The fine lines have been erased — there is nothing like the connoisseur and common viewer as far as classical arts go with exception of artistes of course. This being the case today, it’s not surprising that artistes have to play to the galleries, also literally because a real appreciator may be found watching them on stage from the gallery since they may not able to afford to pay for the front rows!
Jugalbandi is the order of the day as we all know and it is quite exciting to have two of our favourite artistes on stage at the same time. Barring the up-and-coming whose value-addition has to be judged on the spot, we are already in the know of their individual forte and would only have to generate what in classical parlance is termed as ‘rasothpathi’This very sensitive ingredient was missing in ‘Sammohanam’. The performance could have passed off by any up-and-coming duo equally well; it did not need artistes of the calibre of Sarukkai and Sairam to showcase what seemed an amateur performance!
Malavika Sarukkai, a dancer par excellence known for her solos and Aruna Sairam, a popular Carnatic musician came together to enchant us with their thematic jugalbandi ‘Sammohanam’. True to the title, the dance-music combo was a string of Krishna songs, as varied as the divine persona — an Ashtakam (Madhurashtakam), an Ashtapadi (Jayadeva Gita Govindam), a keertana (Oothukkadu), an Abhang (Varkari tradition). Both showcased their prowess over their medium individually, giving each other space to perform and highlight their own expertise. Malavika’s strong nritta — by now an established fact — came to the fore in the jatis that preceded the Madhurashtakam, but the Kalindi nartanam tillana was disappointing as Aruna Sairam’s vocal took the limelight while the dancer appeared on stage towards the penultimate part of the keertana, considering tillana is the most danceable piece of the repertoire!
By contrast, the abhang that followed was a dance-song one where there was hardly anything to dance except showing varied ways of doing bhajan! The tillana and abhang could have changed places as far as the dance went. The most striking and memorable part of the entire show was Malavika’s extended abhinaya to Radha combing her hair, braiding it and pinning it up into a bun in the ‘Kuru Yadu nandana…’ ashtapadi. Aruna Sairam could do better restraining her gesticulations as she rendered her songs especially in a jugalbandi of this sort since it was disturbing the viewer’s eye as he/she was keenly watching the dancer.
The flute (Shruti Sagar) preludes and interludes were the most enchanting (Sammohanam) part of this show. The Abhang (Teertha Vittala, Kshetra Vittala), a la Sairam signature dish rounded off the dual recital, put up under the aegis of Bhumija. The orchestral accompaniment was excellent.
