“Bhanusingher Padabali” choreographed by octogenarian and physically agile Guru Valmiki Banerjee, one of the senior most dancer-choreographers in North India today, was presented by the India Habitat Centre at its auditorium. It saw the lovers of Rabindranath Tagore relishing the songs and music often humming them along with the unfolding of the dance-drama.
Valmiki Banerjee’s Delhi Ballet Group founded in 1954 has contributed a lot in the field of dance, on various occasions during the past six decades. The young dancers trained in Rabindrik style, which he prefers to call Rabindranatyam, performed with abandon, giving glimpses of combination of Bharatanatyam, Odissi and folk dances in a seamless manner.
The story of love between Radha and Krishna is as old as the hills. Tagore published his first poetical work when he was barely 18, under the pseudonym of Bhanusingh. He was inspired by the poet Jaidev’s “Gita Govinda” and composed the Maithilee and similar Brajboli verses which have captivated dance aficionados.
ADVERTISEMENT
Radha is on her secret love adventure to meet Krishna, taking risks in her pursuit. The choreography as per the songs offers visual delight. Radha and Krishna with gopis dancing happily on the banks of river Yamuna. Valmikiji has taken second ashatapadi in Sanskrit from Gita Govinda’s “Shrita kamalakuchakundala”, delineating Krishna’s various forms, and after that unfolds the main theme.
The exquisite Maithilee and Brajboli songs including the most popular “Sangan gagane ghor ghana ghata, nishith yamini re”, describing clouds gathering in the sky in the dark night, sakhis telling Radha to be careful and not go to meet Krishna, “Durgam pathe na jaao bala naval Kishore ke pas” (in this difficult path, do not go to see him).
One of the interesting sequences included in the story is about Radha’s sisters-in-law Jatila and Kutila reporting Radha’s husband about Radha dancing with Krishna. But when he comes to see her, he only sees her dancing happily with Goddess Kali. This sequence is imaginatively choreographed replacing Krishna with Goddess Kali.
ADVERTISEMENT
Banerjee has introduced sequences of Krishna stealing clothes of gopis when bathing in river, then Krishna returning clothes, gopis dancing together in joy. The final union of Radha and Krishna and of raas has a painterly tableau reminding of pichwai paintings.