Tanushree Shankar lets us on the secret of a stunning act
What happens when you try training a cast of about 200 members of an opera in the intricacies of classical Indian dance, with a generous spattering of ballet steps? Danseuse-choreographer Tanushree Shankar will have you know that it spells over three months of working your fingers and your toes to the bone with artistes more skilled at exercising their vocal chords than swaying gracefully to the beat. But, that, the 52-year-old insists in the same breath, is nothing unusual if you are working on a project as spectacular as the Albert Roussel classic, Padmavati, which opened in Europe this summer to great reviews.
It all began in 2006 with a call from Bollywood director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who invited the Kolkata-based artiste to choreograph the magnum opus. “But after that, he got busy with Saawariya and there was no communication between us for a long time. Then late last year he called again and this time we set about working on it immediately,” recalls Shankar, who has just touched down upon her hometown after living out of the suitcase for the last six months.
Padmavati, based on the story of queen Padmini of Chittaurgarh was Albert Roussel’s tribute to the Rajput queen, whose legend had greatly moved him on a visit to India in 1909. Roussel (1869-1937) was one of the most popular of the twentieth century French composers. He produced only about 17 works but is still considered among the masters of his generation. Padmavati had only been performed once, since its premiere in Paris in 1923, when the French composer was still alive.

... contd.