SSC
Lachhu Maharaj, a dancer and film choreographer, is related to which dance form?
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Answer: Option C — Kathak
Detailed Solution
Explanation
Pandit Lachhu Maharaj (1901-1978) was a renowned Kathak dancer and choreographer of the Lucknow gharana. He belonged to the famous family of Kathak masters: he was the son of Kalka Prasad, the brother of Achhan Maharaj and Shambhu Maharaj, and the uncle of Pandit Birju Maharaj.
Lachhu Maharaj is especially remembered for his work as a choreographer in Hindi cinema, where he brought the grace and expressiveness of Kathak to the screen. He choreographed dances in famous films such as "Mahal" (1949), "Mughal-e-Azam" (1960) and "Pakeezah" (1972), all of which are admired for their beautiful dance sequences. He also choreographed dance-dramas and ballets, and he founded the Kathak Kendra in Lucknow, which became an important centre for training in Kathak. He received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1957).
Kathak is the classical dance of North India. It began as the art of the kathakars (storytellers) and later developed in the Mughal and Nawabi courts. It is known for its fast footwork (tatkar), spins (chakkars), storytelling (gat bhaav) and its close relationship with Hindustani music and the thumri. It has four main gharanas: Lucknow, Jaipur, Banaras and Raigarh.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Bharatanatyam is associated with dancers such as Rukmini Devi Arundale and Balasaraswati.
- ✗Odissi is associated with dancers such as Kelucharan Mohapatra.
- ✗Kuchipudi is associated with dancers such as Vempati Chinna Satyam.
💡 Exam tip
The Maharaj family of the Lucknow gharana of Kathak includes Kalka Prasad, Bindadin, Achhan, Shambhu, Lachhu and Birju Maharaj. If a question names any of them, the dance form is Kathak.💬 Discussions on this question
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Art & Culture Personalities — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Art & Culture Personalities, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the people behind India's art and culture: classical and folk dancers, vocalists and instrumentalists, painters, sculptors, theatre and film personalities, and the gurus who founded or revived art forms. Questions also cover the art form each person is known for and the honours they have received. Exams typically name a person and ask for their art form, or name an art form and ask who popularised it. Recent Padma award winners from the arts appear often, so link each name to the field and state the award was given for. Since award lists change every year, always revise from the latest official list rather than relying on older notes. Practise the art and culture personalities questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.