It was a riveting tribute to Lord Rama by Revathi Muthuswamy and her troupe on the occasion of Vaikunta Ekadasi at Srirangam. Sri Rama is called ‘Manathukkiniyan’ by Andal. It was apt to stage ‘Sri Ramayanam,’ a dance drama which brought alive the story of Lord Rama.
The programme began with Lord Vishnu assuming the Rama avatar and concluded with Rama’s coronation. The tiny tots, who donned the roles of the young princes, stole the show with their charming presence.
Some dramatic scenes of show were the killing of the demon Thataka in the forest, and the meeting of Sri Rama and Sita which culminates in their marriage.
Hemamalini in the role of Kaikeyi did justice with her apt expressions and elegant movements. A folk song was inserted into the play to highlight the friendship between Rama and the boatman Guha.
Rama and his army crossing the ocean to reach Lanka to rescue Sita, and the war with Ravana in the end were depicted with appropriate theatrics, movements and expressions by the troupe.
This two-hour treat held the audience spellbound. Kudos to Revathi Muthuswamy for her innovative choreography and splendid training!
Orchestral support was superb with Rasika Prasad on the violin, Tiruchi Jegan on the keyboard, Senthil Kumar on the mridangam, Kumar on the tabla and Nagercoil V. Ganapathy.
Suganthi Premanand, a senior student of Srirangam Bharathanatyalaya, and the young stars Ishwarya, Mushalini, Sowmya, Subashree and Vaishnavi were a delight to watch. Forty children took part in the show to commemorate the 40th year of Srirangam Bharathanatyalaya.
