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Music Season
SRI KRISHNA GANA SABHA
Margam, Malavika style
RUPA SRIKANTH
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Malavika Sarukkai's performance had its highs and lows but there was nothing new.
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Photo: K.N.Muralidharan
POETRY INTERPRETED: Malavika Sarukkai.
Right at the beginning Malavika Sarukkai announced that she was revisiting her old repertoire that evening. She made a significant point that `newness' need not necessarily mean a new choreography, it can simply mean fresh perspectives or fresh energy that an artist gives to old pieces. A good point well made.
The only thing is that it set one looking for new perspectives all evening, but the search was in vain. In the end, it was a good margam presentation, refashioned in Malavika's style, to the accompaniment of good music. It had its highs and its lows, but there was nothing new.
The chiselled beauty of the dancer's body posture and movements made geometry a fashion many years ago. It gave a new perspective to dance and it sort of heralded the coming of a homogeneity in dance styles, where a Vazhuvoor product could impress with the rigidity of the Kalakshetra style. Malavika has lost none of that cutting edge beauty. The striking friezes and the angularities that have become an integral part of her dance continue to impress her viewers each time. Her strong footwork is another important facet in this visual tapestry.
On the mimetic side, one sees some mannerisms that are not as welcome. The constant foot tapping and the shaking of the head might indicate her involvement in the portrayal or her enjoyment of the music, but they come in the way of rasanubhava.
One of Malavika's strengths is an ability to interpret poetry through the physicality of dance. This time it was through verses from the Kamba Ramayanam, set to music by Prema Ramamurthy.
The tableau brought alive the scene at Mithila, when the majestic Rama enters and the effect he has on the women.
Some come prancing like deer, some like graceful peacocks while others dart in like lightning. Poetry, music and dance together conjured up wonderful imagery.
But the same high was not there all evening.
The nritta-dominated varnam, `Swami Ninne Kori Naanura' in ragamalika, (Rupakam), a composition of Ponnaiah Pillai, and the tillana in Simhendramadhyamam, (Adi), a composition of Bhagavathulu Seetharama Sharma fared well, while `Krishna Nee Begane Baro' in Yamunakalyani, (misra chapu), a composition of Kanakadasa, was disappointing and without enough depth.
The inclusion of the tambura made a big difference to the tone of the orchestra.
Murali Parthasarathy, vocal, rendered melodious mood music. He was ably supported by Neela Sukanya (nattuvangam), M.S.Sukhi (mridangam), Vijay Venkateshwar (flute) and Lakshminarayan (tambura).
Coming back to the issue of `newness,' are we rasikas putting pressure on the artistes? Are we goading them to only think `new'?
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Music Season
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