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 e-mail: khokar1960@gmail.com Chennai churning Photos courtesy: Devaniya November 9, 2025 Chennai is an experience; Madras was an emotion! Growing up in the 1970s of my motherland Madras in Mylapore-Luz then Mandaveli area of Madras, one felt one was on a holiday. Few cars on the road; endless shopping and temples abound. Add the charm of Foreshore Estate empty beach, smiling faces, courteous and curious, looking at us aliens from North India with smart clothes and even footwear! Yes, most locals wore no chapals as they had to take it off often since every other metre or two there was a little koil - a statue of Ganapati or Meenakshi or Kamakshi or Elakshi. Fast forward to today: One can't even walk on the roads, leave alone cross it easily. Shopping is a serious business now and many temples too have become shops: pay extra, get priority darshan! Trust us Indians to evolve systems the rest of the world can't even think of. Think of Chennai today and one thinks of high end Carnatic music and an overdose of only one form in dance - Bharatanatyam. Which is why when a Bombay born, T. Nagar settled for the last many years Jigyasa Patel Giri started learning Kathak in the last century, she never thought there'd be any takers. Today she has, through her school Devaniya, created thousands of followers of which a hundred learn seriously and sincerely. She couldn't find a teacher herself so after her training with Dharwad based guru Krishna Kumar, she took trains to Bangalore, then a sleepy garden city, to learn Kathak from Maya Rao, the first shishya of guru Shambhu Maharaj. Time travel. Jigyasa means curiosity, or eagerness to learn. A quest. Her search has been spiritual. A highly evolved, cultured and refined lady, she personifies goodness of heart in art. Having seen her Devaniya grow from a humble acorn ten years ago, to a handsome tree bearing fruits of many students, one feels it is possible to do good work despite and in spite of circumstances. Where there's a will there's a way.  Jigyasa Giri The way to Kathak in an alien setting is not easy. Alien because neither the eco system is there, say accompanying musicians - tabla or sarangi - or teachers. Jigyasa Giri and her Dakshin Gharana of Kathak have created a niche slot for aspirants from other cultures in Chennai to partake of mythology and traditions from North and West India in the past. In M.A.H.A.L (short for Music, Aesthetics, Harmony, Alignment, Love) FESTIVAL held recently at the KGS (Krishna Gana Sabha), she with team Devaniya, did a milestone 3 day festival where the traditional met with the modern and ancient with new: devis in diamonds, scholars in designer clothes! Day one started with a deep, philosophical work Shamma Parwana. The moment the drab curtains opened there was a wow moment! Blue Mahal with arches, split stage where red and white costumed dancing paris (not Paris the city, but pari as in fairy) descended on earth. The two Avanis - Maroo and Giri, Riddh Siddhi, Swetha Sundararajan - the right hand of acharya Jigyasa Giri and pillar of Team Devaniya with Avani Giri, who teaches too; Vardhini Kailasam, P.L. George and Keerthiga Ramachandran were a seamless team dancing in unison. Each cameo was well executed. Actually the theme is very routine... Shamma (flame) parwana (moth) and the pain in gain story where the moth, knowing fully well that it will die coming close to flame, still cannot but do that. To stretch this simple two minute story to 45 minutes first-rate work of dance with literary content, excellent props and lights by Chennai's best talent Victor Paulraj, shows acharya Jigyasa Giri's acumen and ability in shaping a plain theme into an extraordinary work. This item can travel to any poetry festival in India or those lit fests where today there's more food to eat than food for thought.  Shamma Parwana Next on the opening night was what can be called India's best future dance-theatre export item - A Million Sitas by the one and only Anita (Ratnam). Here's a communicator through and through, smart, in control of the medium and an excellent artiste. Dr. Anita Ratnam is a one-man army, oops, one woman army, who can act, write, sing, dance, create, curate, design and do. Activist by day and artiste by night, she represents India that's international. A Million Sitas is both real and metaphoric, now you see contemporary contexts, now you don't. The production hinges on Anita's histrionics and the additives of a live multi-drums percussionist Aswini Srinivasan and co-actor / singer Uma Sathyanarayana, who also gave occasional reprieve to Anita to change, add, pad to her various characters. Right on stage in full view she becomes a green manduka, frog, with the green glove as best prop or the layered Ahalya, ever so slowly becoming elfin stone. What polarity. Elfin stone or invisible actually in that sheen of clean organza looking textile.  Anita Ratnam in A Million Sitas Laying a feast for all in light baskets with a mango in each; Ravana the greedy eating mango meant for both him and his wife; giving birth to Sita, yes Sita, through his nose...myths re-invented and re-told, a must for GenZ, clueless at best and toxic at worst as next morning she explained in her sharp discourse on realities of the digital dance world in the highlight of the 3 day MAHAL FESTIVAL. 10 speakers - the Dasavataras - each one well prepared, shared in a crisp ten minutes their condensed knowledge. Hearing them all, one realised how articulate all teachers, dancers are now. They have to be good at everything they do! Number one in this lot was Sailaja (Saila Sudha), for she stated her concerns without fuss or formality. Alas, her dance that evening lacked the same punch. Her students didn't do her proud either. A motley lot of uneven talents. Uma Murali's talk became more a lec-dem but helped the uninitiated understand how Kuchipudi is different from Bharatanatyam. Her students did her proud that evening with a first rate Dasavatara, well choreographed and executed. Each Avatara was delineated clearly and effectively. Aditi in this lot of four is a star material.  Uma Murali and group Superstar of southern films and dance, Shobana showed up on the final evening and sat quietly watching the two productions by Revathi Ramachandran and Jigyasa Giri. She clapped like a child, in places. A genuine artiste who celebrates others. Not insecure or craving for attention. A true artiste. Celebrities of Chennai joined on each day, especially music ones: Aruna Sairam on day one, Bombay Jayashree on day two. Bharatanatyam dancers were conspicuous by their absence. Chennai can be frog in the well mentality, often. I'm told I was tolerable as a speaker on reality check. The third strong and effective speaker was Revathi Ramachandran. Revathi focussed on the financial aspect of a career in dance, saying how her husband had to sponsor her madness, often! Direct and deep. Just like her work that evening - Jagat Pavani Ganga - high in aesthetics and direct in appeal. A masterpiece. What's a masterpiece? A work of art that represents the culture of the land, leaves an impact for high production values and stays in memory for long. This was Revathi Ramachandran’s offering of the ode to Ganga. Just a dozen Bharatanatyam dancers have rarely created such magic in recent times. Either a school puts all its students on stage to showcase its strength (often weak students to mix with the good ones!) or a dance company like Kalakshetra showcases works with minimal outside inputs. Coming from the Melattur Bhagavatam tradition with a patina of Kalakshetra stint, Revathi Ramachandran knows what works. Good, wholesome group with real guys like Jayakrishnan dancing and girls, each shining with smile of real joy in dancing like Manasvini. Genius lay in cameos. Let me explain: Indian realities of stage are such that they are old and derelict at worst or small and inadequate at best for a dozen to stand and move. Add props fixed at back for other productions. Third, wings that are apologies of a cardboard cut-out. The list goes on. No real stage rehearsals as no one has extra funds to hire. In this situation, to create a work of lasting beauty is itself an achievement. SNA award toh banta hai for Revathi Ramachandran. The costumes, OMG! Pastels in BN is rarely seen, muted in Madras! As it used to be. Chennai is loud, the face of today. To bring high aesthetics itself was the greatest aspect of this milestone work.  Revathi Ramachandran’s group Resources for this production the credit list says starts with Pujya Swami Paramarthananda. The concept, design, direction and choreography by Revathi Ramachandran herself, music composed by Lalgudi G.J.R. Krishnan, sound production and music design by Sai Shravanam, rhythm patterns by M.S. Sukhi, Vedakrishna Ram, choreographic assistance by Manasvini Korukkai Ramachandran, and lighting design by Venkatesh Krishnan Jayakrishnan as Shiva and king Anshuman excelled; Roopesh as Bageeratha and king Sagara was forceful; Sundaresan as Brahma, Jagnu and the horse did well, swinging tail and all. Sathyan Sheejith as Nandi, Vishnu and Kapila provided punch. Among the female dancers the Ganga lead was Manasvini, followed by Krishna PP, Diivya Arumugham, Sahanha, Meghna, Sanjana and Kavya. Seeing senior talent Revathi Ramachandran in the end on stage was like going back in time to Bharatanatyam in the temples. Benign and thank god she didn't dye her hair black as seniors do, Nothing better than the natural look. The most magical moment was Ganga flowing on stage with small lit lamps. The blue cloth was simply slowly pulled from the wings, giving it a feel of moving diyas on holy water. Jai Ganga! Jai Revathi Ramachandran and team! Acharya Swati Potulwar is a sincere talent and her group had good tayari but no stage presence. That's a gift. Either a dancer has it or not. Stage presence. It can't be bought or taught. Firm foundation in all they did was seen but does it work now to show tatkars and chakras Pune or Delhi used to? For new, uninitiated audiences, one has to create works that will be accessible. The live music was the high point. The singer and the tabaliya were top class. That Jigayasa Giri included another local Kathak school or talent itself shows her bigness of heart and secure sense in art inside.  Swati Potulwar’s group The best was reserved for the end, Mahabharata in Tamil Kathak titled Kaalam Urrutum Dhaayam. This mega production justified the dakshina gharana tag of Jigyasa Giri Team Devaniya. There was only one girl on stage - Draupadi - rest all male cast (actually all women dressed as males but one forgot gender). Each character was well enunciated and costumes, oh boy, the detailing and finesse could be seen up close. The Tamil commentary by Marabin Maindan Muthaiah was brilliant, in text, context and delivery. The original script by Jigyasa Giri herself brought her literary talent to fore. Set in 5 acts or scenes, it moved seamlessly and each character on stage looked true to form. Swetha Sundararajan as Yudhishtar, Priya George Lakshman as Dushasan (dear late L. Sabaratnam, the BVB Chairman's bahu, no less), Thamarai Selvi Kiran as Bheema and the diminutive Draupadi that came into her own when the situation demanded were all finely tuned artistes. Arjuna of Kiruba Balaji, Nakul of Vardhini Kailasam and Sahadev by Siddhi Vajawat did justice to their roles. Kauravas represented by Sridevi Padmanabhan as Bhishma, Celita Babu as Dhritrashtra, Vidur by Archana Balu and Shakuni by Priyadarshini Kanadala matched Duryodhana of Preya Mani and Karna of Preethi Shrikanth. Some of the same dancers were in Shamma Parwana and how different they looked! Shows their range as actor-dancers. Krishna, of course, won everyone's heart and Avani Giri was tailor-made for that role with her benign, natural smile and oh-so slight mischievous demeanor.  Mahabharata in Tamil Kathak by Devaniya group And the music was top class. Credit goes to Ajay Singh and Shreya Singh, recorded at studio ‘Trim Dhrutyam’ in Bangalore. Dialogues, recitations and narrations were recorded at Surang studio, Chennai. Dialogues were spoken by Ajay Singh - vocals and male laughter, Shreya Singh - vocals. Narration and voice of Shakuni - Marabin Muthaiah, Hans Kaushik - Krishna, Bheeshma; Subash Balaji- Arjuna, Bheema and Duryodhana; Vishnu - Nakul, Sahadeva, Vidhur and announcements; Yudhisthir - Saba Singaram; Dhritarashtra - Saba Lakshman; Draupadi - Swetha Sundararajan. As one who is now the right hand of her guru and main pillar of Devaniya, Swetha wears her many talents and responsibilities well. This production proved dance had no rigid, fixed language and in able hands and feet it can uplift human existence. The entire team Devaniya danced like a family, even the guards on sides, who danced well the Kathak sequences when the dice rolled. The use of cloth rope to show the game itself was aesthetic. Jigyasa Giri's each facet speaks of class, culture and creativity. The 3-day MAHAL FESTIVAL was like a mini NKC@KGS - Natya Kala Conference at the Krishna Gana Sabha. Memorable and a moment in dance history of Madras when history was made in the field of festival and Kathak in Tamil. Dakshin gharana indeed!  Critic, connoisseur, historian, author, artivist, archivist, administrator and more - editor, columnist and mentor Ashish Khokar remains true to his muse. More on attendance-india.com Responses * Thanks, Ashishji, for your detailed review. I had the wonderful opportunity to view the three day dance festival 'Mahal' in all its glory. - Priya (Nov 28, 2025) * Thanks to Ashish ji on his views, lecture and knowledge shared at the event and also through the article. As a student of Devaniya, it gave us great pride, joy and humility to host renowned artistes on a glorious stage. Here’s to more collaborations and breaking boundaries in a beautiful city of Art! - Avani (Nov 23, 2025) * Beautifully penned article... describes everything so vividly that we are literally transported to that space. - Purbita Mukherjee, Mumbai (Nov 18, 2025) * I am a curator of adaptive form 'Kathakatyam'. It is indeed lovely to know such production is given a thought to create in reality with Kathak in South India. A staunch south Indian by heart brought up in North, I can sense each word mentioned about the artist. Lovely to know. - Rajni Rao (Nov 10, 2025) * A detailed description of such a wonderful festival. The way it is described one can actually visualize most of what happened there. India and its artists are producing amazing productions. Thought provoking, culturally and mythological rich as well as esthetically beautiful. Kudos to the author to write such an article and enlighten so many others in India as well as abroad, of such festivals! - Rashmi Singh (Nov 10, 2025) * This article starts so well with memories of old Madras! Reminds me of one of Devaniya’s compositions on Mahakavi Bharatiyar’s “Paayum oli nee ennaku….” I know how in the early years of Devaniya, we also did receive some healthy criticism right here in ‘Dance Matters’ - and surely that helped us introspect, learn and grow…. Slowly but surely - a step at a time. To receive words of appreciation for our work is a matter of affirmation that we are moving in the right direction. All God’s grace. When a great river gushes with abundance, it is but natural that it forks out into tributaries that take a course of their own, carrying the same water of the mighty source. Devaniya’s commitment to cross cultural synergy is the base of its changing course from the mighty river - the expansive canvas of Kathak. And moving South, it has gained its own unique momentum, retaining always the original flavour of Kathak, the classical dance form of North India. May the guidance of great scholars, and legends always be with Devaniya - Jigyasa Giri (Nov 10, 2025) * Thank you so much for this generous and beautifully articulated review. It is an honour to be part of Jigyasa maam's vision and to bring these timeless characters to life through Kathak. Your words truly encourage us to continue exploring, growing, and serving the art with sincerity and strength. We are grateful for your presence, your keen eye, and your appreciation. - Priya George Lakshman (Nov 10, 2025) Post your comments Please provide your name along with your post. All appropriate comments posted with name in the blog will also be featured in the site. |
