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 Virodhabhasa - The Paradox - Priya Das e-mail: priyafeatures@gmail.com December 9, 2022 There are times when you question life and there are moments when your whole life teeters as you examine a question. With Virodhabasa - The Paradox, Navia Natarajan throws both into luminescent light, while also expanding the narrative, representative, and interpretative repertoire of Bharatanatyam. It also sets up Navia again, as a dancer unafraid of bringing her intellectual, strong, technical, vulnerable, exponential dancer-selves to be in communion with us and the Divine.  Each piece of the production left the rasika with an appreciation of the depth of choreography that matched verse with philosophy, intention with movement, music with sentiment. The first segment with Ravana's Shiva Tandava Stotram moving into Nirvana shatkam of Sri Adhi Shankaracharya set up the premise of Form vs Formless, the paradox embodied by Shiva. Navia's depiction of His form, its impact, all pervasiveness as well as physical elements such as His jata, the damaru was vividly conceived and executed. The magnificence of Shiva was brought to life for us by depicting Him walking- the deliberate broadening of shoulders, the limpid nirantara gaze, the powerful stride; it was at once stylistic and unencumbered. Each aharya on His body was depicted with choreographic freshness. The second piece, Cycle of Creation and Destruction, began with a stage lighting depiction of Navia imprisoned. She slowly awakens to her reality, alternating between resignation and a repulsive fear of her own self-image, the conflict driving to a crescendo where she is determined to break out of her chains. The intensity of the struggle was rendered indelible by hasta and angikabhinaya innovations. This choreography was a physical manifestation of emotional anguish, it is like catharsis found a language in Bharatanatyam. The third piece reminded one of Akka Mahadevi's brilliance matched in spirit by Navia's representation of the powerful verses, such as "Love craves for union but desire thrives on distance." Such an abstract assessment of life and living was beautifully etched by using padartha to delve deep into the lyrics sung evocatively (Deepu Nair) while also illustrating powerfully the cord that binds the opposites and establishes the spectrum in between. Anahata baaje, was a chota khayal lovingly vocalized (Janhavi Phansalkar) and arranged, depicting the profound simplicity of the cycle of poorna to shunya and back, shunyatve bhavati poornatvam. or as is explained at the beginning of the piece, abundance in emptiness. The depiction of an out-of-tune tambura really drove home the point that it is up to us to string our own happiness even amidst the cacophony of life.  Navia's Virodhabhasa was an arc of self-reflection that also propels the audience onto a transcendental path. Her concept in film and on stage was reverberated masterfully in all aspects - visually, musically, editorially, directorially and lyrically by a large team: Varun Vinod, Sujeesh and Jayasimha Reddy; M.S. Sukhi, Bhavani Prasad, J.B.Shruthi Sagar and Ganpathy; Gyan Dev, Surya Rao and Adharssh Abraham; Arun Bharadwaj, Dr. Shankar Rajaraman, Dr. S Raghuraman and A.K. Ramanujan. Costume design by Krithi Uthappa did a good job of creating a sense of form through pleats but which rendered expansive movement; the bi-tone colors also alluded to the theme. Virodhabhasa is brilliantly conceived, choreographed, and executed. At times the aspects portrayed rival each other, at times they revel in each other. The experience leaves you wondering whether you are immersed in what you are watching or in yourself…but then again, that is what the paradox of being a rasika is all about - our journey is the destination. Navia, keep going! (Virodhabhasa was released Nov 10-24, 2022 online as a streaming video, presented by Mandala Arts & Culture and The Dance Center.)  Priya Das is a writer based in San Francisco Bay Area, USA, covering extraordinary nuances of everyday life with a focus on the performing arts. Her work is informed by a keen interest in the innovative intersections between art, culture, and society. Some of her writing is at priyafeatures.com |
