LUCKNOW: “In sickness and in health, until death do us part. I’ll love and honour you all the days of my life”- Lucknow-based Kathak maestro Anuj Mishra took these vows eight years ago when he married ace dancer Neha Singh. A few days ago, life demanded that he uphold those vows in letter and spirit.
Neha, battling breast cancer, was nervous to take the stage after a recent chemo treatment left her bald.To support her, Anuj, too, shaved his head. The two wore wigs – and each other’s confidence – before they set the stage on fire.
For over a decade, Anuj, son of the late Pandit Arjun Mishra who revived Lucknow Gharana of Kathak in the 90s, and Neha have captivated audiences with their enthralling on-stage chemistry.
But it was their exemplary off-stage camaraderie during a concert at Sangeet Natak Akademi to commemorate the death anniversary of Pandit Mishra that piqued curiosity, and also admiration, among the audience. Both donned the wig for the riveting performance. Neha did it out of compulsion, Anuj out of free will.
“We may not be similar, but we are one. That’s the message we wanted to send out,” said 37-year-old Anuj. After her first chemo in early November, Neha, 32, had doubts about stepping on the stage in her present conditions. Anuj’s act of benevolence reinstated her confidence and courage to fight cancer with the grace she embodies in her performances.
“Pain doesn’t bother me. But losing hair did make me nervous. But when Anuj went bald to support me, I got the courage to perform,” Neha, a mother of two, said.
For artistes like Anuj and Neha who portray characters of Shiva and Parvati or Ram and Sita, their tresses are part of the ensemble. “My hair is an inextricable part of my craft. It adds to the grace that is integral to this challenging dance form. And without it, I felt as if I was stripped naked of my identity,” Neha recalls, her eyes welling up.
Neha, battling breast cancer, was nervous to take the stage after a recent chemo treatment left her bald.To support her, Anuj, too, shaved his head. The two wore wigs – and each other’s confidence – before they set the stage on fire.
For over a decade, Anuj, son of the late Pandit Arjun Mishra who revived Lucknow Gharana of Kathak in the 90s, and Neha have captivated audiences with their enthralling on-stage chemistry.
But it was their exemplary off-stage camaraderie during a concert at Sangeet Natak Akademi to commemorate the death anniversary of Pandit Mishra that piqued curiosity, and also admiration, among the audience. Both donned the wig for the riveting performance. Neha did it out of compulsion, Anuj out of free will.
“We may not be similar, but we are one. That’s the message we wanted to send out,” said 37-year-old Anuj. After her first chemo in early November, Neha, 32, had doubts about stepping on the stage in her present conditions. Anuj’s act of benevolence reinstated her confidence and courage to fight cancer with the grace she embodies in her performances.
“Pain doesn’t bother me. But losing hair did make me nervous. But when Anuj went bald to support me, I got the courage to perform,” Neha, a mother of two, said.
For artistes like Anuj and Neha who portray characters of Shiva and Parvati or Ram and Sita, their tresses are part of the ensemble. “My hair is an inextricable part of my craft. It adds to the grace that is integral to this challenging dance form. And without it, I felt as if I was stripped naked of my identity,” Neha recalls, her eyes welling up.