The epic in many dimensions
RUPA SRIKANTH
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There may be many versions but Rama's personality that stood tall as Natyarangam presented `Ramayana Bharatham.'
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BAALA KANDAM: Lavanya Ananth and M. S. Hariharan. PHOTO: K. V. Srinivasan.
For an aspiring dancer, it is an honour to be chosen for Natyarangam's annual festival of dance. However this privilege can also be a challenge, considering that the topic, the resource person and the partner are pre-determined. There is also the challenge of working with a colleague from a different dance style.
The theme for the festival changes every year, for the ninth festival it was ``Ramayana Bharatham," with each kandam culled from different versions. Each day discourses by the resource persons preceded the dance recitals. The scholars were: Kalyanapuram Aravamudan, M. Narasimhachary, Kamakshi Subramaniam, K. S. Latha, Sudha Seshayyan and Saradha Nambi Arooran. There was another unique feature this year — the statues of the principal characters placed on stage each day fashioned from the stem of the banana tree and sandalwood paste by Maariappan from Tirunelveli.
The festival opened with Swati Thirunal's immortal kriti, Bhavayami Raghuramam presented by Rhadha. The veteran dancer was able to sustain the marathon effort that she undertook without sacrificing the technicalities of the araimandi posture and the accuracy of nritta. She was assisted by Radha Badri's melody and Aadit Narayan's accuracy. It was an inspiring start to a week-long deliberation.
Stereotyped
While some recitals had striking dancers their visualisation was rather unimaginative. Valmiki's Baala Kandam was a case in point where Lavanya Ananth, the good dancer that she is, could not rise beyond the clear yet stereotyped role-playing. M. S. Hariharan was unambiguous in his roles as Dasaratha and Rama, but he needs to work on his footwork and geometry. K. Hariprasad, music composer and vocalist, maintained an even gloss.
The ``Ranganatha Ramayana" by Budha Reddy in Telugu portrays a more human Rama, and this facet was captured by Roja Kannan in the Ayodhya Kandam. The mature dancers excelled in the Manthara-Kaikeyi scene, especially when Priya Murle as Kaikeyi changes her mind by the time she turns a full circle, following Manthara who goes around as she speaks.
The pravesham darus heralding Rama and Sita added an imaginative touch. Nandini Anand's sweet rendering of K. Hariprasad's music was an asset to the crisp production.
Excellent choreography
Adaptation of the music to suit the Avadhi lyrics added extra sparkle to Tulsidas' version of the Aranya Kandam. Hariprasad's voice lends itself well to North Indian music, and so enhanced the musical score of C. V. Chandrasekhar, Bhagavatulu and T. K. Padmanabhan.
Besides the music, it was the choreography that captured the viewer's attention. Part of the credit goes to the late Krishnaveni Lakshmanan, and the rest to her daughter Gayathri Balagurunathan and her colleague A. Lakshman.
Though the beginning was slow, the pace picked up with Soorpanaka's entertaining encounter with Rama and Lakshmana. Neela Srinivas' nattuvangam was noteworthy.
Most disappointing was Kishkinda Kandam from Adhyatma Ramayanam by Thunjathuramanujanezhuttachan. The musical score by prominent musicologist S. Rajeswari and the dancers Lakshmi Ramaswamy and Uma B. Ramesh together made heavy weather of the whole narrative including those with the monkeys. The characterisations of Hanuman, Sugreeva and Vali could have been more imaginative.
The presentation started well enough with the parrots announcing the arrival of Rama and Lakshmana into the Kishkinda forest, and Hanumaan's (Lakshmi) recognition of Narayana. But Sugreeva's dilemma took too much time, including the fight scenes.
The mood improved after this but it was a case of too little too late. Even the accomplished orchestra with excellent singers Jayamangala Krishnamani and Krishnamani, could not help.
Some dancers scored with their symbolism and sensitivity. Sangeeta Iswaran and Narthaki Nataraj ingeniously used the symbol of fire in Kamba Ramayanam' s Sundara Kandam for Sita's chastity, Raavana's lust and Hanumaan's devotion. Sensitivity marked the portrayals, especially those of Sita and Rama by Narthaki.
Sangeeta as Hanuman brought in humour, humility and dignity, treading a thin line between the first and the last. The closing scene was a beautifully visualised tableau, with a happier Rama in the spotlight watched with devotion by Hanuman from the back. Though the presentation was one long, unbroken narrative, the dancers' restrained histrionics and creative touches kept the audience engaged.
Vanathy's rendition of S. Rajeswari's music composition carried enough emotion. Aadith Narayan and Ganga Thampi teamed well for the final Yuddha Kandam and Pattabhishekam. The dramatisation might be remembered for its riveting Sethubandanam scene composed in Kuntalavaraali raagam, but more arresting was the intangible choreographic detailing and the understated role-play.
Brisk pace
The brisk pace of the narrative and the character switches never faltered, yet there was no ambiguity. Aadith has matured as a dancer and his tender coaxing as Raavana was as powerful as Sita's subsequent anger. The fight scenes though were a let down.
The only bright sparks were Sheejith on the nattuvangam and Ramesh Babu on the maddalam.
The percussionist also displayed rare sensitivity in the emotional moments, his subdued rhythm enhancing the pathos. Ganga Thampi excelled at playing Sita, and the most poignant moments of the evening being the reunion — the joy of seeing Rama and the pain of his silent rejection. The lights were a let down too, as had been the case all week.
Though the Ramayana Bharatham showcased different versions everyday, it was the essence of Rama's divinity and moral fibre that finally stood tall, not the dissimilarities.
But it was an eye-opener to the existence of the many versions in the vernacular, probably more sought after than the supposed `original' in Sanskrit.
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