Myth and the deeds of mortals
LEELA VENKATARAMAN
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The festival mounted by the Kuchipudi Dance Academy was dedicated to the empowered woman.
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Deepika Reddy as Draupadi
If the collective message of a dance festival has emancipative potential, then the cause of women must have been aided by the two-day festival Pratisthitaa - Women Empowered, mounted by the Kuchipudi couple Vanashree and Jayarama Rao under the aegis of the Kuchipudi Dance Academy, at Habitat's Stein auditorium. The paradox is that while Indian thought and myth give woman the highest pedestal as Goddess, her exploitation in everyday life rouses little more than diplomatic noises of dissonance.
Wisely, not political heavyweights but women achievers and workers for women's betterment presided as chief guests each evening. The surprise curtain raiser was a musical Sanskrit paean to womanhood, courtesy M. Varadarajan.
`Chitrangada' reworked
Reworked with a fresh Telugu/Hindi libretto scripted by Narayana Murthy and Shyam Sundar Kshatri respectively, Jayarama Rao's `Chitrangada' nrityanatika in Kuchipudi was intelligently choreographed and neatly packaged with his own imaginative score along with inputs from G. Raghuraman and Venkateswaran, spiced with jati interludes designed by Kesavan. The vibrant agility of Kuchipudi suits the spirit of Tagore's original Bengali play "Chitrangada" about the warlike princess ruling Manipur winning the heart of the Pandav prince Arjuna, proving that woman's strength of character is no less potent than physical allure. Fitting the bill perfectly, as foil to each other, were the students of the Ramaraos, Meenu Thakur (trained under Swapnasundari earlier) and Arunima Kumar - one as the assertive, martial Chitrangada ruling with a man's panache, and the other a beguiling transformation through the boon of Madana - a beauteous female, her charms bewitching Arjuna. Both characters circling back-to-back, with contrasting facets of both Chitrangadas emerging simultaneously, was an effective choreographic device.
The masterful pravesha daruvu (resembling a traditional composition with names changed) of the real Chitrangada in a rich costume with Manipuri pagri and Arunima's mukhabhinaya were impressive.
PHOTOS: AVINASH PASRICHA
EMANCIPATIVE POTENTIAL Jayarama Rao with Arunima Kumar in "Chitrangada"
Also convincing as Madana, Rati and Narada were Kavya Mahadevan, Abhinaya Nagajyoti and Narayana Murthy. The weak spot was the `oh-so-feeble' music, the mike too low to pick up vocalist Venkateswaran's singing which despite talent, lacked confidence. Bilahari, Atana, Arabhi, Desh, Revati, Kamboji, Charukesi, et al were all soft, and Jayarama Rao entering to Bahudari as Arjuna, unable to hear the music, found rhythm and pace adjustment difficult. Sanjeev Upadhyaya's Hindi narration was clear. Less so was Mala Kumar's.
`Jayasthu Nari' by the Kuchipudi duo Vedantam Venkatachalapathi and Kiran, was, in the Shiva stuti and Mahishasuramardini, dogged by uneven standards of the two dancers, inexperienced Kiran far behind husband Chalapathi's brilliance. The concluding piece with Kiran and a student, despite the stilted English dialogue for the non-Telugu knowing audience, on woman in myth and reality, was a brave effort while simplistic. This couple with exposure to cosmopolitan audiences should evolve more.
Deepika Reddy's polished presentation `Stri Trayam' began with a coordinated group invocation to woman, "Strirastu Shubhamastu". Deepika's eka-patra-kelika (solo actor taking on many roles) of Draupadi based on Kishore Mosalikanthi's taut choreography presented focussed abhinaya - portraying in fleeting expressional references the bride Draupadi's joy at Arjuna's skilled archery winning her hand; the consternation at Kunti's innocent blessing making her the shared wife of five husbands; the humiliation in the Kaurav court and her resolution to avenge the insult with the final war denouement.
Kuchipudi Yakshagana
In the Yakshagana category was the depiction of Savitri's dogged persistence in bringing the husband back from the land of the dead. Deepika as Savitri and Vedantam Venkatachalapathi as powerful Yama made a strong twosome. Musolikanthi's fine choreography, exquisite costumes, sensitive lighting by Milind and well rehearsed vocal support from Lavanya Lata and Suryanarayana, with Sridharacharya's adroit mridangam accompaniment, were features.
Sangeeta Dash's Odissi radiated quietude with internalised power, particularly in the depiction of the manifestations of the Devi in Dasamahavidya. Transcending the drawback of an inexperienced vocalist Krishna Chandra Roy tending to drown words, the dancer, unconscious of gallery or audience, danced for her own joy. The intensity of Bhairavi, the joy in Bhagala, the ferocity of Chinnamasta, the beauteous Matangi, the playful Bhubaneswari - it was a cameo of moods - with inner serenity of a centred dancer never lost. The ashtapadi "Pashyati dishi dishi" had the same stillness in the abhinaya. Dhaneswar Swain's mardala support guided the dancer.
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