The year was 1991. It was my first visit to the famed ‘temple of arts’. Sankara Menon walked me around the usual places. The great banyan tree for the morning prayers, the Koothambalam, that masterpiece which spelt the multifaceted talents of its creator. And, finally the dance classes where young boys and girls struggled with the araimandi pose. The teachers trained their pupils with such incredible ease. There was one teacher whom the director introduced. “This is Balagopalan who is our Hanuman in the Ramayanam series. Nobody can match him in that role.” He added jocularly: “I wonder if this dance drama can ever be staged again after he leaves us!”
This conversation took place 25 years ago. The Ramayanam has not only survived in spite of Balagopalan retiring from the scene, but it has a Hanuman trained to perfection by the great master himself. Hari Padman, a very young pupil, was handpicked by Balagopalan for that role. The latter had an instinctive feel for details, like an expressive face or graceful body language.
He found all these and more in that young dancer who, despite his unassuming stature, could grow to unimaginable dimensions just like the mythical hero he now portrays to perfection. In fact, when he dons the role of Valmiki’s matchless hero, the audience can immediately sense Hari Padman’s magnitude as an artist of rare talent.
Born into a family of dancers – 20 in all, including his own parents – Hari was initially trained by his father, Padmanabha Pillai, a talented teacher who had the distinction of producing 25 ballets based on the rich Bharatanatyam, Mohiniattam and Kathakali traditions. The young pupil’s first public performance at age five was the beginning of a vibrant career in these genres. To my question whether there was any pressure from his family to take up dance as a career, Hari answers with an emphatic NO! But he lived in a theatrical world since childhood, travelling with his parents wherever they performed and enjoying it too. When he came to Kalakshetra to refine his art, he was already sensitised to the nuances of classical dance. It only needed extraordinary teachers to hone them to perfection. Janardhanan, Balagopalan and P.T. Narendran are still his role models.
“Even today, I go to Balagopalan for my make-up before a programme,” says Hari. His background as a Kathakali dancer makes Hari Padman a complete artist. He feels it is essential for a dancer to know Kathakali to understand the depth of the characters he portrays. Whether it is Hanuman or Rama or Vali or any other, Kathakali adds a new dimension in the characters. Hari believes that an artist must know both techniques to be a complete dancer.
“Athai (Rukmini Devi) combined both in her dance dramas to enhance the effect of characterization,” he says, and adds, “She never mentioned the art form that was used. She simply called her creations dance dramas. She reached out to her audiences using the most powerful medium with the result that they did not see Bharatanatyam or Kathakali - they only saw a character like Rama or Ravana. I like to practice the same techniques in my choreography.”
Apart from being a sensitive dancer, Hari Padman is an inspired choreographer. His recent presentation of Swati Tirunal’s Bhaavayaami Raghu Ramam in the enchanted ambience of the ISKCON temple in Bangalore proved this beyond doubt. With an array of eight dancers supported by the rich music of Vidwan Hariprasad, Valmiki’s epic story came to life in a production of incredible stagecraft.
“Coming from Kalakshetra, my intention was to avoid repetition,” says Hari. A discerning audience could make out that he had tried not to make it a poor imitation of Rukmini Devi’s magnum opus. Whether it was the river scene where Guha rows them to Panchavati, or the burning of Lanka in its terrifying resplendence, this choreographer had to use his own imagination to avoid repetition, which he did with great dexterity. For example, instead of tying the jata before departing for the forest, Rama simply removes his crown! When Lakshmana draws the Lakshmana Rekha around Sita, the choreographer cleverly changes the adavus to give it an original touch! Hari Padman’s masterful technique of switching the roles of all the characters not only gave the participants a sense of unity but it also provoked the audience to think. The choreographer himself donned the roles of Rama, Guha and Bharatha in turns! The result was 60 minutes of sheer magic. If Sankara Menon was troubled about the future of the Ramayanam, this young protégé of a great institution has certainly shown that it will survive.
Hari Padman has also proved that Kalakshetra will never lose its lustre. Artists like him will always take its traditions forward.
