The art of expression

Alarmel Valli and Singeetam Srinivasa Rao explore the beauty of visual imagery in arts

Sushila Ravindranath, Alarmel Vallli and director Sangeeetam Srinivasa Rao at the Lit For Life on Sunday. Photo: R. Ragu

Form in an art form is irrelevant. Be it painting, dancing, singing, acting… every form of art needs to deliver holistic imagery. It has to connect, communicate, establish a story, and provoke the other emotionally to rise above the physical structure.

Trendsetting veteran filmmaker Singeetam Srinivasa Rao and Alarmel Valli, known for lending her refined aesthetic sensibilities to the traditional Bharatanatyam technique, in their lively conversation with well-known journalist Sushila Ravindranath, underlined the significance of a deeper engagement with all the arts for a profound individualistic expression.

“I have always felt dance is not just about lines and angles. It is visual poetry. Every performance is a synthesis of words, music, movement and expression,” said Valli. To make the audience in the packed hall understand better her view, she explained how the legendary Balasaraswati could convey through her intense

abhinaya a single word in a composition in 10 different ways.

It’s quite like how cinema is not only about camera, lights and acting, said Rao, who as a youngster, was taken up by a performance of Mylapore Gowri Ammal, and went to her to learn

abhinaya . “I have always loved watching facial expressions. They enrich my mind. Every art ultimately is about expression or abhinaya . People fret and fume when their flights are delayed but I enjoy that time spent in the airport watching their reactions,” he said, evoking peals of laughter.

Added Valli, “What sets great artistes apart is their ability to watch life closely, observe the smallest details, capture those moments and reflect them in their art. It makes their expression natural yet powerful. After all, abhinaya is not merely about depiction of texts, it is the artiste’s response to the nuances of the music, to the story, to the understanding of the text and the link with the surroundings.”

To Sushila’s query about how technology has impacted art, Rao said, he is extremely happy that it has opened up the world of cinema and democratised it. “It’s so nice to see a filmmaker now in every street. Many of the youngsters are so creative that they shoot excellent short stories on a mobile phone.”

Yes, it has given the freedom to explore, agreed Valli, but lamented that it has also brought down our powers of observation. “When you are constantly aided by technology, you are unable to imbibe the subtexts and subtleties of a language, making it hard to internalise your feelings and experiences.”