It was an evening of stalwarts showcasing their art forms at the 25th Articulate Festival at Ganabharati under the aegis of Kathak guru Mysore B Nagaraj. The ambience of Mysore, once the hub where performing arts were patronized and thrived, matched the maestros. The mood was meditative – abhinaya drawn from vast, in-depth experience of each of the three gurus- Shama Bhate (Kathak), Ranjana Gauhar (Odissi) and Deepak Majumdar (Bharatanatyam)-all established names in their respective genre.
Clad in a simple white and red saree and not in the customary dance attire, Shama chose to present with three exclusive pieces-two on Krsna in two different stages and one on Rama from Guru Nanak. Her ‘ched-chaad’ (banter) was obviously the best where she brought alive the gopis predicament when accosted by a mischievous Krsna. Detailing finer feelings was the artiste’s forte-like for instance, sprinkling water at the river bank and the first shudder at its unexpected coolness, later getting accustomed to it; the bashful girl trying to relieve her wrist from the grasp of her beloved half-heartedly, the conflict of a young maiden besotted by the charismatic Krsna-to be or not to be with Him and such other emotions were portrayed with a finesse only Shama could dwell with artistic sensitivity.
She excelled in concretising the abstract emotion in the song, ‘Morey Kanha ne aise benu bayaye..’ which speaks of the mesmerising flute notes that could literally stop short every activity of the animate and the inanimate in Nature. A gopi on her daily household chores of fetching waters from the Yamuna, is drawn like a magnet to the irresistible notes floating out of the flute that straight away tug at her heart-strings; she becomes oblivious to her surroundings, spilling the water from the pot in the process in a state of trance.
The dancer picturised this scene with a perfection that was laudable. She ended her brief performance on a philosophical note with the Nanak Dev song which was an apt finale. Shama Bhate’s flexibility with her footwork was admirable.
The ageless beauty of Ranjana Gauhar along with her limpid-eyed abhinaya made the two Ashtapadis she presented, picture perfect. While in ‘Sakhi hey kesi madana muraram..’ she brought out the essence of pure love that transcends from the physical to the esoteric plane. The controlled movements allowed the emotions to trickle down to the audience which is not the case in the present day context of Odissi dance. The ‘Dheera sameere…’ likewise was one where the artiste has to convey the erotic and gently, caressingly lead her viewers into the charming, intoxicating world of divine love. The manner in which Ranjana shows Radha cajoling the bird on her hand was a sensitive portrayal of love sweeping across all beings.
Her gait with calculating footsteps, eyes speaking eloquent as emotions flit across her face, made the abhinaya –oriented pieces memorable.
When music and dance are set to Sanskrit text, well the effect is profound vis-à-vis any other regional language. Deepak Majumdar’s two pieces stood out in brilliance through sheer lyrical beauty and his impressive abhinaya. His Shiva-Parvati eulogy- a sort of Arthanareeswar concept delineated Parvati and Shiva alternately describing their divine qualities and physical attributes. His mime was excellent in drawing the contrary, yet complementing. The background music while showcasing Shiva was rhythm personified. He next turned to depict Vatsalya bhava from Krsna Karunamrutam where he deftly depicted the entire Ramayana, as being narrated by mother Yasoda in an attempt to put her child Krsna to sleep.
The entire concept of Krsna being a later incarnation of lord Rama and being conscious of it is questionable from the Bhagavatam point of view. As an artistic creation, perhaps it dealt with a totally different perspective.
