'Samarpan', a mega dance and music show, marked Doordarshan's 50 years as the largest public service broadcaster of India.
While maintaining a delicate balance between the different genres of programming, Doordarshan has also been a powerful force in bridging the various art forms and cultures of India. ‘Samarpan' was in continuation to this encouragement that the channel has been giving to the classical arts.
Unity in diversity
Integration through culture and unity in diversity is the theme that the show sought to convey. Three hundred and twenty five artistes came together at Tagore Theatre in Thiruvananthapuram to make this happen. "Despite the differences in style, form or language, the underlying rhythm is one – the rhythm of the heart," says Soorya Krishnamoorthy, the director of the show, about his concept behind the production. Bearing this message, the show began with an audio-visual clipping of Doordarshan's ever popular ‘Mile sur mera tumhara, woh sur bane hamara' by Pandit Bhimsen Joshi.
What followed for two hours non-stop and with clockwork precision was a vibrant kaleidoscope of various expressions of this sentiment. One of the opening pieces was on the panchabhoothas – the five elements represented by Manipuri, Bharathanatyam, Odissi, Kathak and contemporary dance – conveying that while the elements have their individual qualities, all that is seen in Creation are manifestations of their combinations.
‘Deva Deva Kalayami,' Swati Tirunal's Carnatic composition found a reflecting echo in the Hindustani ‘Allah tera meherban.' Ganesha, Ganga, rain and water, all of which appear as leit-motifs in our culture, also found a place in ‘Samarpan.'
Striking and memorable was the adaptation of the taniavarthanam in jugalbandhi style. Karunamoorthy on the thavil, Malamari Jayan on the tabla, Premjit Singh and friends on the Manipuri drums and the sound of gunguroos from Kathak exponent Rajendra Gangani of Jaipur gharana, truly created a rousing symphony of the rhythms of India.
And when all 325 of the artistes lined up on stage for the curtain call, the oneness of feeling binding them was palpable. Among them were Lakshmi Gopalaswamy, Rajendra Gangani and his Kathak group, Meera Das with her students from Gunjan Dance Academy, Vaishali Sarkar with the Manipuri artistes, Madhu and Sajeev and contemporary dancers of Samudra, Kathakali artistes from Margi, Veena and Dhanya Nair from Bangalore, Methil Devika, Madhavi Chandran with the Mohiniyattam and Bharathanatyam dancers of Regatta Cultural Society, the Asan Narayana Gurukkal Memorial Poorakkali group, over 25 members of Swaranjali who sang and played on the veena and Swetha Menon who compered the show.
Organised by Doordarshan Thiruvananthapuram as part of the golden jubilee celebrations that are being held in different places in India, this performance was shown live and the abridged version is to be telecast on DD National.
