In these days of more show and less substance, ‘Samarpan’ came as a breath of fresh air… this was the sentiment echoed by Vyjayanthimala Bali, one of the guests of honour at the show. And that was what came through in the group presentation by Meenakshi Chitharanjan and students of Kaladiksha, as an offering to Guru Pandanallur Subbaraya Pillai.
It is after a long time that one witnessed Margam presented so elegantly and in such a well-rehearsed manner. Executed with an eye for detail (the tasteful, almost austere backdrop, the superb orchestral support, costume and the consistent good dancing), there were hardly any boring moments and it all passed swiftly.
‘Samarpan’ went through the traditional sequence of the alarippu, jatiswaram, sabdam, varnam, javali and thillana — with each piece being a tribute to the great masters of the Pandanallur bani.
Although it is difficult to draw attention to things without the flash and glamour that is becoming mandatory today – those present on that day at the Music Academy would not have failed to see how the depth of bhakti towards the guru, past and the present, can transcend these current values. And this devotional aspect coloured the performances giving it an added dimension.
The dancing being good, the traditional choreography threw up some interesting moments – all within the prescribed parameters laid down by the gurus - which made it easy to watch and appreciate. The students demonstrated their consistent training and the show was neither pretentious nor over the top.
Co-ordination and balance are primary concerns in a group production and the credit goes to Meenakshi for having prepared her students with precision to ensure that they moved in unison. This obviously comes with intense practice and devoted adherence to the adavus.
Beginning with ‘Guru Stuthi’ in Rama Manohari (talam Adi), the dancers moved on to the lovely Alarippu in Vasanta. The costume in shades of orange and gold enabled the brightness of the choreography to come through. It is not often that alarippu acquires such interesting patterns without compromising on the purely traditional nritta. But somehow this one did. A jatiswaram in Thodi (rupakam), the sabdam in Khambodi (misra chapu) brought the group of dancers together in a uniform manner with the structures intact.
It was in the varnam in Vachaspati (adi), an original composition of Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai, that Meenakshi made her appearance and gave the piece its pride of place – well deserved, considering the construction of the sequences was so rooted in the Pandanallur style. And as Vyjayanthimala Bali later remarked, “She danced so very well – with the right bhava and nritta – a glorious tribute to the tradition of the Tanjore Quartet.”
Meenakshi followed it up with a playful yet intense javali in Saindhavi (adi), a Swati Tirunal composition -surprisingly racy, but filled with charming nuances of devotion to the Lord.
The entire team came together in the Chenchurutti thillana that contained graceful formations and footwork.
The entire effort would not have had the same impact had it not been for the orchestra’s support. Excellent vocal support by Gomathy Nayagam and nattuvangam by Pandanallur Pandian allowed the dance to rise to great heights. Sakthivel Muruganandam (mridangam), Kalaiarasan (violin) and A.N. Srinivasan (flute) completed the ensemble.
Revathy Sankaran, the compere, brought her own inputs, setting the mood for each item.
‘Samarpan’ was also an occasion to honour artists such as Subbaraya Pillai's son Govindasamy, G.P. Kamala, a long-time vocalist and mridangam player Srinivasa Pillai’s wife, Indrani.
As Meenakshi put it, “These are the stalwarts who made a mark. It needs to be acknowledged and recognised as often as possible.”
A fitting tribute indeed!
