Indu Mitha
Encyclopedia
Indu Mitha (born 1929) is a Pakistan
i exponent of Bharatnatyam and one of only two in the nation (the other being Sheema Kirmani). She is also a faculty member at the Rawalpindi campus of the National College of the Arts.
family in 1929. Her father, Gyanesh Chandra Chatterji, was a professor of philosophy
and president of the Government College in Lahore
, which was where Mitha grew up. Her family moved to Delhi
from Lahore during the Partition of India
. In Delhi
, she learned Bharatanatyam
from Vijay Raghava Rao and Shrimati Lalita.
In 1951, she married Captain Aboobaker Osman Mitha, a Mumbai
Memon against the wishes of her family, and moved back to Pakistan
. Their daughter, Tehreema Mitha is an accomplished Bharatnatyam dancer.
, Pakistan began regarding many of the arts
, as haraam
. Surprisingly, it was during this time, that Mitha began teaching Bharatnatyam in Lahore
. Her first position was at the Lahore Grammar school, where she became a celebrated dance teacher. Her students and her were even able to put on a full-on performance at the end of her first teaching sojourn.
Her early performances occurred were at private all-women parties, military functions, and Red Cross charity shows or in front of the All Pakistan Women's Association. She now does one show a year for private audiences, mostly all-women groups, due to the heightened atmosphere linked to the rise of the Taliban
i cultural norms, Mitha has altered the performance
and style of the Bharatnatyam she teaches. She has composed Bharatnatyam songs in Urdu, due to her lack of understanding of Tamil
, Telugu
or Sanskrit
, the three languages Bharatnatyam song
s are traditionally composed in.
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i exponent of Bharatnatyam and one of only two in the nation (the other being Sheema Kirmani). She is also a faculty member at the Rawalpindi campus of the National College of the Arts.
Personal life
Indu Mitha was born Indu Chatterjee to a Bengali ChristianBengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
family in 1929. Her father, Gyanesh Chandra Chatterji, was a professor of philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and president of the Government College in Lahore
Government College University
Government College University, Lahore is a co-educational public university located on The Mall in Lahore, Pakistan...
, which was where Mitha grew up. Her family moved to Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
from Lahore during the Partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
. In Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, she learned Bharatanatyam
Bharatanatyam
Bharata Natyam or Chadhir Attam, is a classical dance form from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, practiced predominantly in modern times by women. The dance is usually accompanied by classical Carnatic music...
from Vijay Raghava Rao and Shrimati Lalita.
In 1951, she married Captain Aboobaker Osman Mitha, a Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
Memon against the wishes of her family, and moved back to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. Their daughter, Tehreema Mitha is an accomplished Bharatnatyam dancer.
Career
Under the banner of Zia-ul-Haq's IslamizationZia-ul-Haq's Islamization
On December 2, 1978, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq delivered a nationwide address on the occasion of the first day of the Hijra calendar. He did this in order to usher in an Islamic system to Pakistan...
, Pakistan began regarding many of the arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
, as haraam
Haraam
Haraam is an Arabic term meaning "forbidden", or "sacred". In Islam it is used to refer to anything that is prohibited by the word of Allah in the Qur'an or the Hadith Qudsi. Haraam is the highest status of prohibition given to anything that would result in sin when a Muslim commits it...
. Surprisingly, it was during this time, that Mitha began teaching Bharatnatyam in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
. Her first position was at the Lahore Grammar school, where she became a celebrated dance teacher. Her students and her were even able to put on a full-on performance at the end of her first teaching sojourn.
Her early performances occurred were at private all-women parties, military functions, and Red Cross charity shows or in front of the All Pakistan Women's Association. She now does one show a year for private audiences, mostly all-women groups, due to the heightened atmosphere linked to the rise of the Taliban
Adaptations
To suit PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i cultural norms, Mitha has altered the performance
Performance
A performance, in performing arts, generally comprises an event in which a performer or group of performers behave in a particular way for another group of people, the audience. Choral music and ballet are examples. Usually the performers participate in rehearsals beforehand. Afterwards audience...
and style of the Bharatnatyam she teaches. She has composed Bharatnatyam songs in Urdu, due to her lack of understanding of Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
, Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
or Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
, the three languages Bharatnatyam song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s are traditionally composed in.