NARADA GANA SABHA
Talent, skill and mastery
SARASWATHI VASUDHEVAN
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It was a brilliant depiction of divine love.
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Photo: M. Karunakaran.
RHYTHMIC JOY: Chitra Visveswaran.
True to tradition, time and space transcended in chaste Bharatanatyam as Chitra Visveswaran paid obeisance to saint poets Andal and Meera in her production "Dwarakanatham Bhaje." A profound yearning for spiritual knowledge came through in Pt. Visveswaran's and Chitra's researched work. Though Andal and Meera were distanced through space and time, their unparalleled love and devotion and parallel dreams of uniting with Lord Krishna to ultimately attain Moksha was brilliantly conceptualised and depicted.
Brimming with rhythmic joy, the dancing girls made dramatic diagonal entries and exits in crisp succession. `Bhajare Manasa' was eloquently portrayed by Chitra through the gamut of Angikabhinaya.
An aesthetic exposition of `Vaaranam Aayiram' and `Maayi Maano' came across in the twin dreams of Andal and Meera. Uma Nambudhripad lived the role of Andal as the coy bride as much as Chitra did, playing bride Meera. Immeasurable talent, skill and mastery of the art form came to the fore in Chitra Visveswaran's distinct visual portrayals using the classical idiom. References made in Andal's Kaman pooja and Meera's play of colours in Holi signified the intense desire to unite with Parabrahma. From a joyous and divine union through wedlock, Andal and Meera in viraha were dexterously woven pieces.
Meera's lamentations in `Pyaare Darshan Deejo' remained etched in memory, particularly the sancharis in the line, `Jal Bin Kamal Chaand Bin Rajni.' Chitra along with her vocalists Pt. Visveswaran and Shashidharan touched many chords in the audience through her mimetic display of exemplary bhava and rasa. The gopis dancing on the banks of the river and their bathing were beautifully interspersed with sollukattus on the mridangam. The tabla and kanjira provided that much needed effect in Meera's `Hari Tum Haro'.
While music and mime worked hand in hand, Chitra relived Draupadi, and the game of dice bore the mastery over tala. Dushasan's portrayal however, seemed wanting in places. A crisp nritta piece happily united Godha and Meera with Madhava and Giridhara. Soulful renditions by Visveswaran and Shashidharan made the evening memorable.
Shashirekha Rammohan wielded the cymbals, Adyar K. Gopinath and Kannan Vaidyanathan did justice to the mridangam and tabla respectively as did violinist Seetarama Sharma and flautist Thyagarajan. The rigorous training of the dancers could be seen in the many pure dance variations. But being a visual art, maintaining a pleasant physique would be desirable. Uma Nambudhripad stood out for her virtuosity.
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