A veritable delight
Malini Srinivasan
THE SYLLABLES rang out in combinations of nine as the alarippu in Sankirnam blossomed on stage, a veritable delight masking its complexity. Malini Srinivasan, the young dancer from the U.S. breezed through the tricky passages that could trip up a veteran. Not surprising, as she only had to follow her guru, the doyen C. V. Chandrasekhar, who wielded the cymbals and recited the solkattus.
The keynote of the whole recital on January 7, under the auspices of Bharat Kalachar was the dedication of the teacher and the taught to the art of Bharatanatyam. Chandrasekhar's choreography of the varnam, "Nathanai Azhaiththu Vaa Sakhiye," a classic in Kambodhi, called for every ounce of physical and mental resources to do justice to its grand design. Light on her feet, Malini executed the nritta with precision, power and grace.
The mandi adavus, sarukkadavus, the leaps and twirls packed in every sequence were performed with effortless ease and were received with rounds of spontaneous applause. The traditional format of the abhinaya was revitalised by the conviction and sincerity of the dancer. The emphasis was on subtlety rather than the dramatic.
The Valli episode presented often with melodrama and buffoonery on stage shone by contrast with its deliberate underplaying. The padam, "Indendu Vachithivira" in Suruti and the javali, "Cheli Nenetlu" in Paras further showcased Malini's prowess in abhinaya.
As an irate nayika showing the door to her unfaithful lover and as the young maiden pining for her Lord respectively, Malini gave convincing portrayals of diametrically opposite emotions. The delightful recital was rounded off by a tillana in Hamirkalyani on Kasi Visalakshi, a composition of the guru himself. Tastefully attired in the rare `pon vandu' shade, a shot colour of olive green and mustard, the dancer with a petite figure and a pretty and expressive face, was like a painting come to life.
The musical ensemble of experienced artistes like Vanathi Raghuraman (vocal), T. K. Padmanabhan (violin) and the father and son team of Adayar Balu (mridangam) and Muthukumar (flute) under the expert guidance of the guru took the concert to great heights.
SUJATHA VIJAYARAGHAVAN
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