The Sangeet Natak Akademi recently presented “Susanskriti” at New Delhi’s Meghdoot theatre which featured Odissi performance by Jyoti Shrivastava.
Jyoti, a senior exponent of Odissi, is a disciple of late Guru Srinath Raut, Guru Ramli Ibrahim and Guru Durga Charan Ranbir, the three celebrated gurus who have been following the style of legendary Guru Deba Prasad Das. As the director Vaishali Kala Kendra, Noida, she trains dancers in Guru Deba Prasad Das’s technique and is a name to reckon with in Odissi. Performing for over four decades, Jyoti has won critical acclaim for her dancing.
She chose the thematic presentation of various nayikas, heroines, weaving them in a narrative to the songs of medieval Odiya poets, choreographed by Guru Durga Charan Ranbir. After the prayer in praise of Lord Krishna, she enacted abhinaya to abhisarika nayika, on way to meet Krishna and as vasaksajja nayika decorating the kunj bower, preparing bed, putting on ornaments to welcome Krishna, reminiscing playing hori and rasleela with Krishna, Jyoti displayed emotions of anticipation on his arrival, but she tells her sakhi, the confidante, “Sari bo ke se nishi”, the night has ended, but he has not come, projecting the mood of proshitabhartrika nayika, where the lover is away on a sojourn.
In separation as vipralabdha nayika, she tells her friend “I have prepared this bed with flowers and alas, yet he has not come.”
In various moods of a virahotkanthita nayika, she laments how Krishna addressed her as a jewel among women and recalls several episodes of their being together. However, Jyoti was in her element in depiction of khandita nayika as enraged one when Krishna turned up in early morning. She admonished him calling him a cheat, clever, heartless “Jaa He Lampat, Natavar, Shatha, Dhita” and showed him tell tale marks on his body, of having spent time with other women. The quicksilver expressions were registered on her visage revealing also her intense agony.
Feeling of remorse
When Krishna left being rejected by her, she began to feel remorse at her own unbecoming attitude and being once again separated from him, as a kalahantarita nayika, having quarrelled with him, asked her friend: “Sakhire Aha Ki Koromo Kali”, what shall I do? But when she listens to Krishna’s divine flute inviting her, she forgets her hurt and runs unto him. The reconciliation in one of the finest songs in Odiya, “Lila Nidhi His Laje Mu Gali Ti Sari”, was projected with admirable abhinaya telling her friend that when he embraced her and pulled her close in love play, she was overwhelmed. Singing his praise as swadhinpatika nayika, one whose Lord is at her beck and call and she is confident of his love, nayika also suggests surrender to her Lord. Jyoti did justice to the subtle emotions with her mature abhinaya and succeeded in covering various states of nayika. The songs seemed to have been inspired by the immortal classic Gita Govinda.
The musicians Prafulla Maharana on mardala, Prashant Behera on vocal, Lavanya Ambade on sitar and Dhiraj Pandey on flute gave Jyoti admirable support.
