All for Krishna
LEELA VENKATARAMAN
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Jayadev Utsav featured some excellent performances.
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Photo: Deepak Mudgal
Perfect pose Nrityagram’s Surupa Sen and Bijayini Satpathy in performance
Close on the heels of the recent “Sampoorna Geetagovinda”, it was “Jaya Jagadheesha Hare” refrain again with Jayadev Utsav-2008 organised by Odissi Akademi. Its new chapter was the Jayadeva Samman awarded to veteran musician Raghunath Panigrahi, a pioneer in singing the Geetagovinda ashtapadis.
The morning seminar at Sahitya Akademi auditorium initiated by Secretary of School Education and Literacy Arun Kumar, saw Daya Chand Tripathi, Director, Kala Kosh Vibhag, IGNCA, speak on the merits of Jayadeva’s Kavya uniting “Shyam and Shyama” with its “Komala pada vinyas,” representing all arts – performing and visual in a meeting of the divine, the secular, and the spiritual.
This 12th Century creation provided fodder for later spiritual leaders like Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Gadadhar Mohapatra dwelt on Radha as the ultimate “mahanayika” symbolising Madhura bhakti, her complete surrender in mystic dalliance with Krishna epitomising love satisfying the five senses while evoking eight satvika bhavas.
Radha Vallabha Tripathy in his talk “Ek Pravartak Kriti” underlined the Geetagovinda as a trend-setter in poetic literature, Chhand and in fully conceptualising Radha. Subas Pani’s historical data reinforced Jayadeva’s Orissa connection, also emphasising the ‘kreeda’ or play aspect of the kavya, its beauty being the dichotomy of Radha as its willing partner being removed from it and also enjoying it.
Rewarding performance
The most rewarding performance came from Nrityagram’s duo Surupa Sen and Bijayini Satpathy. The intimate joy of the sakhi/Radha exchange in “Dheera Sameere” with the sakhi urging Radha to untie the telltale anklets before joining Krishna, adorned in her garlands, awaiting her eagerly, will long be remembered for the feel of the flowing Yamuna the dance evoked, the duo setting off with a lilt in the step (“Chalasakhi Kunjam satimirapunjam.”). Ardent Krishna persuading Radha to surrender in “Kisalayashayana tale” created controlled intensity in visual metaphors and evocative movement freezes. Excellent sound tape, unostentatiously aesthetic costuming, nritta interventions totally merging with mood of the poetry, flowing as a natural continuum, and Lynne Fernandez’ lighting, not forgetting the sheer quality of the dance were features.
The other memorable presentation was by the Mohiniattam dancer Gopika Varma whose visualisation of Krishna’s joyous abandon with the Gopis in the Ashtapadi “Chandana Charchita” followed by “Dheera Sameere” portrayed some of the most moving abhinaya. Gopika’s dance captured the joy of love without that sugary quality of overdone lasya, retaining Mohiniattam dignity. Her musical team with singer Sushant’s clarity of diction was supportive.
Pratibha Prahlad’s three ashtapadi suite comprised one item too many. “Mugdhe madhumathanamanugatamanusara” showing the sakhi urging Radha to shed her petulance and listen to her heart while Krishna longs for her, came off well. Pratibha’s sakhi was endowed with a sense of humour. “Natha Hare” in Desh was overstated depicting the wilting Radha, as described by the sakhi to Krishna and “Kuru-yadu-nandana” was tame. P. Rama’s melodious singing sometimes lost verbal clarity.
It was not the best of Kiran Segal with singer Ramachandra Rath losing cues and ushering in the signature line too soon. Both “Nindati Chandana” set to Balakrishna Das’ score and “Yahi-Madhav” showing Radha as khandita were low key, compared to the dancer’s own previous renditions.
Admirably trained, Shailaja’s Kuchipudi for more restrained conviction must shed the overdone heaves and sighs picturing pining Krishna in the Ashtapadi, “Tawa- virahe-vanamali”. The ragamalika score by Veeraraghavan in raga Durga had alien notes. The dancer’s own visualisation of “Chandana-Charchita” for a solo performer capturing a group scene of Krishna with the Gopis, needs more work.
The Srjan group rendering Ratikant Mohapatra’s choreography, projected a disciplined team of dancers combining well in Dasavatar set to Rakhal Mohanty’s score in Bhopali and Jhampa tala, and Lalita-Lavangalata” in Vasanta and Kalavati. The best of the recital, outside the Geetagovinda frame, was the Pallavi in raga Megh composed by Prodeep Das, performed by Rajashree and Manusmita.
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