K. Dharini’s credentials are remarkable; she’s prodigious, has been trained by veterans such as Sulochana Pattabhiraman earlier and R. Vedavalli now, and has performed extensively, both here and abroad. Naturally, expectations are high. She proved to be a dependable performer as was evident in her concert for Charsur Arts Foundation at Narada Gana Sabha Mini Hall.
With a voice that is heavy rather than syrupy, Dharini’s music emphasises her deep understanding of the classical idiom. Essaying Harikhambodi is akin to walking on a razor’s edge. Dharini carefully traversed the raga without mixing Khamas, Khambodi or Nattakurinji.
Tackled with élan
Tyagaraja’s popular ‘Rama Nannubrovara’ and the customary line ‘Meppulakai Kannathavu’ went for exhaustive niraval and swarakalpana. Here, once again, one appreciated the astuteness of Dharini in developing the niraval and connecting the swara strands. The dhaivatam oriented kuraippu swaras pitching on ‘da ni da’ were done with élan.
The immediate tani avartanam by B. Ganapathiraman and H. Sivaramakrishnan on the mridangam and ghatam respectively, heralded the impending Ragam Tanam Pallavi. Dharini’s choice was Varali. The two part raga treatise and the tanam led to the pallavi ‘Madurapuri Nilaye Mani Valalye Maragatha Manimaya’ set to tisra jhampa talam, four kalai (an announcement in case of such pallavis would be beneficial to the audience). The pallavi was given varied expositions in the niraval and trikalam followed by ragamalika swara links in Arabhi, Poorvikalyani and Manirangu.
The memorable numbers in the last segment were ‘Saramaina’, Swati Thirunal’s javali in Behag, and ‘Innu Daya Barade’ in Kalyanavasantham by Purandaradasar carrying considerable feel of sahitya bhava, which was eluding in the earlier numbers. Dharini’s raga essays were properly structured with appropriate karvais and akaras offering a stately import; yet the deliveries, suffused with enough confidence and control, lacked that emotional touch which could have better impact on the whole.
Dr.R. Hemalatha’s violin support assumed greater significance because of her ability to infuse the melody quotient to the raga alapanas of Harikhambodi and Varali. Her swara sallies matched well with Dharini’s.
Ganapathiraman and Sivaramakrishnan were willing partners on the rhythmic side. The concert began with a ragamalika varnam ‘Intha Kopa’, ‘Gajavadana’ in Begada by Purandaradasa and ‘Neelothbala’ in Kanndagowla by Dikshitar before moving to Harikhambodi.
