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If it’s Dandiya, it must be Falguni

During Navratri, Falguni Pathak rules the Dandiya roost every year, but young performers are waiting to take over

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During Navratri, Falguni Pathak rules the Dandiya roost every year, but young performers are waiting to take over

Dandiya fever is on the rise with Navratri starting on September 30. The passes to the big events have been booked, the chic ghagra-cholis have been bought, and the perfect set of Dandiya sticks has been chosen. And Falguni Pathak is in the news once more.

But while the Dandiya queen — as she is popularly known — is still going strong, there are many talented youngsters waiting in the wings to prove their mettle, and maybe even usurp her throne.

“After Falguni Pathak, the next person that comes to mind is Devang Patel,” says Amit Sana, the runner up of Indian Idol (Season 1), who finds it difficult to imagine the festival without the celebrated performer. “The key is to be innovative. Given a chance, maybe I, too, can make it,” he says.

Debojit Dutta, a participant in the SaReGaMaPa Challenge 2009, shares the same views as Sana. “Falguni will rule the Dandiya roost for the next few years, but I’m hoping that one day, I’ll be able to step in.”

Kaushik Deshpande, another SaReGaMaPa participant, says, “No matter what the others come up with, for me, Falguni Pathak is number one. Nobody can replace her.”

Even the DJs bow down to Pathak’s magic. DJ Megha feels that Falguni Pathak has got the energy and knows exactly how to work the audience. “Falguni has a stable position and Dandiya is her forte. She has carved a niche for herself and will be there for a long time,” says Megha.

Singers also feel that the music performed during a Dandiya event calls for a certain amount of innovation. Deshpande has done numerous Dandiya shows in the US and India, and Sana too, has performed as a guest singer for many Dandiya events. Says Sana: “The songs should not be remixed, but one should try to create an ambience. Light Gujarati and Hindi numbers should be played.”

DJ Megha, however, believes that there’s already a lot happening on the Dandiya music scene, with ‘Disco Dandiya’, ‘DJ Dandiya’ and so on. “I think one must stick to traditional music. It is good to listen to it. It’s not heard much these days, and will become a lost tradition,” she says.  As of now, Falguni will continue to make the audiences groove to her Dandiya beats.

 a_vishakha@dnaindia.net
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