The life of Madhavi, as presented by Swarnamalya Ganesh, is not a tragedy, but one of transcendence.
The taut script of ‘Nammai Marandarai Naam Marakkamattom’ ended with the introduction of Manimekalai, Madhavi’s daughter, the episodes of Kovalan-Kannagi passing quickly, narrated by the sutradhar.
Maral Marayon is the narrator of Silappadikaram and therefore, his presence to explain each episode did not look odd.
The original lines of Silappadikaram, ‘Nammai Marandarai Naam Marakkamattemal’ sung by Madhavi during Kanal Vari was adapted as the title for the presentation.
For those who go by the epic, it is believed that it was Madhavi’s entry into Kovalan’s life that changed his fate. Viewed through the prism of Ilango Adigal’s celebrated epic, it is the other way around. “It was his vacillation that changed the course of life for Madhavi, who was with him for thirteen long years. It was Kovalan who left her. She remained stoic, not trying to win him back,” summed up Dr. Swarnamalya Ganesh, choreographer and dancer.
Grand event
‘Nammai Marandarai Naam Marakka Mattom’ was a music and dance extravaganza with glittering costume and colourful backdrop. Indira Vizha is an important episode in Silappadikaram and the entire troupe was on stage to make it a grand event, cute little girls adding to the visual charm.
Being a predominantly dance production, scope for solo and group performances were plenty, while music, which is the backbone of a show of this kind, was given equal importance, K.N. Sasikiran being the composer. S. Sowmya had rendered two songs — ‘Malarmisai Thiruvinai’ and a beautiful Nadanamakriya piece, ‘Adayil Kuruge.’ Melody flowed from the flute of Palakkad Sreeram. Punya Srinivas, on the veena, did a commendable job. The band of vocalists included Saindavi Prakash, Haricharan and Pradeep Kumar, while Ganesh s provided chitraveena accompaniment.
Madhavi’s nila kavuthuvam, which comes in the beginning, is based on Adiyarku Nallar’s commentary, said Swarnamalya, who rightly chose to depict it with a song in Sama raga, appropriate for the situation. Well-known art director P. Krishnamurthy’s sketches for the backdrop were aesthetic and in tune with the scenes on the stage. If a clipping of K.J. Sarasa in a dance class looked rather out of place, the dancer explained that her guru was alive, when the show was premiered a decade ago. After touring several places, it has been revived, she informed.
