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If the silence of death all over a bloodied battlefield piled with corpses made powerful King Ashok realise the emptiness of might gained through the sword, Amrapali, the courtesan of Vaishali, was eaten up by the purposelessness of sensuous living. Both embraced Buddhism finding lasting inner peace in transcendental power, realising that nothing can equal the silence of inner harmony.

Built round the twin historic illustrations of Ashok and Amrapali, was Shovana Narayan’s “The Sound of Silence and Harmony” presented at the Kamani auditorium, recently. Aided by the exotic stage setting, created by Naresh Kapuria, the action opened to a dark stage, a reflection of the void with the darkness gradually receding to filter in rays of light, inert matter kindled to a stage of consciousness. The heavy mist effects, accompanied by Buddhist chants as monks cross over to a higher stage level at the rear, with swirling blue clad figures gradually evolving in slow movements to the “Om Shivaya” chanting in raga Revati made for an evocative beginning. The movements very gradually increased in urgency as Ravana’s Siva Stotram was chanted.

The Amrapali scene was a solo, involved presentation by Shovana. The various gaits, the virtuosity, the rains kindling sringar, the deer hunt, all added up to a general picture of a celebration of life. Optimum impact was frittered away by over stretching the scene.

The idea of Amrapali, surrounded in a shroud of mist, overpowered by the five veiled evil figures representing Kama, Kroda, Lobha, Moha and Madhu could have been more imaginatively put together with less harmonised dancing between these forces (represented by well trained disciples), making the whole scene simplistic.

In fact a whole rhythmic formula with the forces assaulting Amrapali’s senses, at different time intervals (through handclasps etc. so ingeniously used in Kathak nritta), finally joining in union, would have created a greater impact. The four Chhau dancers in their martial tread, showing the warring climate in Ashok’s empire, finally clashing with the four Kathak style marching soldiers made for a tame reflection of the Kalinga bloodshed. What was surprising was why the thick clouds of mist effect used with such abundance right through the presentation became so minimal in the flatly lit battle scene. This, with more use of blinking rouge lights would have better created the illusion of frenziedbattle action. The decibel levels of the music, created by Jwala Prasad, needed toning down and, particularly in the higher notes, microtonal alignment was lacking.

And the sitar strings were woefully out of sur. Stripping off the edges for a tighter production would make the work more forceful.

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