Rita Ganguly: The artiste who refused to be defined by one art form

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

Rita Ganguly identifies herself first as a singer. | Photo Credit: Rajeev Bhatt

Entering Rita Ganguly’s spacious, airy home in Kaladham, Noida, one is first struck by the lush greenery that surrounds it. The ambience speaks of a lifetime spent in the arts. Tamburas stand neatly stacked in a corner, while a wood-panelled performance space speaks of a long creative journey. Recently conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) Fellowship, Rita Ganguly joins an elite group of artistes whose influence has resonated across generations. Yet accolades alone cannot define her. Singer, dancer, actor, director, author and patron of the arts, she has moved effortlessly across disciplines. Equally remarkable are her wit and refined intellect. Her attention to detail is evident in everything she undertakes. At her music festival Arohi , for instance, she once insisted on a carefully coordinated colour theme and candlelit stage décor, creating an immersive experience that seamlessly blended the visual and the aural.

Born in 1940 in Lucknow, Rita Ganguly was drawn to the arts from a young age. She came to be known as ‘Baby Rita’ after an unexpected performance on the stage. Recalling the incident, the veteran says with a laugh, “I was quite young. Ustad Allaudin Khan and his disciples were on stage when the curtain got stuck, refusing to roll down. I too tried to do my bit, along with others, to extricate it. But I am told that amidst it all, I walked to the centre of the stage, did a namaskar, and started dancing! That, in a way, was my first public performance. I discovered I loved dancing and copied all the dancers I watched perform. Later, I trained in Kathakali at Shantiniketan."

Her dance training was formidable — Kathakali under guru Kunchu Kurup and guru Chandu Panikkar, abhinaya from Pt. Shambhu Maharaj and Manipuri from guru Maisnam Amubi Singh.

Rita Ganguly speaks of her gurus with deep reverence. Her musical training brought her in contact with some of the greatest exponents of the 20th century: Begum Akhtar for ghazal, Siddheshwari Devi for thumri, Pt. Gopeshwar Bandopadhyay for dhrupad, and Kirana gharana vocalist Pt. Mani Prasad for khayal. “I used to go to his house most evenings. There would always be rasikas gathered there, and he was a very giving guru,” she recalls. She also learnt the Rajasthani maand from the legendary Allah Jilai Bai.

Rita Ganguly shared a close bond with her guru, Begum Akthar. | Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy

A widely travelled performer, Rita Ganguly looks back on her years abroad with fondness. “I was fortunate to participate in many events overseas. I performed Kathakali, travelled with Yamini Krishnamurthy’s Bharatanatyam productions, Birju Maharaj’s Kathak presentations and the Jhaveri Sisters’ Manipuri performances. Putana Moksha was my most popular work. I travelled all over the world with it,” she recalls. It was during this period that she met her husband, Keshav Kothari.