Jahnara Rahman is clearly inspired by her namesake, Jahanara, the daughter of Mughal Emperor Shahjahan. Someday, she hopes to script a Kutiyattam on the story of the princess whose name means ‘the ornament of the universe.’ If that comes to pass, then Jahnara would have yet another creditable first to her name, apart from being the first Kutiyattam artiste from the Muslim community.
She would smile if asked about the exclusivity of her status. “It did not occur to me that there was anything unusual about a Muslim girl learning Kutiyattam. Besides, everyone in my family and neighbourhood has been supportive,” she says.
Jahnara had first come across the art form in her Sanskrit textbook of class 10. She rolls up her eyes trying to picture the pages that contained images of artistes performing the stylised dance that she had never heard of until then. “The pictures looked captivating and I requested my Sanskrit teacher to tell me more about it. Later, he introduced me to Kutiyattam artiste Kalamandalam Kanaka Kumar and I started learning the art form,” says Jahnara, who had already won several prizes for Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyattom and Kuchipudi.
In 2009, she portrayed the role of Ravana in Thoranayudham Kutiyattam at the school youth festival and secured an A-Grade for the performance. Jahnara had also done the demo show this year as part of introducing Nangiarkoothu as a competition item in youth festivals.
She says that the whole-hearted support extended by her community is part of the secular spirit prevailing in Vadakkanchery. “There is a highly evolved cultural space in my home town which has produced such revered artists as Kathakali singer Kalamandalam Haiderali and film director Bharathan.”
The young artist is also learning Kathakali under Kalamandalam Venkatraman. Jahnara had juggled her academics and dance lessons with help from the authorities of Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School, Thrissur. “I would reach my tuition class at 6 am and then go straight to school. Since my Kathakali teacher would be coming all the way from Palakkad, the classes were held on the school premises and I was even allowed to miss some of the morning hours at school.”
Jahanara is the daughter of Shahida and Abdul Rahman, a businessman. Now a student of Co-Operative Medical College & Hospital in Kalamassery, she has obviously missed her first class at the medical college owing to her performance in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. Clouds of apprehension gather in her expressive eyes as she voices concern over taking her dance forward. “But it has always been my dream to become a doctor. And I know of another doctor who is also a Kutiyattam artist. So, that is quite possible,” she smiles.
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