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Dancing to the tune of the rivers

Photos: K. V. Srinivasan

Evocative: Mythili Prakash.

Called the dark river, Yamuna on whose banks young Krishna frolicked, conjures up, in cultural memory, happy images.

In the crowded Gnanananda Hall, audience watching the on-going Teertha Bharatham under the aegis of Natyarangam, were treated to Mythili Prakash metaphorically evoking, the tunes of this river, while actually performing to those of her own brother Aditya Prakash.

Lyrics and musical framework comprising Debur Srivathsa’s Sollukattu and Aditya’s score with contributions from Prof. Raghuraman, Ravi Shankar and Balamuralikrishna apart from the legacy of Oothukadu, Jayadeva, Meera Bai, Kalidasa, etc., judiciously blended the Hindustani with the Carnatic flavours, for geographical location spells special identity.

Starting with Vallabhacharya’s Yamunashtakam, Mythili in fleetingly telling sequences showed lake Yamunotri formed by the endless flow of Yami’s tears (grieving for brother Yama who commits suicide to escape producing progeny, ordered by father Surya, through an incestuous relationship with his sister), became the dark river by absorbing plunging Siva’s grief on the death of Sati.

A recurring musical refrain in Desh, ushering and ending each scene, became the signature tune for Yamuna.

The river ran through the Pandava capital Indraprastha designed by Viswakarma. Effectively using Kavit type of recitation, solkatu and lyrics from Adiparva came the heralding in Atana raga of the Viswakarma-designed Pandava capital.

Mythili drew a winsome montage of images extolling the pastoral beauty of Mathura and Brindavan through snatches of several compositions, all vividly captured without being overdrawn.

The effulgent physicality of youth and nritta apart, Mythili shows a flair for internalised expression as in the mature restraint, interpreting swadheenapatika Radha from the Gita Govinda Kuru-Yadunandana.

A Tarana flourish here, Jayashree Ramanathan’s (nattuvangam) recitative intervention there, Aditya switched from one raga and tala to another with seamless skill.

The contemporary message of abuse and pollution too was from within the Krishna myth a particularly evocative Kaliyamardan rendered to Oothukkadu Venkata Subbaiyer’s composition and Surdas Naina na aye Hari bin portraying a lamenting Yamuna abused and ravaged by the plough of an inebriated Balarama.

Anguished Yamuna seeks merging sangam solace joining sister Ganga at Prayag.

Vaibhav Arekar.

One jarring feature was the staccato, chopped compering of which little was heard. Forming a perfect interaction from start to finish were Dr. Sudha Seshaiyyan the resource person and dancer Vaibhav Arekar catching the spirit of the ancient Jatashankari Narmada, where dinosaurs roamed even before the Himalayas were formed.

A strong dancer whose Bharatanatyam movements have an amplitude and largeness in perfect sarukkais and lines, Vaibhav with his theatre background is very expressive. The dancer/ devotee offering prayers to Maiya Narmada in the seated position saw evocative abhinaya followed by depiction of Narmada as child, young impish girl, seductive Roopagarvita and finally nurturing Mother all enacted to a repetitive solfa syllabic line. There was aesthetic minimalism in both music and dance with less conveying more in the Parikrama from Amarakantha (Maikal) to Sagara Sangama and on the northern band till returning to the source.

The Yagna site of Bali, at Brighugaccha, Omkareswar, Narmada becoming Shivarakshika, Tripuritirtha, Sahastradhama, with glimpses of the associated legends never lost sight of the feel of the river, as the thematic undercurrent.

The entire Bhasmasura episode with Siva seeking shelter from the ravaging Asura by hiding in the Narmada waters and Mohini cleverly drawing the demon to his death was conveyed in a few striking movement phrases rendered to just percussion. Delightfully succinct and communicative were the tribal touches. The strong Tillana movements became transformed into a deft tug-of-war between the helpless river and arrogant man, following which some passages dragged.

Vaibhav was not afraid to end on a less happy note asking Is what is being done to Narmada right or wrong?

Ambika Vishwanathan along with a well rehearsed crew provided moving accompaniment.

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