They come together, in style
RUPA SRIKANTH
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It was a happy blend of Bharata Nrityam and Kathak.
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Photo: R. Shivaji Rao
In harmony: Malini Ranganathan and (right) Jayashree Rajagopalan
“Sangamam Samarpanam” was not only a jugalbandi of two dance styles, that is Bharata Nrityam and Kathak, but also a coming together of three generations to felicitate Leela Gopalan on her 80th birthday. The musically-gifted family members, eighteen of them or more, presented a well-planned programme that was as entertaining as it was informative.
Dancers Jayashree Rajagopalan and Rajshree Vasudevan (Bharata Nrityam) and Dr. Malini Ranganathan (Kathak) traced the origin of their styles to the Margi tradition as mentioned in the Natya Shastra. With the text as a reference point, the origin and evolution of every item in the evening’s repertoire was examined and explained.
Dedicated to their mother
The dancers performed the Purvaranga consisting of an invocation and a Guru Stothram dedicated to their first guru, their mother. Today the Purvaranga has come to mean the Pushpanjali in the South and the Amad in Kathak. The demonstrations were followed by an analysis of the Kauthuvam and the kavit that were indicated in the Natya Shastra as “Sushkavakrishta dhruva,” or simply, “songs with syllables.”
A padam, ‘Adunatha Eppadiyo’ (T.K. Mahalingam Pillai, Saranga, Adi) on the Ananda Thandava of Nataraja and a tumri, “Sakhi yeha bajata bansuriya” (Pirtu Maharaj, Ragesri, Teentaal) on Krishna’s divine music were delineated. While a beautifully tuned Sita Swayamvara from Tulsi Ramayana brought the two styles together, their distinct identity was celebrated in the vibrant finale — a thillana (Dhandayuthapani Pillai, Hindolam, Adi) juxtaposed with its counterpart, the tarana (Marwah, Teentaal).
The academic flavour provided some fresh insights for the rasika. Especially memorable was the Muruga Kauthuvam and the kavit on Krishna that sounded so similar when recited in the same meter.
The dance and music were of a good standard, though the Southern flavours were far more authentic.
The credits for the orchestra (many of whom were family members) go to: Vaishnavi Anand (vocal), Rajshree Vasudevan (nattuvangam and compering), V. Anand (violin), Aditya Rajagopalan (mridangam), Janaki Rajagopalan (harmonium), Sundar (tabla) and Raghavendra (flute).
The younger lot presented “Parampara,” the highlight of which was a thillana (Amritavarshini, Sama) presented by Vaishnavi and Aishwarya composed by their grandmother, Leela.
One would tend to agree with the spirited compere of this segment, Arvind Vasudevan who said, “We hope the last impression will be the lasting one!”
Zest for life
Leela Gopalan
Her biodata reads “Leela Gopalan- The Lady Achiever.” She certainly deserves the title being a musician, music teacher, dancer, choreographer, and prolific writer. She is also a Sanskrit scholar who passed the ‘kovid’ examination at the age of 70.
From Alleppey where she was born and where she started a sabha at the age of 12, to Rourkela where she organised cultural programmes in the Steel Township as a young wife, to her AIR concerts in Lucknow and Cuttack, to her repeated appearances at the Kalidas Samaroh in Ujjain with “Shakuntalam” that she helped compose and create, until her retired days in Hyderabad in a story-writing avatar, Leela has maintained a zest for life and learning.
But ask about her most precious achievement and she replies without hesitation, “My four daughters whom I brought up to be strong, with a good foundation in arts and academics. Each one of them — Jayanthi, Jayashree, Malini and Rajshree — is a success in her chosen field and an asset to society.”
Her parting words are some advice to young mothers: “Do not be disheartened when you have daughters, you can bring them up to be strong like sons. Fill your house with music and do not rest after your household chores, pursue some art!”
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