Birju Maharaj choreographs Tandav dance for 'Pranali...'

New Delhi, Feb 20 (IANS) Legendary Kathak exponent Pandit Birju Maharaj has choreographed the Tandav dance for Harward Entertainments' first feature film 'Pranali - The Tradition', about the Devdasi tradition.

'Pranali' is a hard-hitting film about a poor village girl married off to a village deity and then condemned to become a prostitute and is scheduled for April release.

Before the song was filmed, a disciple of Birju Maharaj flew down to Mumbai to train the leading lady Nargis, followed by Panditji himself, who personally taught the nuances of Kathak to her. Nargis was earlier seen in Priyadarshan's 'Garam Masala'.

The dance was canned last month at Madh Fort near Mumbai.

The film revolves around a girl born in a small village on the border of Karnataka and Maharashtra. She falls prey to the system of being a Devdasi and its accompanying stigma.

Hirdesh Kamble, erstwhile assistant to John Mathew Mathan, Mahesh Bhatt and Vikram Bhatt, has directed the film with cinematography by Najeeb Khan. Nikhil Mathur, who heads the Harward Group of Companies, has produced it.

Well-known singer Kailesh Kher makes his debut as music director with the film along with Paresh and Naresh.