A pan-Indian panorama
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The performances accompanying the Kelucharan Mohapatra Awards - 2005 were received with enthusiasm by Bhubaneshwar audiences.
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FESTIVAL FLAVOUR Kalamandalam Venkitraman presenting Kathakali
Performing art festivals are a cementing force between different regions of the country. For over a decade, the annual Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award organised by Srjan, with its pan-Indian approach has exposed Bhubaneshwar audiences to music and dance of all genres.
Witnessing the three-day event, one was happy to see audiences respond enthusiastically to performances of Kathakali and solo tabla.
Stealing the thunder on a rainy evening during the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award 2005, at Bhubaneshwar's Rabindra Mandap auditorium, was percussion - the pulse of dance. The astounding clarity of the daayan, at times paired with a tabla from a different set, thereby evoking unbelievable tonal range, with bandishes from all gharanas represented by Allah Rakha, Kishan Maharaj, Gyan Prakash, et al, dazzled the audience.
The tabla became the heavy sounded pakhawaj in a misra jati Shiva tandav bandish, or it emulated the gentle pitter-patter of rain, the showering of flower petals, even sounds of the shankha.
Reela Hota in an Odissi solo
Demonstrating the subtle arithmetic of 16 divided by three making 5.33 and a fraction were the nimble hands of the woman artiste Anuradha Pal, disciple of Ustad Allah Rakha and Zakir Hussain.
A receptive audience thrilled to Kalamandalam Venkitraman's Kathakali kalasams and mukhabhinaya while portraying Bhima's search in the forest for the exotic Kalyana Sowgandhikam flower, coveted by Draupadi.
Best of Kathak
Uma Dogra gave what was certainly the best one has witnessed of this dancer's Kathak. With Kailashnath on tabla, both upaj and the well-rehearsed bandishes, mostly from Durga Lal's repertoire in Teen tala and Dhamar had punch. But what impressed more was the contained conviction of abhinaya in the thumri "Dagar bichhed kaise chaloon," melodiously rendered by the singer, and then the Shabari portrayal in "Kab aoge mere Ram".
The piercing melodic beauty of alap by sitarist Niladri Kumar (despite the overdone pyrotechnic mechanics towards the concluding stages) filled the auditorium. A much needed platform provided for solo Odissi music with Bijay Kumar Jena elaborating on just a couple of ragas pointed to the wisdom of Ratikant Mohapatra's planning. The general ambiance evoking the spirit of Guru Kelucharan - who seemed literally leaping out of mansize panels on the stage had, tackily, the names of sponsors printed on top - obviously a point the sponsors had insisted on.
Odissi representation
Odissi had its representation. Reela Hota's solo Odissi, beginning with Shakti vandana based on music by the Gundecha Bandhu and dance choreography by the late Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, brought forth the dancer's poised body and angika finish. In the woman-power based theme, the next composition revolving round special heroines from the Buddhist faith, Meera, Rabi'a and Mother Teresa concluding with a celebratory "Tanam Dhirena" depended on expressional felicity bringing out the differences between the various segments, and with muted mood lighting shutting out the white light, the face seemed to register no emotion.
Uma Dogra's Kathak recital
"Allah Allah" choreographed by Ratikant showed good feel for music/dance coordination and brought several cultural streams together with Subramania Bharati's verses sung by Aruna Sairam in the Carnatic tradition, visualised through Odissi movements in a group version. The white costume and lighting highlighted the meditative mood. Sita Haran and Jatayu Moksha with Sujata Mohapatra and Ratikant, with the former as Sita and Ratikant as Jatayu and both taking on Ravana's role in turns, was dramatic with Lakshmi Kant Palit singing music composed by Raghunath Panigrahi. Siva stuti found students of Srjan dancing in flawless unison to Ratikant's movement designing.
The awards for 2005 went to specialists from different disciplines Raghunath Dutta (dance), Kashinath Sahu (theatre), Rakhal Chandra Mohanty (music) and Surendra Sahu (cinema).
LEELA VENKATARAMAN
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