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 Sujatha
Nair's scintillating performance September 26, 2010
The program
commenced with "Gajavadana" in Sriranjani and Adi tala, a composition of
Papanasam Sivan. Sujatha danced to the following songs. The total impression that one got at the end of the program was that Sujatha with a charming stage personality is a thorough professional. She executed some karanas effortlessly in the Siva Stuti. Some of the adavus like Nattu Adavu, Tattadavu and Mandi Adavu were models of perfection. Her Sarukkal Adavu and Utplavanas were artistic and well done. The quicksilver expressions on face were impressive. Her depiction of the vismaya (wonder) of Yashoda on seeing the universe in the mouth of child Krishna illustrated her abhinaya skills in "Krishna nee begane baro." The varnam of Rajagopala Sarma depicted Krishnavatara and covered episodes like Krishna stealing butter, the killing of Kamsan and so on until the Geetopadesam on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. The portrayal of the awe-inspiring Viswaroopa of Krishna was appreciated by the audience. She did full justice to all aspects of the varnam, dancing for about 45 minutes.
The rasikas
in the near-full auditorium left with the satisfaction of having spent
a weekend evening usefully. As they left, they received surprise gift packets
of eatables and tetrapaks of fruit juice that came in handy for this writer
because, at that hour, the restaurants were full of the holiday crowds
celebrating the Ganesh Chaturthi. The author, an Economic Consultant in Mumbai, is a music and dance buff. |
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Sujatha
Nair, daughter and disciple of Jayashree Nair, one of the leading gurus
in Mumbai, gave a scintillating performance of Bharatanatyam (BN) based
on the traditional Margam at the Mysore Association Auditorium near King's
Circle, Matunga, on September 18, 2010. She is a highly gifted
artiste having had full-fledged training in Mohiniattam and Odissi also,
besides learning a few lessons in Kuchipudi and Kathakali. Further she
is taking advanced lessons in Carnatic music. With such talents it is not
surprising that she has mastered the idiom of dancing.
The
padam in Mohanam dealt with a Mugdha nayika on the threshold of adulthood
and love. She danced occasionally to violin. The Pantuvarali piece
is about a Vipralabdha nayika who waits interminably for her nayaka
to keep his word to meet her. She complains that he promised to see her
on the previous day. But the night has passed, the moon has disappeared
and the sun is rising. People are going about their daily routine. But
the truant nayaka is yet to be seen. While pining for her lover a la Virahotkanthita
nayika, she is also in the Kalahantarita mood preparing to give a good
tongue-lashing to the nayaka when he makes his appearance. All the three
faces of the nayika came out well. The sanchari bhavas on "Netru varen
enru" showed myriad expressions on the face illustrating her anguish.
The line "Aatrankarainile" was in rati sringara as it recalled the dalliance
of the nayika with her lover on the banks of the river. It was done in
a tasteful and restrained manner. The Dwijavanti piece saw Sujatha dancing
to violin and flute. The tillana became the grand finale of the evening.
This popular piece in Kathanakutuhalam with complex jatis was performed
with joi de vivre with suddha nrittam thrown in for a good measure producing
real kutuhalam (joy) in the audience.