Remembering Astad Deboo

Astad was a friend, a fellow adventurer but a giant who eventually walked alone I first admired him from afar and then got closer to him when I invited him on several occasions to perform in Chennai. At the traditional Krishna Gana Sabha he performed his award-winning Tagore poems and completed 350 twirls in that one concert! Later when a dancer had sprained her ankle and could not perform for my festival, one phone call to Astad and he was on the next flight to help me fill the blank space in the programming. Such was his generosity He would always call me once in two months, send regular WhatsApp messages enquiring how I am and what new project I was upto. 

He visited Chennai to work with the Clarke School for the deaf children and create some amazing work. When I took my contemporary dance ensemble to the NCPA in Mumbai in 2017, he came early, spoke to the dancers who were all thrilled, and then sat through the show, sharing points and notes with me later. 

He was among the first to congratulate me on my Presidential award for contemporary dance. I told him that it was such an honour to have my name on the same roll call as his. He laughed modestly. I appreciated his generosity, his relentless spirit to stand against all odds for 60 years when his dance aesthetic did not curry favour with sponsors and society. His last stage performance was in Chennai in February. I was there in the first row. He twirled with the famous Parsi crane costume and created magic. That his feet were treading the famous stage created by Rukmini Devi was serendipity. Two dreamers. Two rebels. Both very different but equally determined to walk their paths. Dance has lost a great son. I have lost a friend but the memories are precious and his legacy will continue to inspire me.

I am deeply saddened at the news of Astad Deboo’s passing. Gone too suddenly and far too soon! I have known and admired Astad as an artist for many years but it was not until quite recently that I had the good fortune to work with him on two Indo-Korean collaborative projects commissioned by InKo Centre with partners in Korea and India — Hamlet Avataar, a theatre production with Seoul Factory in 2014/15 and Same Same But Different, a music collaboration with Noreum Machi in February 2020. 

Astad was central to both and what he brought to the table in his own inimitable way, was passion, dedication but it was always stern exactness tempered with compassion and humour. 

A pioneer in contemporary dance, he was an extraordinarily sensitive human being. What he accomplished with street children, the deaf and the marginalised artists from the North East was truly commendable. It is an irreparable loss. Will miss him sorely.