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 Riveting Bharatanatyam theatre Ardha - Sumana Srinivasan e-mail: srisumana@gmail.com June 13, 2024 Ardha, Dhara, Aradhana, Radha - the yin to Krishna's yang, the epitome of undying love for him; the adulterous milkmaid; the ultimate feminist who defied all conventional rules of patriarchy yet found herself trapped by them after Krishna left her; a devotee of the devoted; the mystic who has captivated and inspired poets, sculptors, and painters of yore; simultaneously fulfilled and unrequited in her love towards Krishna. Who is she? What does she mean to us today? Does she exist beyond the label of Krishna's lover? What happened to her after Krishna left Vrindavan? These are some of the questions that dancer Vidhya Subramanian ponders and explores in her thought-provoking and riveting Bharatanatyam theatre production 'Ardha,' which was presented last week in the Bay Area, California, by Yuva Bharathi, a non-profit organization that promotes classical Indian dance among youth and also invites senior artistes from India to perform in the United States.  Photo: Season Unnikrishnan Depicting Radha as more than just Krishna's lover, this production explores her identity, significance, and place beyond traditional narratives. Inspired by the book 'Finding Radha: The Quest for Love' by Namita Gokhale, this hour-long production is brought to life through a wonderful musical collaboration with the immensely talented violinist Shreya Devanath, resulting in a rich, layered, and emotive soundscape that complements the dance perfectly, using melody, rhythm, and spoken voice in equal measure for enhanced storytelling. Apart from Shreya, Keerthana Vaidyanathan on vocals, Sivaprasad on mridangam, Sruti Sagar on flute, Sai Shravanam on percussion, and Ganapati on tavil have collaborated in the excellent music design and execution. Radha is no stranger and holds a special place for Vidhya Subramanian, who has masterfully presented her in various Jayadeva ashtapadis in past performances. In 'Ardha,' Vidhya delves deeper, exploring the nuances that arise from humanizing Radha, dislodging her from divinity, and examining her through the lens of contemporary value systems. Apart from the evergreen Jayadeva's ashtapadis, Vidhya has put immense effort into unearthing rarely sung literary gems, including verses from Adhara written in Mishra Braj by Himanshu Srivatsava, Muddupalani's Radhika Santvanamu, Kazi Nazrul Islam's Nazrul Geeti, and voiceovers excerpted from 'Finding Radha,' with additions and adaptations by Vidhya herself to bring her ideas to the fore. The performance begins with the churning of the milky ocean, depicting the birth of the resplendently bejeweled Goddess Lakshmi. Through brilliant choreography, Lakshmi, the divine consort, is gradually unadorned and imbued with the navarasas (nine emotions), embarking on the arc of humanizing her as Radha. Building up the cadence of Radha's state using the ashta nayika idiom in each of the poems she has chosen, Vidhya weaves a tapestry of various emotional states of Radha dotted with questions about her abandonment, left behind to confront her unfulfilled desires, unable to move on, while Krishna, the king of Dwaraka, happily married, carries on with his life, exposing the unfairness in the circumstances of men and women in society. This is cleverly executed using a combination of nritta set to the sollukattus from the Vazhuvoor repertoire, as well as newly composed jathi sequences by Vidhya. As a nattuvanar, she recites these sequences with aplomb. Vidhya also uses color and simple accessories as metaphors in her costume, along with powerful voice commentary, to embellish her narrative. Ardha culminates in an open-ended, brilliantly choreographed sequence, which this rasika interpreted as an empowered but not bitter Radha. Though she merges into the dark pathos of disappointment and yearning depicted by the dark waters of the Yamuna, Radha re-emerges as a woman who finally accepts the power of solitude, seeking comfort in it and not needing a man or any divinity to define her. Her naked soul slowly but surely rises toward the all-embracing universe, finally unshackled from the coils of mortal disenchantment. All of this is conveyed through intelligent lyrical interpretation with ideas flowing seamlessly from one to the next with intensive yet restrained use of mudras, fortified by Vidhya's strongest forte - soulful abhinaya - making this a consummate theatrical experience. Highly recommended, this captivating performance is a must-watch for anyone seeking a fresh perspective and deeper understanding of Radha's multifaceted persona.  Sumana Srinivasan does research for a living and loves nature, art, books, dogs and good food with deep conversations. |
