Are performing arts really entering their last era?

In the last 10 days since actor Timotheacutee Chalametrsquos controversial statement in an interview with Variety saying ldquonobody caresrdquo about opera and ballet anymore went viral mdash he has been called a ldquoshmuckrdquo by American thespian Nathan Lane French actor Juliette Binoche said ldquoI thought cinema was a dying artrdquo He was also graced with a poignant remark by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli saying ldquoI believe we often tend to keep our distance from what we have not yet truly encounteredrdquo along with an invite to attend one of Bocellirsquos concertsTimotheacutee ChalametThe remark although insensitive has sparked a conversation throughout the world including within the performing arts community in the city Are we too passionate to admit that commercial viability of the arts may be dying Or are statements like Chalametrsquos mass pop culture propagandaNumbers donrsquot lieAccording to surveys from Opera America an opera company in the US the COVID19 pandemic is what brought a lull in the industry The total ticket count between FY201819 and FY202223 declined by 21 per cent At the same time in FY20222023 31 per cent of all ticket buyers were firsttime attendeeslsquoNo government support in IndiarsquoFrazan Adil Kotwal opera baritoneFrazan Adil KotwalI had no idea who Mozart was until I was 24rdquo says Frazan Adil Kotwal now an internationally celebrated opera baritone Born and raised in Mumbai Kotwal discovered opera almost by accident after attending a performance that deeply moved him He went on to study the art form and now lives in Germany ldquoToday I perform Mozartrsquos musicrdquo he saysOpera a Western classical art form varies in popularity across geographies ldquoThe opera scene in the US is very different from Europerdquo Kotwal explains ldquoIn the US the arts are mostly supported by private donors Timotheacutee Chalamet understands opera from that American context where there is often a lack of funding because itrsquos privately supported But that doesnrsquot mean the arts are dyingrdquoFrazan Adil Kotwal a professional baritone is the first ever Indian to perform as Don Giovanni in professional stagesOpera and ballet he notes have endured for over 500 years ldquoIf these art forms were dying they wouldnrsquot still be here If anything cinema is whatrsquos changing streaming is taking overrdquoIn Europe opera benefits from strong governmentbacked infrastructure During the pandemic institutions such as the Metropolitan Opera in New York cancelled seasons and laid off workers But in Germany mdash the birthplace of Bach Beethoven and Wagner mdash government programmes helped pay workersrsquo salaries and avoid layoffsKotwal believes itrsquos this very government support that is missing in India ldquoIn Germany they support young local artistes even if they are not yet the best That doesnrsquot happen in India I lived abroad for eight years and was never invited to perform here until this yearrdquo he says ldquoWhen I performed in Pune the shows were sold out and 30ndash40 per cent of the audience was youngrdquo he says proving that young audiences can be converted to patronsKotwal points to an example more eastward that has made an industry out of opera mdash China The country boasts over 300 indigenous styles of opera with Peking opera being the most wellknown In 2017 the country let students from primary secondary colleges as well as universities watch traditional opera free of charge Ever since 2018 every registered student nationwide could watch one opera free of charge ldquoIt isnrsquot easy to make a performance career as a Western classical musician in India We are well behind countries like China where orchestras and opera infrastructure are much strongerrdquoDespite the challenges Kotwal remains optimistic ldquoThe performing arts are not dead mdash they are thrivingrdquo he says ldquoTherersquos something almost supernatural about opera Part of the awe comes from seeing a human being do something that seems almost impossible Itrsquos like watching Usain Bolt run and thinking lsquoHow does he do itrsquo Thatrsquos why audiences keep coming back In 500 years they will still play Mozartrsquos music They may not play Timotheacutee Chalametrsquos moviesrdquolsquoA new wave is herersquoDhvani Kothari Dalmia ballet performer and instructorDhvani Kothari Dalmia runs the National Ballet School of India in Mumbai which trains more than 200 students PicSayyed Sameer AbediIts caused havoc among the ballet communityrdquo says Dhvani Kothari Dalmia when asked about Timotheacutee Chalametrsquos comments dismissing ballet and opera Kothari runs the National Ballet School of India with 200 students and is certified in the Vaganova method a classical Russian ballet system herselfldquoTo dismiss the art so casually just reflects how misunderstood classical art truly is As someone building ballet education in India I see the opposite every day mdash young dancers who are deeply committed to this formrdquo she saysKothari argues that ballet today offers more opportunities than ever before ldquoEarlier you would join a company and tour the world to pursue classical ballet Now dancers combine ballet with Broadway musical theatre and independent productions Thatrsquos bringing many beautiful works to the worldrdquoEven mainstream culture is cashing in on balletrsquos aesthetic ldquoItrsquos evident in the collaborations with Nike and SKIMS Ballet is entering fashion films and luxury brandsrdquoThe audience too appears to be growing ldquoOur production of The Little Mermaid at the Royal Opera House sold out in two daysrdquo she says ldquoShows at NMACC are selling India is seeing a wave of new live performances coming to the country like Wicked and The Phantom Of The Opera We didnrsquot have this culture two or three years ago mdash big productions where people could really see what musical theatre ballet and opera look like rdquoSpeaking of money learning ballet is no cheap hobby either Kothari says ldquoIt does come with a certain price tag mdash there is no denying that We do outreach programmes to sponsor people who are extremely talented but donrsquot have the meansrdquolsquoYoung people connect to aurarsquoMaheshwari Ravindran veena playerMaheshwari Ravindran is a 18yearold veena playerCarnatic music runs in my familyrdquo says 18yearold veena player Maheshwari Ravindran ldquoMy mother enrolled me in classes when I was around four or fiverdquoAudiences with small attention spans have been challenging as well She says ldquoPeople consume 30second reels How do you expect them to sit for a threehour concertrdquoStill classical music continues to find younger champions Ravindran points to 24yearold Carnatic percussionist Ganesh Murali Iyer who collaborated with Ed Sheeran on songs from his latest album Play adding the ghatam to tracks like Azizam and SymmetryAnother rising figure is veena player Ramana Balachandran also in his midtwenties What makes him stickldquoHis aurardquo Ravindran says ldquoHe still follows the strict rules of Carnatic music but brings his own touch Thatrsquos what young people connect withrdquo Balachandran is also set to be featured in the Dhurandhar The Revenge 2026 soundtracklsquoWe need to evolversquoPriya Ramnath Bharatnatyam performer Shivkumar Anantharaman Carnatic musicianPriya Ramnath began her Bharatnatyam journey at the age of four Her husband Shivkumar Anantharaman is a fourthgeneration Carnatic classical music performer PicSayyed Sameer AbediWhile Western performing arts are still finding their footing in India what about forms indigenous to the country Priya Ramnath began her Bharatnatyam journey at the age of four ldquoThen I learnt Carnatic music Kathak mdash they all go hand in handrdquo she saysHer husband Shivkumar Anantharaman comes from a family of musicians and was initiated into Carnatic classical music at six making him a fourthgeneration performer Today the two are part of a band called 7235 Southern StreetAsked about the current performing arts scene in Mumbai Ramnath points to the cityrsquos longstanding sabhas ldquoThere are organisations and sabhas that promote classical arts Wersquove been attending these concerts since we were kidsrdquo she says ldquoBut the demographics have changed Today wersquoll probably be the youngest people in the audiencerdquoClassical art often carries the perception that it is ldquofor the classes not the massesrdquo says Ramnath ldquoThat is where you see the difference between classical and folk Folk music itself says itrsquos for everyone it comes from the people There are no rigid boundaries itrsquos a freeform artrdquo Over the years Ramnath hypothesises ldquothe discipline and parameters of classical music and dance mdash the science behind the art form mdash have isolated those who donrsquot understandrdquoTo bring younger audiences in they believe artistes must meet them where they are ldquoIn the classical scene wersquore purists about our work Any deviation is considered dilutionrdquo says Ramnath ldquoWith 7235 we present the music differently without changing the core of the art form We donrsquot touch the tune or lyrics we just make the presentation more palatablerdquoAnantharaman argues that evolution has always been part of classical music ldquoThe legendary Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar structured Carnatic concerts into a twoandahalfhour format when they once ran four or five hours Would you call that dilution No Today hersquos known as the father of the modern Carnatic concert structurerdquoWho will save the artsKhushroo Suntook Chairman of the NCPAKhushroo SuntookChairman of the National Centre of Performing Arts Khushroo Suntook says ldquoAt the NCPA the overall footfall has grown significantly with a 15 per cent yearonyear growth since we reopened after the pandemicrdquoAn Odissi performance at the Nakshatra Dance Festival at NCPABut what are the problems faced by the arts ldquoWhile there is an appreciation for the need to preserve and celebrate Indiarsquos rich artistic heritage which is largely oral this huge responsibility is shouldered by very few institutions including the NCPA Few corporations divert their CSR funds in this areardquo he says ldquoWhile the scenario in the West may not be a fair comparison emerging Asian economies have realised the potential of culture as soft power setting aside significant budgets for their performing arts Sustained corporate and government patronage will go a long way in strengthening our arts ecosystem which includes the wellbeing of both our art forms and artistesrdquoEifman Balletrsquos Anna Karenina at the NCPA in 2025 PicsCourtesy NCPA