You don’t often come across a yogi dancing simultaneously to Sufi strains from folk Punjabi poetry and traditional South Indian folklore. That’s why it was a rare treat to watch Navtej Johar; acclaimed Indian choreographer and yogi perform at the Alhamra Cultural Complex in Lahore.

Renowned classical dancer Naheed Siddiqui introduced Navtej by saying that he is “a saintly man far removed from any commercialism”. She revealed how she got to know him better by doing workshops with Navtej and the duo have more of such plans in the making.

Navtej Johar introduced himself in Punjabi and English and described his immense love for Punjab since his parents hailed from this side of the land. He said, “Every place has a particular light and feel to it. When I first heard Potohari language I imagined its light and when I first went to Chakwal; my father’s native town, I immediately felt that I belonged there.

It’s like my weight balanced with the weight of the land. I have hence a great sense of belonging to Punjab.” The yogi choreographer runs a studio in Delhi, which offers dance, yoga, meditation lessons and Himalayan retreats to people from all walks of life.

Navtej introduced his performance Fan’a: Ranjha Revisited that he had interspersed with three acts of the South Indian love story of Kutrala Kuravanji – about Shiva and Vasantvali. “I wanted to break some common notions with this performance, that many hold with regards to Punjab being devoid of culture,” said Navtej, “there is a common misunderstanding in South and Central India, which is commonly understood to be more refined and cultured, that Punjabis are uncouth. Even many Punjabis quip to me, ‘jee we have no culture… only agriculture!’ This performance will give you a distinct imagery of a typical Punjabi music and expression which is steeped in culture.”

“Also,” he added, “For me, Heer and Ranjha, Shiva and Vasantvali are not heroes… they are archetypes. I have tried to show that the quest for love, its fulfillment and estrangement are universal emotions. These archetypes live in us. These are same plots and I call them the bookends of where I come from!”

His desire to blend Sufi, yogic, Karnatak, Punjabi and Bharatnatyam together was not an easy task. “When I got the Punjabi musicians and vocalists together with the Madrasi artistes, they initially sat in two corners of the room and didn’t speak to each other,” he related, “The Madrasis probably thought of the Punjabis as the uncultured lot who would not know a thing about music and etiquette and the Punjabis probably thought of their counterparts as the ‘kaalay kaalay Madrasi’ as inferior to them! Their judgmental mindset soon gave way to a beautiful understanding of oneness and now they perform internationally together.”

The performance was indeed a subtle and profound blend of many polarities so to speak. There was Bharatnatyam over “pukka Punjabi music” – in the words of Navtej. There was contemporary music with traditional Karnatak. There was South India and Punjab fused into one seamlessly. There was yogic with Sufi and classical Indian together – as incredible as it sounds. The Punjabi vocals by Rekha Raj and Madan Gopal Singh (also the composer) were rousing and evocative and made the famous Heer (by Waris Shah) couplets a delight to hear.

The Karnatak lore was explained by Navtej in the beginning and hence was comprehensible in spite of the Tamil language. The Karnatak vocals and compositions were by G Elangovan.

Navtej and Anil Panchal together enthralled the audience and gave a glimpse into the distinct cultures of the two lands through subtle gestures; you could taste the rustic flavor of Punjab as Heer used her hands to argue with her mother, or beat herself up in sorrow, when she sprinkles rosewater on Ranjha as he arrives at her doorstep or when her mother wards evil spirits off Heer’s forehead. Likewise, the South Indian culture was clearly distinct by the emphasis on the expressiveness of eyes and hands in communication.

A particularly trying moment was when the electricity snapped for a few moments right in the midst of a climactic scene.

Being true to their yogic bearing, the two sweat drenched performers stood silently in patience waiting for the music sequence to resume. At the end, the performers got a rousing applause and a standing ovation for presenting a truly innovative fusion of music, dance, thought and legend!