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 Margapravahini Festival: A resonant celebration of dance - Bijoy Shivram e-mail: bijoyshivram@gmail.com February 21, 2025 The Margapravahini Festival curated by Rasadhwani, Ahmedabad, unfurled as a breath-taking tribute to the eternal dynamism of Bharatanatyam, commemorating the illustrious 55-year journey of Dr. Uma Anantani in the realm of dance. Over two immersive days, Ahmedabad's rasikas witnessed an artistic confluence of tradition and innovation, where every movement infused with timeless storytelling and every note resounded with emotive depth. Each performance bore testimony to the ever-evolving nuances of Bharatanatyam, sculpting an experience that was both visually and spiritually transcendental. Day 1: The poetic fire of Panchali & the lyrical duet of Raag-Ragini  Panchali (Photo: Shruthi Baghel) The festival commenced with Panchali - From Fire to Fire, an evocative solo performance by the gifted Shivangee Vikram, conceptualized and choreographed by Dr. Uma Anantani. Adapted from Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's The Palace of Illusions, the production brought forth Draupadi's odyssey through grandeur, sorrow, and resilience. Shivangee's portrayal was a masterclass in abhinaya, where the tempest of emotions found expression through the evocative vocabulary of Bharatanatyam. Her controlled grace, nuanced expressions, and unwavering intensity breathed life into the silences and struggles of Draupadi, making the audience feel every moment of her journey. Dharna Thaker, Bhavi Shah, Shail Chudgar, Mrinalini Mishra and Anokhee Shah enhanced the production with their strong dance movements. Jayan Nair's evocative musical score, Parth Raval's intuitive lighting, and the seamless integration of voiceovers by Diana Raval, Makarand Shukla and Chirag Trivedi enriched the performance, creating a symbiotic dance of text, theatre, and emotion. The visual composition, accentuated by the play of light, transported the audience into Draupadi's universe, rendering every frame of her story a wonderful experience.  Raag Ragini (Photo: Shruthi Baghel) Following this solo tour de force was the spellbinding duet Raag-Ragini, a mesmerizing dialogue between Bharatanatyam and Kathak, presented by two of India's most illustrious dancers - Parshwanath Upadhye and Pooja Pant. The synergy between the two classical forms was breathtaking, as they wove together the essence of Hindustani and Carnatic traditions in a seamless tapestry of movement and melody. Parshwanath's Bharatanatyam embodied sculptural precision and rhythmic dexterity, where his intricate nritta sequences and deeply introspective abhinaya evoked the essence of raagas with profound authenticity. His ability to transform rhythm into emotion and movement into visual poetry was unparalleled. In contrast, Pooja's Kathak exuded lyrical fluidity, where her swift pirouettes, nuanced expressions, and intricate tatkaar resonated with the emotive and structural intricacies of raaginis. Her delicate abhinaya infused the performance with a visceral energy, while her impeccable layakari brought a mesmerizing vibrancy to the rhythmic landscape. Together, they elevated Raag-Ragini into an artistic symphony, where Bharatanatyam's crisp geometry met Kathak's fluid grace in an exquisite interplay of style, substance, and storytelling. The evening reached its crescendo with Phoolwali, a poignant exploration of Kusumagraj's love story across class divides, painted in delicate hues of abhinaya. The duo's concluding Natesha Kautvam, juxtaposed with Pashupate Girijapate, was an invocation of divine synergy - where the ferocity of tandava met the tenderness of lasya in a seamless celebration of Shiva and Parvati. The music compositions of Pt. Murli Manohar Shukla, developed by Narendra Kothambir, Naval Kishore, woven with stellar musical arrangement of Satish Krishnamurthy, Pooja Pant and Shri Hari was indeed evocative. The vocals by Ankita Joshi and Rohit Bhat accompanied by Vishal Mhatre, Satish Krishnamurthy, Anuja Borude, Pratik Pandit, Sandeep Mishra, Pradesh Achar, Jayaram KS and Shri Hari, lifted the performance into an ethereal realm, leaving the audience enraptured. Day 2: Gandhi Gita: A profound choreographic tapestry of truth & the theatrical depth of Venugaan  Gandhi Gita (Photo: Parin Panchal) Dr. Uma Anantani's Gandhi Gita is a remarkable fusion of The Bhagavad Gita and Satya Na Prayogo (My Experiments with Truth), brought to life through Bharatanatyam. More than a performance, it is a philosophical journey, portraying Gandhi as a universal seeker and Karmayogi. Dancers Shivangee Vikram, Mrinalini Mishra, and Anjali Menon sculpt powerful imagery of Gandhi's internal Kurukshetra and the Mahabharata's battlefield, echoing Krishna's guidance to Arjun. The choreography seamlessly weaves together the ideals of dharma, kama, artha, and moksha, embodying sthitapragya - the equaniius mind. What sets Gandhi Gita apart is its evocative storytelling, relying on resonant imagery rather than linear narrative. Each movement reflects Gandhi's principles of self-discipline, balance, and sacrifice. The dancers' brilliance ensures the performance is not just seen, but also deeply felt. Dr. Anantani's vision displays Bharatanatyam's power to transcend history and convey universal wisdom. Gandhi Gita is an illuminating artistic marvel that lingers in the mind and spirit.  Venugaan (Photo: Parin Panchal) The grand finale, Venugaan, was an artistic tour de force, brought to life by the incomparable Vaibhav Arekar - one of India's foremost Bharatanatyam exponents. A daring reimagining of Krishna's final moments, this solo performance delved into the mind of a god rendered profoundly human in his last hours. Vaibhav's abhinaya was a revelation, as he seamlessly navigated Krishna's inner turmoil - his love for Radha and Rukmini, his responsibilities as the ruler of Dwaraka, and the burdens of his past actions. The performance oscillated between divine grandeur and existential introspection, where Krishna's joyous abandon with his flute starkly contrasted with the bloodied hands of a warrior burdened by destiny. The emotional tumult of Krishna's last day was magnified by the haunting strains of Krishna Nee Begane Baro, which resonated like a lament for the mortality of divinity. Vaibhav's piercing gaze sought answers from the audience - contemplating right and wrong, love and loss, life and nothingness. His performance transcended dance; it was a dialogue between the ephemeral and the eternal, a meditation on the human condition through the prism of Bharatanatyam's rhythm and grace. The evocative text by Professor Vasant Dev enriched the production, while the pulsating and dramatic lighting by Sushant Jhadav added an arresting intensity, capturing every nuance of Vaibhav's movements with breathtaking precision. A Festival beyond boundaries Margapravahini was not merely a festival - it was an odyssey through the boundless potential of Bharatanatyam. From the fiery resilience of Panchali to the ethereal convergence of Raag-Ragini, from Gandhi's philosophical musings to Krishna's existential turmoil, the festival reaffirmed classical dance's power to transcend time, tradition, and thought. Rasadhwani gifted audiences an experience steeped in aesthetic depth, intellectual vigour and timeless artistry. It was a resonant celebration where movement became music, music became emotion, and emotion became a bridge between the performer and the divine. A festival that was, in every essence, an immersive prayer to the art of classical dance. .  Son of journalists K Shivram and Amni Shivram, the first Malayali woman English journalist, Bijoy Shivram is an accomplished Indian classical dancer trained in Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi. A passionate promoter of the arts and a skilled graphic designer, he currently serves as the Vice Principal of JG College of Performing Arts and the Assistant Director (Operations) overseeing 17 JG colleges. He is also the founder of Preksha, an organization dedicated to the promotion of art and culture in Ahmedabad. Since 2020, Bijoy has curated the YouTube series 'Gurudakshina - An Ode to our Gurus,' celebrating the legacy of mentorship and tradition. |
