Pollachi Tamizhisai Sangam celebrated the silver jubilee of its annual dance festival at Mahatma Gandhi Mandapam, Pollachi.
The seven-day event featured many solo and group performances by well-known artists. On the first day, guru K. Kalyanasundaram, director, Sri Rajarajeswari Bharatha Natya Kala Mandir, Mumbai, was awarded the title 'Bharatha Kalai Sudar' in appreciation of his long innings in the field of traditional Bharatanatyam.
Later, four of his senior disciples – Lakshmi Ganesan, Nandini Ravishankar, Sivakami Sivakumar and Sruthi Natanakumar – presented ‘Ilakkiya Bharatham,' based on excerpts from some of the ancient Tamil classics and devotional compositions, both old and new.
Crisp jathis
On the second day, Rajkumar Manickam of Pollachi and Archana Narayanamurthy of Chennai presented solo Bharatanatyam recitals. The highlights of Rajkumar's performance were the Natesa Kavutuvam with crisp jathis, the varnam, ‘Karunai Vadivamaana Kayilai Vaasare' and the brisk thillana in Kathanakuthuhalam by Balamuralikrishna.
Archana Narayanamurthy won over the spectators with her impeccable presentation that had all the good characteristics of a wholesome Bharatanatyam recital. She portrayed the pining of the nayika for her beloved through the varnam in Chakravaham composed by Pandanallur Srinivasa Pillai.
The jathis set by Mayavaram Viswanathan, who also played the mridangam, were lively. Archana transformed herself into the devout Nandanar, while expressing her longing to have a darshan of Siva, his despair when he found that the Nandi was blocking the way and his jubilation as he watched the celestial dance of Siva. Roshini gave admirable vocal support. Guru Pandanallur Pandian wielded the cymbals and Srinivasan's violin added life to the pleasing music.
The varnam, ‘Sakhiye Intha Jaalam' in Anandabhairavi on Mannargudi Sri Rajagopalan (Thanjavur Quartet) and the padam ‘Chinna Chinna Paadham Vaithu' (Ambhujam Krishna) were presented beautifully by Harini Venkataraman, another disciple of Pandanallur S. Pandian. The orchestra was the same except for the vocalist Gomathinayakam who did full justice to his job.
Effective depiction
Lavanya Sankar 's dance ballet, ‘Pulane, Punniya Porule' brought out the possibility of sublimating the five senses and directing them towards the right goals. Episodes from real life and puranas had been chosen to substantiate this idea. Narendranath became Vivekananda when he heard (aural sense) Sri Ramakrishna's upadesa, the ignorant villager became Kalidasa when Kali wrote on his (speech), Govindapada preached Brahma sutra just by looking at Adi Sankara (sight), Bhima's search for the divine flower with its unique fragrance (sense of smell) led him to Hanuman and Hiranyakashipu attained moksha when he was touched (tactility) by Lord Narasimha. The relevant episodes were presented effectively by the dancers. Lavanya's courage and confidence in choosing such a serious theme for her ballet deserve kudos. Her lively choreography monopolised by swift jathis made it pleasant to watch. However, one felt there could have been more focus on the episodes themselves.
Balakrishnan's majestic nattuvangam and Mayavaram Viswanathan's animated mridangam (a little too loud, that day) almost drowned Praveen's sincere efforts to sing well.
Srinivasan on the violin etched the ragas pleasantly and provided the right mood.