Profile of Parul

Author(s): Pratap J Tolia
Publisher: Vardhaman Bharati International Foundation

Page 15

It so happened that during the interval of the running play inside the closed curtain, someone of our group, out of mere fun, had placed little Parul on a very big Rhythm Drum lying in the Centre of the Stage. With "One...Two...Three...."sign, the Chorus Reheasal of "Aya Re Aya Basant"; the next Song item to be presented after the Interval, had commenced. Matching with the Rhythm of the Song, Parul spontaneously started dancing and somebody suddenly raised the curtain.... I The natural "Rehearsal“ became unexpected "'reality and the little Artist on the Drum remained dancing without break to the tune of the Chorus till its end......!!!
... Her dancing little feet on the top of the big drum were very very much appreciated by the audience at Gandhi Bhavan in between this staging of the above play. All were astonished seeing this born little Artist Dancing on the surface of the drum l This first and natural performance of hers enabled us to visualize high Artistic & Aesthetic potentialities in the flower - bud like Parul. We well remember, we had then put her to dance & music lessons at very tiny age. Her little long fingers and smiling gestures full of innocent, natural expressions went on captivating all hearts.
Her vocal (and later instrumental-Sitar) lessons were provided by both of us-my musician wife Smt. Sumitra and myself, right from our stay at Ahmedabad, Calcutta, Sharadagram, Visnagar and Bangalore. At the age of three, I had taken her for a short visit to Santiniketan, the place of my previous Rabindra Sangeet and Post graduate studies.
It seemed to us that little Parul was not only observing deeply all these opportunities of Artistic surroundings and activities, but : was also getting absorbed into their remote roots....................something was unconsciously taking shape into her subconscious and super-conscious mind for her future artistic career. -
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