This beautiful world looks even more beautiful to us because of artists who show us the various colours of life in the world. There are different types of artists in this world. Some are singers, dancers, painters, musicians and many more. But there are a few who are all in, it has been a while that I know of this super talented young man, who is a well known painter, a super expressive dancer who specialises in the Maharashtrian folk dance Lavni and is also an accomplished singer, Mr. Nilesh Auti

Recently in the heritage city of Ahmednagar in Maharashtra, Mr. Jayant Yelulkar and Rasik Group, who are famous and popular for their contribution to art, have organised their yearly Padwa festival to promote tourism in the city. The huge open ground, mega sets and over 50 thousand people in the audience all waited for just one man, who came in draped in a long 9 yard red saree, danced with effortless ease, and not just that while dancing even painted some important symbols of Ahmednagar and totally mesmerised the cheering audience who asked for a repeat performance.

I have known Nilesh for a few years now, I had always heard of his talent of dancing and painting but this was the first time I was seeing it live and I must admit like the audience I too were totally blown away. Dressed as a woman and making the expressive lavni moves he looked so much like the enchanting character that I could not take my eyes off his beautiful face and of course his effortless and imaginative painting to match his dance was a perfect fit. After his show I sat with my talented friend and asked him a few questions which I never did before:

Q. What made you take up Lavni? 

I am a proud Marathi man, so anything which is to do with Maharashtraian culture is close to my heart. I love Lavni for its earthiness, it is a few of the expressive old folk dances of India which is filled with spice, beauty, lots of Abhinaya and elegance yet it is simple to understand for everyone & open for interpretation. Lavni is known as a way of expressing human emotions, be it for a male or a female, it uses day to day life, relations, people and philosophies and presents it in a dance manner.

Q. What does Lavni really mean to you?

To me Lavni is not just a dance for entertainment, for me Lavni holds a strong civic sense and when time comes Lavni can also talk about current affairs, system, ministries ,wars, environment, adhyatma, mythology and interconnections with human life and practicalities like any other folk forms. There are examples of lavni being through all such and many more subjects and contributing to social causes like Independence of India from the British. Long before the time of televisions, performing lavani was a strong way of communication and had strong entertainment value hence I fell in love with lavni and her boldness, beauty, upfront nature, hotness, sophisticated style and realism. I feel lavni makes the audience glued to their seats, if they have experienced it or those who have never watched it before. I strongly believe that all the dance forms are immortal and Lavni is one of the most popular amongst them we all know. 

Q. How was this performance different from your previous ones?

I have always either danced or painted on stage but this time it was special because I was performing a combination of dance and painting for the very first time. This performance was done especially to promote Ahmednagar Tourism, for me it was an experiment and a responsibility, so it was technically very challenging for me. I was doing a traditional dance but at the same time wanted to show the modernisation the city of Ahmednagar is going through and the main attractions of the city. While dancing I painted the historic Chand Bibi Ka Mahal, the famous Windmills, Indian Military tanks as the symbol of Army base and also the airport that was expected to be built soon in the city. Doing all this together while I danced was a tough task but I am glad it was received well.

Q. Painting and Dancing at the same time how difficult was it to prepare and execute? 

Promoting tourism through dance and painting, the entire idea itself was risky plus it was very difficult to blend the two. I did not want either of the two arts to look mismatched or misbalanced to add to the pressure wasa the huge number of audience in attendance. My each stroke of brush on the canvas was pre planned and yes the planning was complicated. To get it all right I tried different types of colors, brushes, and paper to get the right set up. I practiced almost a 100 times painting the same thing for a couple of weeks and finally it happened. 

Q. What preparations go into preparing a Lavni for a male dancer? 

Performing lavani dressed in a female avatar is a big responsibility hence, choreography plays a strong role. Understanding the intensity of the number and meanings through the characters, mostly female point of view & gelling it with your own interpretations and right timing is important also a man has to be a strong observer, he has to extra carefully plan costumes, makeup and hair, there are many do’s and don’ts to look apt and appealing on the stage. One has to make conscious efforts to carry authentic 9 yard draped saree, a stylish hairstyle, jewellery etc. In short a man has to make 10 times more effort and two times more time than a girl would need before getting on the stage to dance lavni.
Q. What should a male dancer keep in mind if he wishes to take up Lavni?

It is most important to remember that Lavni is like storytelling but through expressions and stylish moves. Also a male dancer must not over do with make up or dressing up to show how convincing a female he can look. Focusing more on the dance always helps. Performing a dance like Lavani is very challenging for a man as compared to a woman especially the feminine look and attitude. There should not be a slip of the character nor the expression. 

Q. What do you feel regarding the stigma attached to male dressing up as women in dancing?

I never faced anything around stigma nor have I ever bothered about it, because for me dressing up is a requirement of the performance, rather thinking about what people say one can better focus on art, because art is natural, positive and pure. Stigmas are judgements which can lead to negativity and take a person far from reality. I believe its people who admire and its people again attach stigmas. I love people for both because of things. To me my art is like worshiping, art is beautiful. If a man can look as beautiful as a woman then there is no harm in dressing up and sharing it with people. We live in a gender equality world so whatever is beautiful must be shared.

Q. What is the future of male Lavni dancers in a country like India where dance is still a hobby for many?

Many male lavani dancers make their living with this unique art. Shows like 'Bin Baykancha Tamasha' (show without women) are very famous, all the male folks keep travelling for the shows and yes without women. Renowned dancer Mr. Prakash Pawar and his team are doing a great job in the field of Lavni. For me a male Lavni dancers were always there and they will be there in the near future too

Artists like Nilesh are very few who make for a complete artist, who have the ability to win people’s hearts not just through their dance and painting but even through the way they bring the change and awareness to the society. Nilesh Auti has all the qualities of being a role model, I won't be surprised that soon a Lavani male dancer will be looked upon like a Bollywood Super Star.

Sandip Soparrkar is a World Book record holder and a well known Ballroom dancer and a Bollywood choreographer who has been honoured with National Achievement Award and two National Excellence Awards by the Govt of India. He can be contacted on sandipsoparrkar06@gmail.com