Dance holds up a mimetic mirror to life. This was demonstrated by Vinitha Nedungadi at a Mohiniyattam recital in Palakkad recently.
The invocatory item was ‘Anandanarthana Ganapathy’, set to raga Kedaram, Adi tala, composed by Nedungadi and choreographed by Vinitha. The dancer retold the touching story of Ganesha circling his parents, as he considered them his universe.
In ‘Jathiswaram’ (raga Shankarabharanam, Roopaka tala) the dancers showcased pure nritta with precise hand and foot gestures and graceful adavus. Vinitha’s famously different aharya gave the dance an added dimension as the foot movements could be clearly depicted and appreciated. The two male singers, Madhu Kottakkal and Biju Edappal, singing in tandem imparted depth to the performance.
Vinitha paid obeisance to the deity Balamurali followed by Parthasarathy Varnana, based on lines from the Mahabharatam by Ezhuthachan in a musical composition of Kottakkal Madhu, set to Sree raga and Chembada tala. She depicted the awe and admiration with which Shalya (the charioteer of Karna) views Krishna, the charioteer. The head-to-toe description brought alive the beautiful image of the God. Vinitha added exquisite touches such as the portrayal of the beaded perspiration at the end of Krishna’s delicate nose.
Vinitha presented a visual representation of Edasseri Govindan Nair’s poem, ‘Anthithiri’. It tells the story of how pride falls and unconditional love triumphs. The poet has woven a touching tale of how the Sun God rides forth one day in all his glory and self-importance and how at the end of the day he is exhausted and seeks a place to rest. An old woman and a young wife are reluctant to accommodate him as it would mean that the darkness of night cannot then enter their house. At last, a little girl takes pity on him and allows him to settle at the end of a lamp-wick as a small flame. He is then placed on the platform of a Thulasi plant.
This story was movingly depicted by Vinitha and her disciples. Some highlights of the performance were the rhythmic movement of the Sun God’s chariot and his gradual transformation from pride to humility. The last scene where the young girl accepts the flame was dramatised effectively. This composition of Madhu Kottakkal is set to raga-tala-malika.
‘Kekiyattam’, Vinitha’s signature item was performed next, but with a difference. Kavalam Narayana Panikker’s lines ‘Karukare Karmukil’ (raga Samanthamalahari – Chaturasra Eka tala) came across in a different tone as it was performed by the group. The stage turned into a veritable garden of preening peacocks.
Vinitha’s maturity as an artiste came to the fore in her masterpiece ‘Ashtapadi’, the eternal love song of the divine couple, Radha and Krishna set to ragas Charukesi and Kalyanavasantham. Vinitha did not just dance, she lived the experience. Emotions such as Radha’s shyness and Krishna’s boldness fleeted across her expressive face. The nayika reaches her moment of union when she realises that this was all a dream and her lover has not come. The finesse with which Vinitha portrayed this dramatic moment speaks volumes for her talent and expertise.
A frothy tillana in raga Pahadi changed the mood entirely and the recital came to a close. Vinitha was accompanied by her disciples, Athulya Rakesh, Sreerekha G. Nair and Dhanya Prasad.
