In the company of Ghungroos

I have been playing the tabla for many years now. Under the guidance of my Moha (uncle), I was fortunate to grow up immersed in music, with opportunities to accompany several vocalists and instrumentalists. Until recently, however, my journey had not crossed paths with the world of dance accompaniment.

That changed with a performance at ICTS, where I accompanied Anjali during the Rajbhasha Diwas program on 17th September 2025. She presented a kavit as part of the program and is a trained Kathak and Bharatanatyam dancer. This experience marked my first step into accompanying dancers and opened up a new rhythmic dialogue for me.

Kathak performance by Anjali: Neha (recitation) and me (tabla) accompanying her. Courtesy: ICTS AV team.

One of Anjali’s Kathak teachers and friends, Mridula, runs a school called Kala Sahita along with Harini. Beyond dance, the two of them actively explore a range of creative pursuits. When Anjali first introduced me to them, I had no inkling that this meeting would soon lead to my accompanying two of their performances on the tabla.

The first of these took place on 27th September 2025 at the Kala Sahita studio. The second followed on 11th December 2025 at the Alliance Française de Bangalore. Both performances were part of a series titled Jhanak.

Glimpses from Jhanak - 2025. Courtesy: Harini.

Glimpses from Jhanak - 2025. Courtesy: Anjali.

It has been an enriching journey of learning and unlearning, of finding rhythm not just in sound but in movement. I look forward to many such moments where the tabla listens as much as it speaks, and where music and dance meet in quiet conversation.