Natrang- Blast From The Past.

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I love Lavni, and I am not shy about it. The thumkas, the naughty smiles and witty lyrics set to the Dholki awaken the bindhaast side of me. I have no qualms admitting this, although many will think it is raw, rustic and too bold for a girl’s taste. So be it. 

When I saw the posters of Natrang with Atul Kulkarni in two contrasting looks I knew I was taken. The music, especially the two Lavni’s and a Gaulan (song based on Krishna leela) in the movie are not merely item songs. They are as authentic as the superb Lavnis sung by Sulochana Chavan and Asha Bhosle in the 60’s. They carry the original flavour that can be experienced in traditional Lavni shows and open air Tamasha performances in the country side. Few Mumbaikars have enjoyed a Tamasha. Sitting on the dusty ground, stretching my neck over hundreds of Gandhi caps and ‘phetas’ I have watched dancers in glittering nine yard saris perform to ‘mee patang udvit hote’ and other old Lavnis. Musicians are not supported by high-end electronics, dancers have only a small hand mirror to dress up, and back stage support means entire families living in tents behind the curtains. And still, Tamasha can be enjoyed if you have a taste for simple and original stuff. That is why it is called folk music and folk theatre. It is for the village folk, simple people looking for simple, inexpensive fun. These unpolished artists have carried into 2010, an heirloom of superb poetry, music and dance that could have been wiped out by modern means of entertainment. We must thank them for sticking to their guns so that a movie like Natrang could be made today. Go to a theatre, buy a ticket and watch Natrang. You will have a comfortable seat and air-conditioning, but what unfolds on screen is almost the real thing. Tamasha, is back.

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