A level headed adherence to the lines of nritta and sober dissertation of ideas were the high points of Revathi Ramachandran's recital at Sri Krishna Gana Sabha.
By and large it was a stoic effort, the approach traditional, dealing with themes of enduring relevance.
The programme had flashes of lightness too that went with the imaginative depictions.
While it was understandable that ‘Pallandu', the acclamation to Lord Vishnu, was fashioned to usher in a weighty mood, ‘Mohamana,' the Bhairavi varnam too followed the same line.
The dancer's interpretation, a solemn appeal to Siva, while being literally correct, would have benefitted with some sunshine moments.
The best was reserved for ‘Chinnan Chiru Kiliye,' admirably sung by N. Sashidharan, where the dancer was in sync with Bharatiar's sensitive vision of a girl's childhood.
‘Nee Maattale,' the javali in Purvikalyani, was another piece of in-depth abhinaya that underscored Revathi's expertise.
Myriad nuances
Shobana Bhalchandra's recital, for Brahma Gana Sabha, was without doubt for the connoisseur of natyam, who looks beyond surface glamour. Her dancing conveyed an intrinsic sense of dignity and innumerable shades of feeling that spanned not just the nine rasas but moved to the finer nuances within them.
The heartfelt tribute to Devi was a strong note that was evident throughout the recital, beginning with the Papanasam Sivan lyric, ‘Thaye Tripurasundari' aided by vocalist Radha Badri and Leela Sukanya's competent nattuvangam. The different facets – the infant in ‘Meenakshi Taalatu,' the shy bride in the ‘Kumarasambhavam' verses and the queen of the Daru varnam and tillana, gave the dancer ample scope to present various moods.
A superior performance on the whole, but for the loss of tempo in the varnam arising out of the alternating sahitya and sloka which could have been avoided. Balamuralikrishna's Navangi kriti evoking Goddess Tripurasundari completed Shobana's recital.
