In Pune, she trained under Yogini Gandhi of the Lucknow gharana for almost 17 years until 2013. She then moved to Delhi and trained under Munna Shukla until he passed away in 2022. “Guruji was a wealth of knowledge and would take great pains to teach his students,” reminisces Goswami. He would conduct one-on-one classes, which would start at 10 am and go on until 10 pm sometimes. “He encouraged his students to go out on their own and create their own shows,” says Goswami.
Aqeedat is one such revelation in rhythm. Dressed in a hand-woven phulkari dupatta, handmade parandi (hair accessory) and pipli pata jewellery, all typical to Punjab, Goswami adds to the narrative. The background installation of earthen pots was made by Goan potters. The Punjabi folk song Menu paar kara de has been incorporated in the performance along with Kathak padhant (recitation of rhythmic syllables) and Syed Fazal Shah’s lines set to Hindustani music. Her poetic inspiration is a family affair, the great poet-philosopher of Punjab, Pandit Kirpa Ram Sharma ‘Nazim’ being her ancestor.
Goswami acquired the original text of Shah’s Sohni Mahiwal from the Patiala University archives. Her mother translated it for her. Over the next year, Goswami poured herself into the act. The result is a delightful performance, which breaks free from the same old, same old stories of Radha and Krishna, giving audiences something new to appreciate. It’s also a testament to the relevance and power of Kathak.
Goswami’s versatility is notable in the way she swiftly changes character from the dainty, yet strong-willed Sohni, to her lover Mahiwal to the cruel sister-in-law and also Shah. She is a gifted dancer, strong and graceful in her footwork and chakkars (circles) and adept in her bhava (expressing different emotions). “I dance because I am, I am because I dance” is her philosophy which paraphrases Descartes. She is taking the right steps to be herself.