News & Notes
Mohan Khokar Centenary celebrations

Prof. Mohan Khokar Centenary celebrations
Prof.
Mohan Khokar (1924-2024) is a legend of Indian dance field through writing,
documenting its history and heritage and more. Born in December 1924, on the
30th, this year marks the start of his birth centenary celebrations at
Kalakshetra, his alma mater. He came to this institution in 1945! As the first
male student from north India, all the way from Punjab.
It so
happened that his grandfather was commissioner of defence in Punjab and Lahore
those was was the cultural capital of North, Delhi was just a village of 4 lakh
inhabitants in 1930s. As an important citizen of the city, Bhagat Ram Khokar
hosted visiting artistes as there were no hotels those days.
One such
troupe which came to perform was Ram Gopal with two young dancers, Mrinalini
Sarabhai and Baby Saroja (M.K.). Mohan Khokar then 20 was enamored of these
godly looking dancers on stage: Ram Gopal looked like a temple sculpture and
other dancers like apsaras!
He was
besotted by them and also Uday Shankar style whose best talent Zohra Segal had
settled in Lahore, after the Almora Studio broke up. Mohan Khokar learnt from
her. He then started his one week train journey to Madras to find a teacher
sitting under a banyan tree. Rukmini Devi Arundale! Rest is history.
From
Madras, in1949, Mohan Khokar was selected to head the first University in
independent India teaching dance at graduate level, the M.S. In Baroda. After
12 years there, he joined the union Education Culture ministry in Delhi on loan
from the MSU. He was placed at the SNA, or Sangeet Natak Akademi which he
served 18 years, last 5 as its acting Secretary. Under him the akademi achieved
lots and was most artiste-friendly many hold.
He was
also incharge of the Kathak Kendra as director briefly and the NSD or National
School of Drama. He was also incharge of cultural shows at Rashtrapati Bhavan
or President of India house. He was on UNESCO Asia Documentation Projects and
more.
Mohan
Khokar was the most prodigious writer, author, critic of his times. He was the
dance critic of the Statesman and later the Hindustan Times in Delhi in the
1960s and 70s. He had earlier guest edited the Marg issues on dance in
late 1950s. He was the only pan-Indian dance writer who also took his own
photos.
Today his
photos - over 25000- are biggest proof of the times and changes in costume,
dance forms and stage. His forms an anthropological study of Indian dance too
and for him folk was as important as films. He collected many thousand books,
artefacts when Britishers were leaving India. He started documenting dance when
Europe was at war and India was not even free. In that, he is hailed as a
pioneer. His famed dance collection was lovingly saved and enhanced by his
illustrious wife M.K.Saroja and son Ashish Khokar, reputed critic and dance historian,
who have donated it to the nation at IGNCA. An expert committee fixed the value
at minimum 6 crores! No dancer or family had donated this huge a gift to the
nation and India is lucky to possess it. It is now being organised,
inventorised, accessioned and digitised by the IGNCA under leadership of its
dynamic head Dr.Sachchidinand Joshi. Dance icons Sonal Mansingh and Padma
Subrahmanyam gave seen to its welfare and guide from time to time. Ashish
Khokar is curating, documenting and adding updated information to it. Between
father and son, a hundred plus years of direct dance history is saved for
posterity. Press clips one lakh, costumes, masks, posters, brochures and so
much more.
Events
are planned to propitiate the memory of Mohan Khokar and his legacy. The Natya
Kala Conference this year in 2023 on the 30th December dedicated an
introductory session at 1030am to Mohan Khokar and his legacy and in the
evening, 5 pm at his alma mater -the Kalakshetra- a grand opening unfolds with
music by maestro L.Subramaniam, book of articles by and on Mohan Khokar
published by IGNCA to be released by diva Sonal Mansingh and first copy given
to Padma Subrahmanyam, who will also give the keynote address. Icon of icons
Vyjayanthimala will be honoured on the occasion with attenDance Lifetime
Achievement Award and most in dance fraternity will partake of the feast
curated by Ashish Khokar. Aditya Nataraja the twelve year old dancing sensation
from Bangalore will showcase Nataraja's blessings.
In 2024
the centenary celebrations extend to other cities like at Nalanda in Mumbai,
Phule University in Pune in February then Baroda MSU. Delhi the HQ of IGNCA
will host an exhibition in April of the Mohan Khokar Dance Collection and then
it will travel to a few points abroad.
The nation plans to celebrate the birth centenary of Mohan Khokar in a befitting manner thanks to the IGNCA and all participating institutions under central government. A short film and a postage stamp on the man is also on the anvil and the dance community will stand enriched and platformed.