REPERTOIRE on Indianica
It is extremely difficult to say about contemporary artists and it is all the more difficult task to write about oneself. But we have no choice.
First of all let us introduce ourselves;
Our Organizer is Ms. Padma Khanna, an exponent of Kathak Dance, Film & TV Actress of Indian Movie Industry and TV industry At the young age of 7 years she started learning Kathak Dance (one of the most glorified cultural and classical Dances of India) from Guru Kishen Maharaj of Varanasl At the age of 12 she started performing on stage in the accompaniment of Tabla Wizard Pundit Shamta Prasad {also known as Gudai Maharaj zKp: a|lglw}. She learnt Advanced KATHAK DANCE from Padmashri Gopi Krishna, whose talent of Kathak is acclaimed and appreciated like Pundit Ravi Shankar’s in Sitar. She was welcomed with open arms by Movie Industry of India Bombay and for almost two decades, was known as “ Dancing Queen of Indian Cinema”. She acted in more than 400 movies of all languages of India. Few to name are Saaz Aur Awaaz, Biwi Aur Makaan, Johny Mera Naam, Raahgeer, Baharon Ke Sapne, Sangharsh, Anhonee, Dastaan, Heer Ranjha, Hindustan Ki Kasam, Rampur Ka Lakshman, Ashirwaad. Saudagar and many more ….
She acted in many TV Serials of India and the most popular among them is Ramayan in which she played one of the two most pivotal female characters KAYKEYI. She won many awards as well as competitions on all India level as the BEST KATHAK DANCER in India.
Our Director Mr. Jagdish L. Sidana brought up and educated in highly cultured and famous city of India – Allahabad. After acquiring Degree in Cinema from Film & TV Institute of India, Poona in the year 1969 – 70, he joined film industry in Bombay He worked there as Associate Director, Co-Director, Editor, Director and Producer for approx. 26 years till 1996. During the course of his career he worked for movies like Dastak, Phagun, Uphaar, Saudagar, Kranti, Paanchwin Manzil, Ek Baar Chaley Aao, Bepanaah, Sherdil, Hum Anaaree Hain and few more some of them won national awards and laurels. Mr. Sidana had a chance to work with veteran and versatile artists like Dilip Kumar, Sanjiv Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Naseeruddin Shah, Kader Khan, Utpal Datta, Shashi Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Mithun Chakraborty & others as well as renowned heroines. He has been closely associated with Kader Khan for number of stage plays and some of them won Academy Awards too.
Our Visiting Professor Mr. Kader Khan does not need much of an introduction. Educated as ME (Masters in Engineering) and professor of engineering in a technical college in Bombay came into lime light as dialogue writer first and then as versatile actor in the Movie land of India – Bombay. At present he is one of the most sought after actors of Indian Filmdom.
During the span of our career of 30 years, we got several chances to visit USA These talents only need encouragement from the community here and a platform to demonstrate their talent to the world. We also found that whosoever could afford & get family support, rushed to Bombay or Madras to get a chance to get professional training and appear in the lime light So many young & old talented ones could not afford to go out of this country owing to their family ties as well as financial reasons etc. And in the bargain they just suppress their desire. They require training with an experienced professional touch here.
To climb cel1ain platform one needs a stair. We felt that we have long enough experience of performing ar1s on stage, movies and TV to provide the ladder & the platform which may create congenial circumstances for the local talents, who are craving to exhibit their talents in front of the people. AND also to create awareness in the community to encourage and support for eve event or program our community invites talents from India; then who will encourage our own local talents?
Apart from this we took responsibility upon ourselves to bring into existence here the nostalgia of our great art and rich culture, as codified in Natya-Shastra , for the young ones and Alt Lovers of all ages, so that they may get a ‘Home A way From Home: This is our humble service to all Art Lovers. With this liet-motif our Indianica Academy came into existence here in New Jersey.
Our future plans are to produce & perform allover America & Canada: Stage Plays, TV Serials, Documentary Films, Video Films, TV & Video Commercials and Full Length Feature Films to give chance to local talents to perform, for which we need all the support & encouragement of our entire community.
We have video tape of our first function which was exclusively performed by talented students of our Academy only. The items performed are the samples of few; which our young students learnt in last six months only. We have many more.
Apart from those, our Acting students are ready with a hilarious play of two hour duration, titled as Teen Bundar by Kader Khan. This play is based on the fable of ‘Three Monkeys’ of Mahatma Gandhi which teaches us “See No Evil Hear No Evil Speak No Evil”. Three main characters are 1) Blind, 2) Deaf & 3) Dumb. It creates roar of laughter when they are together on the stage. It has been one of the most popular plays in Bombay.
We have lot and lot more to offer. . . . . . . ‘