It runs in the family
A. RAMALINGA SASTRY
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Premchand, Malini and Medini put their best foot forward.
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PHOTOS: C.V. SUBRAHMANYAM
IN GENES Premachand, Mala and Medini Hombal(below) were at their best on the stage.
Premchand Hombal, an associate professor of Bharatanatyam at the Benaras Hindu University, his wife Mala and daughter Medini gave an exquisite Bharatanatyam performance for Visakha Music and Dance Academy in its auditorium Kalabharati last Friday.
Premchand, who honed his skills under the expert tutelage of Srimathi Rukmini Arundel, had initial training from his parents Mr. and Mrs. Girija Sankar at a young age. He married Mala, who was one of their disciples. After being trained by her parents, Medini acquired endearing expertise in the exposition of the art at Kalakshetra in Chennai.
He has widely travelled in and outside the country performing with his wife and daughter. Premchand received the UP Sangeet Nataka Academy award besides being conferred with titles like Nrityakalanidhi; Mala and Medini too did not lag behind in being accredited with equivalent honours.
The religious offering in Kalabharati started with Annamayya's Todayyamangalam in Ragatalamalika delectably by Mala. Then followed the nritta oriented jathiswaram in Ragamalika in Misrachapu by Medini, the nritta and nritya balanced Sabdam depicting the childhood pranks of Krishna in Ragamalika in Misrachapu by Premchand, Devistuti by way of presenting select slokas from Drugasaptasati by Mala and a composition in raga and talamalika depicting soul stirring Sivatandavam by Medini.
Soulfully fulfilling all requirements of the first part of the traditional format, they then switched over to bhajans. The presentation of the bhajans of Kabir, Tulasidas and Meera enthralled the audience but left many a connoisseur disappointed. Medini was the cynosure of the evening with her authentic accomplishment of all classical nuances of the vocabulary of the tradition with mastery and professional finesse with felicitous charm.
The backdrop of music, except Susarla Sarma on mridangam and Raja Rao on flute, left much to be desired. The dancing couple and their daughter provided nattuvangam in turns, M. Veerabhadra Rao playing on harmonium also rendered vocals along with his disciple Manasa and Chandramouli on mridangam.
They also rendered a recital of compositions of Purandara Dasa and a ballet depicting the glory of the saint composer, which marked the 443rd aaradhana celebrated in its hall by the Kaveri Kannada Sangha last Sunday.
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