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SRI KRISHNA GANA SABHA

Photo: S.Thanthoni

HIGH ON EMOTION: Group of Ananda Shankar Jayant (standing).

Starting with “Jaya Janaki Ramana,” the group went on to narrate the stories of the ten avatars of Vishnu through the song “Takkuvemi manakku.” With Ananda taking centre stage, depicting the avatars, the dancers played supporting roles. “Entho Mahanu Bhavudavu” described the story of Sita’s abduction by Ravana. Under the supervision of Ramadas, played by Ananda, the dancers rolled, chipped and sculpted, to build a temple and gopuram until the Thirai (curtain) was drawn aside to reveal the “idols” of Rama, Lakshmana and Sita to the tune of “Sri Rama Ne Nama Entha Ruchi Ra.”

With four of the dancers holding a rope symbolising a cell, Ananda, as the incarcerated Ramadas, praised and begged, cajoled and scolded Rama in a series of Ramadas’s kritis including “Ee Thiruga Nannu Daya Choojedavo,” “Paluke Bangaram” and “Nannu Brovumani Cheppave.” Her portrayal of his devotion even in incarceration was pure drama – matched by an extremely emotional rendering of the kritis by singer Venu Madhav who had also composed music to the additional sequences.

With Renuka Prasad providing the Nattuvangam (and also credited with having composed both the jathis presented), and T.P.Balasubramanyam on the mridangam, the melody was handled by K. Saikumar on the violin and Dattatreya on the flute. Deepa Krishnamachari’s stage décor was minimalistic and Ganesh Nallari’s costumes underplayed. Ananda, in her introductory statement , said that she believed in “stretching the outer realms of artistic endeavour,” and the entire performance as well as the finishing touch of lighting camphor at the end of the mangalam seemed to reflect this.

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