The DS Special Children Welfare Association, Pallavaram, is a self-help group run by parents of those affected by Down Syndrome, to provide a protected space for them to learn vocational skills and be economically independent.
In aid of such a worthy cause, Harikatha artist Vishaka Hari and Bharatanatyam dancer Urmila Sathyanarayanan got together to present ‘Women of Wisdom’ in a unique nrithya- Harikatha format. Words, music and dance combined seamlessly in a polished, well-researched and well-coordinated 150-minute show. Vishaka is a compelling story-teller and while she anchored the show, Urmila played a supportive role with a high standard of involvement.
One has seen Vishaka deal with mythological stories (she disagrees with the expression as she firmly believes in their historicity). She brings them alive through an uninhibited, fluent delivery style and an appreciation of the lyrics of the songs she sings so well. But ‘Women ..’ brought lawyer-like precision to her arguments. She made a case for the highly-respected woman in Vedic culture. Sample this, ‘We worship women gods, also women as gods’ with reference to Sumangali puja, Kanya puja, etc. Stray arguments such as the use of the feminine gender in languages- mother tongue, mathru-basha, etc, were introduced now and then, the conclusion being that male and female energies need to be in balance to sustain creation.
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Vishaka picked notable women from the Vedic times (Gargi, Maitreyi), Ramayana-period (Sita), Mahabharata period (Draupadi) and the recent past (Sharada Devi, wife of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa) as role models.
The opening, a sparkling Hamsadhwani swaranjali composed by Vishaka, was followed by a crisp ragamalika (Vishaka) piece on 10 heroic women from Indian history and mythology, with the Sanskrit lyrics penned by Dr. R. Rangan. Sita, Rani Laxmibai, Gargi, Andal, Sharada, Draupadi, Kunti, Tara, Sabari and Avvaiyar were each presented with inspiring fore-thought and synchronisation.
Urmila miming the stories -- of Sharada Devi, of Sita and of Draupadi’s humiliation in the Kaurava Court -- was another inspiring idea. While this idea may have been around for decades since senior dancer Alarmel Valli started the trend, this was different.
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A story-teller describing the situation, putting the narrative in context and providing continuity was a lot more involved and meaningful.
The musical element was exciting as Vishaka provided variety -- a North-Indian sounding ‘Ardhanareeshwaram’ (Kumudakriya, Rupaka, Dikshitar) with beautiful akaara phrases in between, a Bengali song ‘Dino Tharini’ (Bagesri, Adi, Vivekananda) sung Rabindra Sangeet style, the melodious ‘Vellai Tamarai’ (Abheri, Adi, Subramanya Bharati), the pathos-filled ‘Eppadi Manam Thunindado’ (Huseni, misra chapu, Arunachala Kavi), the classical ‘Maa Janaki’ embellished with a raga alapana in the end and mood-inducing ragamalika segments from Panchali Sabadam (Subramanya Bharati, tuned by Vishaka and Vidwan Lalgudi Jayaraman).
Urmila’s attractive stage presence was augmented by her trademark araimandi stance, strong stamping (azhutham) and meticulous execution. Her unobtrusive entries and exits helped maintain continuous narration. She is naturally very expressive so she excelled in the dramatisations of Sita’s hurt and Draupadi’s pitiful situation. The former ended in an unusual way, with many repetitions of ‘Eppadi’ to allow the dancer to interpret the question in anger, in hurt, in disappointment, etc, which Urmila did very well. There were times when one wished she would delve deeper, especially in ‘Maa Janaki’ when Rama and Sita’s eyes meet as Rama throws back the ball into Sita’s balcony; the romantic moment went waste. The Ardhanereeshwara segment contrasting Siva’s attributes with Sakti's was, however, clearly delineated.
Whenever Vishaka gave translations tonal inflexions, Sruti Sagar (flute) came up with tuneful sound effects; his interjections all evening were a delight.
Kalaiarasan (violin) enhanced the melody, while Dhananjayan (mridangam) was faithful to the dancer’s rhythm. Sai Krupa Prasanna (nattuvanar) provided accurate guidance while Suresh (tabla) pitched in with his voice and drumming when needed. Artist-critic V.V. Ramani’s stage decor was elegantly ethnic with hanging grass mats and marigold; the no-fuss lighting was by Venkatesh.