A Kathak treat

Tanusree Kundupal’s Kathak recital mostly focussed on Krishna.

Tanusree Kundupal

Kathak exponent Tanusree Kundupal gave a recital at Open air theatre of Silpakala Vedika, last week. A student of Madhumita Roy, Tanusree belongs to Lucknow gharana and gave performances all over the country including festivals at tourist centres like Khajuraho.Tanusree opened her show with Krishna Namah a prayer to Krishna sung in Hindustani style. The representative song was Baranata Chabi Shama Sundara, composed by Pt. Birju Maharaj in Teen taal. The loveable aspect of presentation of this number was dancing with apt abhinayaKrishna means everything that is attractive and beautiful’. The song described familiar acts of Sri Krishna, with lyrics pointing out how he charms all with his flute play. Then the comments move to describe his dark complexion ‘like rain bearing dark cloud’. This description also says he wears a peacock feather in his long black curly hair.

Later Tanusree went for ‘Sudha Nritya’ which is nritta in short set in Teen taal that runs through footwork patterns‘That’, ‘Amod’, ‘Tihai’, ‘Tukra’, ‘Paran’ and ‘Layakari’. It was a complex footwork that she executed well.

The third and final number Tanusree presented was a Thumri -

Kahe Chhede Mohe which was tuned and choreographed by Pt. Birju Maharaj. The content of this song is more about love between Radha and Krishna. The narration starts from his naughty childhood to mischievous play with Radha and other Gopikas. The lyrical content says the more mischievous Krishna is, the more they get attracted to him. The song and Tanusree’s interpretation in abhinaya was about love of Radha who asks him at one stage

Kahe Chhede Mohe (Why do you tease me)”.

Tanusree’s Kathak show presented to recorded music was well received by sizeable audience.