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MUSIC ACADEMY

Photos: V. Ganesan

THOUGHT-PROVOKING: Malavika Sarukkai.

The opening scene, with abstract movements suggestive of the Jyotir linga, said to have “originated in the netherworld and thrust through the roof of the sky,” was powerful. Slowly rotating, Malavika rose upwards quietly and then broke into fierce movement. Later she depicted the courtesan, who revels in the pleasures of the senses. The situation provided plenty of opportunity for ornamental dance.

Using contrasting bhavas and mudras to depict similar Sanskrit words in praise alternately of Siva and the beauteous courtesan, she brought out the theme succinctly and cleverly. The thread of the story was the courtesan’s journey from the world of the senses to that of the spiritual. The final scene was a symbolic representation of the many ways to attain the Supreme, making use of different nritta patterns to represent the various paths people take.

The idea reflected in the commentary was that the courtesan finds release from a male dominated world when she reaches the ‘genderless’ space of spirituality. In the action however, what triggers the courtesan’s search for spiritual comfort is the grief of losing a child she loves dearly. Since this was not placed in any further context — she merely receives the news — it could not be identified with the injustices suffered under male domination.

Similarly, the garden where the courtesan awaits the child — who brings her “laughter and innocence” — was described as “the garden that grants her other spaces.”

At a verbal level these concepts are perfectly comprehensible, but the words could not be seen to tie in with the action. Granted, the theme was treated at a subtle level — to convey the idea of the river of pilgrims, for example, she only showed a river — but in conveying the evolution from the male dominated to the genderless, a concept at the root of the production, the theatrical justification appeared to be missing.

The production did however end on a note of fervour associated with ‘Yatrika Vahini’ (The River of Pilgrims) and ‘Eka Lakshya’ (Many Paths to the One) as the final portions were called.

The oil lamp ensemble at the right side was aesthetic. Adding a dimension of its own in the play of light and shade, it sometimes gave the impression of a temple gopuram.

The music composers for the production, A.S.Murali and Bhagyalakshmi for the first portion and C.V.Chandrasekhar for the second, ought to have been accorded a special mention on stage as the music was such a powerful element.

The voice alap by Vasudha Ravi during the ‘Sokadhara’ (The Current of Grief) was haunting.

The pluck of the violin was also highly effective, with the mridangam used here and there. This was part of the music composition by Bhagyalakshmi and Murali.

The devotional ecstasy of the two final pieces (C.V. Chandrasekhar) provided an effective contrast to the minimalism of the grief passage. The catchy ‘Jham Jala Jala Jala’ refrain evoked the river, and the flow of ragas, with alap and jatis interchanging, created a fervent harmony.

Besides vocalist Vasudha Ravi, the musicians included Neela Sukhanya (nattuvangam), Murali Parthasarathy (vocal), M.S.Sukhi (mridangam), and Srilakshmi Venkatramani (violin). Script and commentary were by Saroja Kamakshi.

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