N K Mudgal is a senior dance and music critic. He used to contribute his stories of Hindustan Times and other leading national dailies.

The compulsive quality of Kathak layakari and footwork was seen in the performance of Nalini, Kamalini and Guru Jitendra Maharaj in the programme organized by the Bharat Petroleum at the FICCI on April 23 in connection with its silver Jubilee celebrations. The programme also featured the Delhi Gharana exponent Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan, the popular ghazal singer Penaz Masani and concluded with a fashion show.

The duo, Nalini and Kamalini who began with a shiva stuti in Guru Jitendra’s unique stylewhich combines footwork, mudras and movements reflecting the curves and turns of both layakari and the vocal nuances like meend and gamaks, something not seen elsewhere, were later joined by their Guru in an enchanting display of layakari in which tremendous control over the laya and taal as well as a superb delineation of the various facets of taal and ghungroo work kept the audience spellbound. Ustad iqbal Ahmed started with a khayal in yaman and followed it with an Amir Khusro song, a Surdas bhajan and a ghazal.

Penaz was her usual charming self with a string of popular ghazals and one also from her coming album.