F or some reason, young, gifted Bharatanatyam dancers did not get the kind of recognition that their counterparts in Carnatic music did.
As early as the 1930s, K.Chandrasekharan, a prominent lawyer, scholar, writer and connoisseur, was aware of this lacuna and started promoting young talent under the banner ‘Sahridaya.’ As the vice-president of the Music Academy and Kalakshetra, he had the opportunity to spot talent and promote it. As a tribute to him, his family has given an endowment to the Music Academy to feature promising Bharatanatyam talents in performances titled Bharata Natya Manjari, which has served as a significant launching pad for many a young dancer today.
In the last few years, the performance is held the day after the Academy’s Dance Festival concludes.
The artists presented this year were Medha Hari, disciple of Anitha Guha, and Bhavajan Kumar, disciple of Leela Samson and Bragha Bessel. Bhavajan’s initial training was under Padmini Ananth and S.Vasu in Canada. After he came to India he had advanced training under the couple Shijith Nambiar and Parvathi.
They were first featured together in August 2016 at the thematic festival Krishna Bharatham of Natyarangam, Narada Gana Sabha, and were acclaimed for their duo presentation of Oothukadu Venkata Kavi’s compositions.
Medha Hari and Bhavajan complemented each other in nritta and abhinaya. Energetic with chiselled movements, they were a treat to watch. They opened with Oothukadu Venkata Kavi’s ‘Marakatha Manimaya Chela’ in Aarabhi, which had shades of Kuchipudi.
For Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar’s Dharu varnam ‘Mathe’ in Khamas, they interspersed it with jathis from the Vazhuvoor tradition. The stories associated with Meenakshi were done briefly with care to avoid the dramatic. The stress was on the charanam line ‘Syame Sakala Bhuvana Sarvabhoume.’ The concept of the Goddess residing in the centre of Sasi Mandala was depicted with poetic finesse.
The pangs of Vipralamba Sringaram (separation in love) were conveyed in depth through mature abhinaya to the ashtapadi by Medha Hari. In this piece choreographed by Anitha Guha, Medha brought out the verbal interpretation as well as the evocative shades of each word and phrase of the immortal poetry.
Arunachala Kavi’s poignant song ‘Yarendru Raghavanai’ came alive in Bragha Bessel’s choreography where she placed it in context by commencing with Rama’s chase of Maricha and the eventual harsh words of Sita chiding Lakshmana.
Bhavajan brought out every nuance of the song where Lakshmana conveys a sense of pride about his brother’s valour and gives voice to the pain and hurt caused by Sita’s accusation. Expressed in all humility and respect, never raising his gaze to look at her face, making his point forcefully, Bhavajan became Lakshmana as much as Medha had become Radha in her abhinaya piece.
The performance concluded with a vintage thillana in Sankarabharanam by Moolai Veettu Rangasami Nattuvanar and choreographed by guru Adyar Lakshman. The traditional number conveyed the perennial appeal of symmetry and adavu combinations, hallmark of a classic choreography.
The dancers had the advantage of an orchestra that comprised veterans in the field — Jayashree Ramanathan (nattuvangam), Nandini Anand (vocal), Ramshankar Babu (mridangam), Eashwar Ramakrishnan (violin) and J.B. Sruthi Sagar (flute).
