COVID-19: Creating awareness through a mix of classical dance with gazal

Performing classical dance on the lyrics of Gulzar's famous ghazal, Shraddha Tiwari, who works in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, is constantly finding different ways to create awareness among people by means of social media.

Haldwani (Uttarakhand): Amid the coronavirus lockdown as people are mostly confined to the four walls of the house, there are some people who not only spread awareness through unique ways but keep you entertained as well.

In this connection, Shraddha Tiwari, who works in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, is constantly finding different ways to create awareness among people by means of social media.

In a video that has gone viral for all the right reasons, Shraddha Tiwari could be seen performing a classical dance accompanied by the lyrics of Gulzar’s ghazal.

Though the Hindi lyrics of Gulzar’s ghazal accompanying the classical dance, has romantic connotations they also aptly apply to the objective of the countrywide lockdown.

"Bewajah ghar se nikalne ki jaroorat kya hai, maut se aankh milaane ki jaroorat kya hai", goes the lyrics of Gulzar’s ghazal. This roughly translates into English as: "What is the need to go out of the house without needlessly, what is the need to invite death".

Shraddha Tiwari’s classical dance video on social media platforms is being widely appreciated particularly by the connoisseurs of both Indian classical dance and Urdu poetry form of Gazal.

Shraddha has also been part of the Central government’s publicity campaign aimed at creating awareness among the people about importance of maintaining social distancing to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Shraddha is an accomplished singer and classical dancer and has used her talent to spread social awareness.

Associated with the Information and Broadcasting Ministry since 1999, Shraddha Gururani Tiwari has been working with the field outreach bureau at the Nainital centre. A postgraduate in classical music from Bhatkhande University, she was married to journalist Girish Tiwari of Kotadwar in 2008.

Mother of two school going children, Shraddha regularly practices singing and dancing at home first thing in the morning before attending work in her office. After the lockdown, since her office is closed, she works from home, creating videos to send social awareness messages.