Opinion | Threshold of Friendship: How Bharat and Misr stay in step across centuries
On 22 October 2026, Kathak Sandhya brought the rhythms and vibrancy of Indian classical dance to Cairo’s Gomhoria Theatre. Organised by the Embassy of India in Egypt, the evening featured performers of different ages and nationalities, accompanied by live musicians. The Bollywood selections revealed how deeply Indian popular culture has entered Egypt’s cultural imagination, as Egyptian performers and audience members sang along to the lyrics. The evening culminated in a solo by Kathak exponent Ms Sonam Chauhan, who took on the artistic challenge of interpreting a song by musical legend Oum Kalthoum. Her remarkable performance captured the music’s emotional nuances, bringing two rich artistic traditions into a moving dialogue. In Kathak, the interplay between the tabla and the dancer is kn…