The third day of the Soorya Festival, held recently in association with Ananya, Bangalore, featured a Bharathanatya recital by Savitha Sastry.
The opening number, based on excerpts from Ravana's awe inspiring Siva Tandava Stotram, was choreographed with nritta interludes complemented by swara passages. The focal point of the evening was a ragamalika varna in adi tala, “Indrakilum Puriyaada”, set to aditala, replete with demanding yet effortlessly executed rhythmic sequences incorporating gathi variations, some of which were present in the composition itself. The nuanced interpretation of the lyrical component depicted the nayika imploring Lord Krishna to acknowledge her devotion, at one stage chiding him for believing that she is still the little child she once was. Abject longing for the Lord, negating every semblance of interest in anything else, was communicated effectively.
The popular Marathi piece “Rusali Radha Rusala Madhav” showed, with engaging light-heartedness, the whole of Gokula and nature itself reacting to a tiff between Radha and Krishna, with bees flying away from flowers and creepers disengaging themselves from trees. The artiste's considerable abhinaya skills were manifest once again in the delineation of the nayika's anguish, caused by Lord Krishna's apparent infidelity, in the ensuing padam, a composition of Dr. Balamuralikrishna in the raga Murali, set to misra chapu thala. The thillana in Sumanesaranjini and aditala was notable for its tranquil tempo, geometric precision of movement, and beautifully held statuesque poses. Expert orchestral support was provided by Krithika Arvind (vocal), Renjith Babu (nattuvanga), Anil Kumar (mridanga) and Madhusudan (violin).
“Pibare Ramarasam”, a dance drama by Midhilalaya Dance Academy, Thiruvananthapuram, was presented on the fourth day of the Festival. Based on the “Eka Sloka Ramayana” and choreographed by Bharathanatya exponent V. Mydhili, the presentation narrated the sequence of events from the wedding of Rama and Seeta up to the Pattabhishekam, in concise and well conceptualised segments, with the relevant part of the sloka forming the crux of each. Recorded music, directed by Attukal Balasubramaniam, using a modicum of vocal inputs and extensive instrumental and special effects, afforded inspiring background score for the enactment of the story.
The customary invocation to Lord Ganesha which initiated proceedings was remarkable for a series of attractive poses punctuated with a minimum of footwork. Sanjana, Deepthi, Uma, Anju, Akshatha, Ammu and Gayathri were the participants in the production, and some of them donned multiple roles with felicity, displaying good coordination and a distinct flair for abhinaya. Kaikeyi's vanity, the beauty of the forest scene, the abduction of Seetha, and Jatayu's death were represented succinctly. Battle scenes involving Bali and Sugreeva, and later Rama, Lakshmana, Ravana and Kumbhakarna, had appropriate and energetic footwork. Episodes such as the meeting with Sabari and Lanka Dahanam, and the portrayal of Hanuman's devotion, were evocative and graphic.
While traditional costumes donned by all the artistes were accentuated by the occasional addition of a scarf or shawl, indicating the nature and intent of the character, the entire cast did a commendable job of holding audience interest without the use of stage props.
