Indian Express Review of Aranya Kaand- Ramcharitmanas by Karnataka Kalashree Dr. M. Surya Prasad Rhythms, rhymes and expressions ------------------------------ It was one of those rare times when I got to watch a greatly inspired and emotionally driven performance at Seva Sadana, Malleswaram by five dancers - of them two dance-couples and one multi-faceted veteran male dancer. In the dance drama, featuring the Aranya Kaand from the most revered Hindi saint-poet Tulasidas’ Sri Ramacharit Manas. An enthusiastic dance couple Raghunandan and Manasi Raghunandan, both of them being the offspring of a seasoned artiste-couple deserve to be commended for their unique concept, choreography, performance and presentation. They amply proved that they are indisputable artistic heirs of their parents. I appreciated, for several reasons, the Raghunandan couple’s idea, choreography and delivery. At the outset, after a long time, they applied cosmetics to their faces to improve or change their appearance, put on the colourful and traditional costumes and enacted mythological characters. Raghunandan’s father, mridangist, choreographer and Bharatanatyam dancer, Guru B K Shyam Prakash and Manasi’s parents, Bharatanatyam dancers and choreographers, Gurus Sharad Pandya and Niru Pandya passionately exhibited their ripened expertise and artistry in different shades and colours throughout the performance. They came across seamlessly and impressed the rasikas with their incredibly fluid performance. Secondly, Raghunandans had selected the Aranya Kaand (Forest episode, third chapter) of Saint Tulasidas’ Ramayana for the delineation. This Kaand is like the trunk of the tree and has several situations and incidents like Sri Rama killing various demons, meeting Jatayu, episodes of Shoornapakha, golden deer, Shabari as its theme. Overall, this couple created a true piece of art, kudos to the beautiful choreography which flowed smoothly and logically from one move to the next, with enough dramatic dynamism. The audience was not lost in all the intricacies that partnered movement can bring. It was lively, movement and expressionwise. The important milestones of the Aranya Kaand - Atri Milan, Surpankha prasang, Sita Aaparahan and Shabari Upadesha - were unfolded in four scenes. A commendable combination of logistical know-how and theatrical imagination created a highly stylised artistic endeavour. The pure joy and abandonment of Bharatanatyam in general and the elegance of Odissi were neatly explored and exposed through both music and dance. The abounding beautiful postures and artistic rhythms were impressive. With Guru B K Shyam Prakash as Athri Muni, Guru Sharad Pandya as Ravana, Guru Niru Pandya as Shabari and different roles discharged by the conceivers of the dance drama Raghunandan (Sri Rama, Lakshmana, Mareecha and Golden Deer) and Manasi Raghunandan (Seetha, Shoorpanakha, Khara and Dushana demons), the presentation sustained a stunning and original interpretation. Manasi’s Odissi dance was apt for the occasion. The participants’ technical mastery and emotional prowess could easily communicate the artistry and emotional content to its fullest possible extent. The choreography ably strived for the intangible quality that translated technical mastery into art. The veteran artistes had a very little portion of nritta to be rendered. But their abhinaya was of a high class. Manasi and Raghunandan, besides the abhinaya, handled intricate nritta too and struck a viable balance between the technique and artistry of their medium. The use of Carnatic music and its familiar ragas, along with a couple of rare ragas made the dance visualisation meaningful. The dancers stuck to well-known episodes like disfiguring of Shoorpanakha and rhythmically inclined compositions. The rendition had an excellent recorded music support from the wings.
Posted on: Fri, 06 Sep 2013 03:56:36 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015