It had the senior-most gurus of all genres based in Bangalore as well as the up-and-coming talent showcasing their virtuosity at Kavyarasa, a two-day festival celebrating the Geeta Govinda, a great Sanskrit ‘kavya’ by the 12th century saint-poet Jayadeva. It has been an all-time favourite with classical dancers across the centuries for more than one reason-its shringara content-an essential ingredient of the navarasas (nine artistic moods) as also its content which conveys the eight different artistic persona (ashtavidha nayika) and above all else throws a challenge to the dancer in interpreting these contrasting emotions with vivid clarity of vision and expression unlike the dance set to pure rhythm.
Day one featured Bharatanatyam, Mohiniattam, Kuchipudi and Kathak maestros like B.Bhanumathi, Sandhya Kiran, Gopika Varma, Veena Murthy Vijay, Vyjayanthi Kashi, Madhu Nataraj and seniors Jyotsna Jagannathan and Aishwarya Nityananda (both Bharatanatyam). The artistes took up an Ashtapadi each in the order of the Geeta Govinda songs and within the precincts of their individual dance styles deciphered and delineated the Radha-Krsna romance considered to be the epitome of true physical as well as etheareal bonding. At the very outset, it is worth a mention that among the genera of dance, Odissi and Mohiniattam and to an extent Kuchipudi (sans drama element) seem most suited to Ashtapadis by virtue of their inbuilt flowing body language that does half the job not to talk of the essence of expression-abhinaya! There are dancers of the more linear Bharatanatyam and the technical Kathak who have created sheer magic with Ashtapadi rendition but then this has less to do with the style and more with the individual talent. Ashtapadi sets well with youthful artistes but at the same time, it is maturity and experience with the form that draws out the emotion; only if the senior artistes would make do with the right attire sans ornamental head gear and excessive make-up notwithstanding a stage presentation, it would enhance, educate and enrich the audience’s artistic experience!
Kathak maestro Madhu Nataraj unveiled the Spring (3rd prabandha) with ‘Lalita lavang lata parisheelana..’ describing, through the eyes of the sakhi (friend), the conducive climate where the blossoming fragrant creepers emanating an aroma that makes the tender limbed Radha’s heart long for love. There was a digital backdrop of miniature paintings of Geeta Govinda’s nayaki-nayaka and husky English voice-over interpreting the text of the song,even as she danced gracefully. . The artiste was cautious enough in her choice of ashtapadi, which just about fit the Kathak style.
ADVERTISEMENT
Gopika Varma chose and presented ‘Chandana charchitha neela kalebara...’ where she depicted the amorous, magnetic Krsna at play with naive gopis while Radha watches on. Radha is both the Parakiya as well as Jyesta nayika in Jayadeva’s songs while her mood swings through all the eight mental states of the artistic heroine. Sandhya Kiran (Bharatanatyam) in ‘Sakhi hey kesi madana muraram..’ emulated Krsna more convincingly than Radha especially to the lines, ‘pratama samagama..’ in reverie post the lover’s union. She could have sat down in overwhelmed emotion as this posture makes it easier to emote the erotic reminiscence rather than trying to do everything standing though she did squat to express ‘rati sukha...’ which came out more convincingly. Bhanumati’s expressive eyes conveyed the lines of ‘Paschyati dishi dishi...’ with clarity and soft flow of romance, but she too excelled emoting Krsna’s mishchievous deeds. Jyotsna Jagannathan did an excellent abhinaya with “Dheera sameere...” in which the highlight was her abhinaya. The blue cloth draped across her shoulder served as a prop, a thoughtful piece of artistry. Her body kinetics were pliable enough to convey the romantic element despite the limitations of her medium. Aishwarya Nityananda emerged the best with her involved emotive expressions for ‘Yaami he kamiha...’. Minute detailing marked her abhinaya more so where she imagines Krsna as she glances into the waters of Yamuna, her plaiting her hair, assuring herself of her looks again with a peep into the water which acts as a mirror, plucking leaves of the henna, grinding them with love and applying the paste to one hand but not without drying one hand by blowing on her palm before she moves to the other palm-such intricate gestures enhanced the song and in no time disarrays her make-up in utter despair and childlike anger. The purple-off white costume was a lovely compliment to the theme.
Vyjayanthi Kashi’s interpretation of ‘Manju tara kunja tala..’ ( Sakhi’s rendition) came out with marked clarity especially as she delineated the characters of sakhi, Radha and Krsna, more so as Sakhi where every now and then she peeks at Krsna. Uma Kumar proved an enthusiastic vocalist. Veena Murthy Vijay’s ‘Radhika Krishna...’with digital backdrop shifting from flora to fauna to Radha-Krsna postures was more mudra-based where the romance got lost in the devotional. Though Madhura bhakti is the underlying aspect, this song did afford a lot more in terms of shringara.
The final day had two male Bharatanatyam dancers Parshwanath Upadhyaye and Mithun Shyam-both committed to their art and if you wondered what a male dancer could contribute to Ashtapadi, well these two diligently chose Krsna’s love dilemma songs. While Mithun gave a crisp but commendable interpretation to ‘Priye charusheele..’ with a lovely tanam in tow, bringing out the feminine emotion of love in a masculine manner since refers to Krsna, Parshwanath’s ability to transcend the mundane through sheer expressive dance where he could emote in myriad ways to just two lines of the refrain ‘Hari, Hari hataadaratya... (Mamiya chalita) recreating the position of Krsna as Jayadeva saw it! Madhulita made Odissi proud in presenting the ‘Charana kisalaye Kamalaanilaye’ where she depicts Radha’s torment with anger and hurt writ all over her face and eyes brimming with tears. She literally pictured and took us on a trip to the banks of Yamuna in the days of Krsna and Radha. Her description of the erotic was done with charming grace where the Shringara bhava surged forth subtly, bringing tears of artistic joy in the viewer. Madhulita was able to create the rasa that is at the heart of an artistic presentation. Her nritta complimented the abhinaya.
ADVERTISEMENT
Sharmila Mukherjee’s ‘Yahi Madhava..’ (Odissi) brought out the highly incensed Radha who has visible tell-tales signs of her Krsna spending the night with another woman. Anuradha Vikrant’s ‘Savi rahe tava deena ...’ set to Bharatanatyam, had everything in place-good dance movements, good abhinaya, right mudras, good music-but the soul was missing, as the emotive quotient seemed contrived within the parameters of her medium. Anjali Raj Urs gave a third style of performing Ashtapadi ‘Virachitha chatu..’ within the Odissi medium. The choreography was slightly on the fast track to which the demure dancer gave a wonderful expression laced as it were with footwork to bhol. Kathak dancer Smitha Srinivasan emerged as an expressive dancer for ‘Kshanam adhuna..’ where she emulates love-struck Krsna’s passion for Radha. Kavitha Ramu’s (Bharatanatyam) eyes and body language seemed naturally set to ‘Kuru Yadunandana...’ a erotic poem which describes Radha’s intimacy with Krsna post physical union. The dancer did not leave anything unexplored through her abhinaya to the lines of this song.