devoted to dance,” Shama Bhate said on the occasion.
Shama Bhate recalled the teachings of her guru Rohini Bhate and emphasised that the award had put on her the additional responsibility of taking more initiative and urging the city’s dancing community to stay together. “I urge the entire dancing community in Pune to stay together following which, we can do many wonderful things. My guru Rohini Bhate used to say that an award not only gives energy but also responsibility. I share the same feelings today,” she said.
Another renowned Kathak exponent, pandit Nandkishore Kapote, also honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, was felicitated at the same event. Kapote, on his part, said that he was “humbled by the love and affection showered on him and that he was particularly pleased about being felicitated by the members of his community”. He recalled that it was on the insistence of his guru pandit Birju Maharaj that he had come to Pune and started working to promote Kathak.
Eminent Bharatnatyam exponent Sucheta Bhide-Chapekar and Kathak guru Maneesha Sathe; and Shastriya Nritya Sanvardhan Sanstha’s Arundhati Patwardhan, Rasika Gumaste, Leena Ketkar, Manjiri Karulkar and Prajakta Atre were also present on the occasion. Both Chaphekar and Sathe said that Shama Bhate should have been conferred the award much earlier for the enormous work she had done in this field. Dancers Aruna Kelkar and Smita Mahajan expressed gratitude towards Shama Bhate. The programme, moderated by Gauri Swakul, ended with a dance performance by students of Nadroop.
