For the uninitiated, Lavani (Marathi: लावणी) is a genre of music popular in Maharashtra, southern Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Lavani is a combination of traditional song and dance, which is performed particularly to the beats of Dholak, a percussion instrument. It’s noted for its powerful rhythm and erotic sentiment. Its contribution to the development of Marathi folk theatre is noteworthy. It is generally performed by females attired in a nine-yard sari & ghoongroos (small metallic bells strung together to form a musical anklet) which are said to weigh up to 5kgs sometimes. According to a tradition, the word Lavani is derived from the word lavanya which means beauty. Traditionally, this genre of folk dance deals with different and varied subject matters such as society, religion, politics and romance. The songs in 'Lavani' are mostly erotic and naughty in sentiment. Many of these Lavani performers are women whose poverty has driven them to become Lavani dancers and perform for a living. Any mention of Marathi Lavani would be incomplete without the mention of Surekha Punekar, a charismatic Lavani dancer. She’s the lady who for the first time in history opened the male oriented Lavani shows exclusively for the women. She’s a Lavani legend of our era, not to mention one of the honorable judges of Dholkichya Talavar.
Marathi films have played an important role in making Lavani genre accessible to masses. Movies such as Pinjara and Natarang not only attempted to blend traditional music with social messages but also helped portray Lavani to the world in positive light, rather than the biased way in which Lavani is many-a-times looked upon. These epic movies not only became super-hits at the box office, but literally revived this dance form in the minds and hearts of the average movie-goers, and for that the Marathi film industry will forever be grateful to them.
Coming back to the topic of discussion, Dholkichya Talavar is a Lavani Dance reality show currently being aired on ETV Marathi. It has nine talented women competing for the title of Lavani Samradni. These nine being Aditi Sarangdhar, Sonali Khare, Tejaa Deokar, Sneha Wagh, Sukanya Kalan, Purva Pawar, Ashvini Apate, Suzanne Bernert, Sonali Pawar, Vaishali Jadhav, Reshma Musale, Piyusha Patil. Most of them are Marathi actresses who’ve starred in various films, daily soaps etc, some are professional dancers and some are in fact quite proficient Lavani dancers, Suzanne being the only non-Indian participant and a complete outsider.
Suzanne has done a lot of work in Indian television & films. She starred in Hindi films like Honeymoon Travels, No Problem, Sharukh bola khoobsurat hai tu, Marathi movies like Palkhi, Gallit Ghondel, Dillit Mujra, television serials like Sanskar Laxmi, Kasauti Zindagi Kay, Jeete hain, jiske liye etc. She’s even starred in the Titan watch advertisement opposite Aamir Khan, if anyone remembers. She’s married to Bollywood actor Akhil Mishra (of 3 Idiots fame).
In her own words from a recent interview, Suzanne said, “I started learning Lavani after I had to perform a Lavani item in a Marathi film. I trained by understanding the dance form from within, including its various gestures. I have worked in three Marathi films too. 'Love Recipe' will release in January, and ’Doosrya Jagatil' will release in the Pune International Film Festival. Besides, I am also awaiting the release of another Marathi film 'Palkhi'.
“I had to practice to ensure that my slippery feet wouldn't mess up my steps though. Ashish Patil, who choreographed me, would explain each word to me patiently, and help me understand and express accordingly,” she said.
Her impressive resume speaks volumes of her versatility, energy, enthusiasm and love of acting, dancing and performing. But her participating in an extremely traditional dance form competition, which is completely alien to her, is also a tribute to the great art form that is Lavani. Today it has gained such momentum and popularity that even an actress of foreign origin who was hitherto unexposed to it, is not shying from an opportunity to learn and excel in it. In spite of being eliminated in the early stages of the show, Suzanne has made a comeback through the callback episode once again beating homegrown competition. Has this German actress recognized the true grandeur of Lavani which even Maharashtra’s own blood hasn’t? You guess is as good as mine.
