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 Jharna 2025: A celebration of creativity - Ananyaa Mishra e-mail: ananyaamishrakamailbox@gmail.com Photos: Venkata Krishnan, Ranjit Kumar March 20, 2025 Jharna is Bharata Kalanjali's annual dance festival. Open to dancers worldwide, it invites Bharatanatyam dancers to "Explore, Innovate, Perform". In its fourth edition, all artistes harvested their creative flair by developing different concepts in their own style. Each artiste gave shape to their chosen themes through neat execution. The festival opened with Jayakhavi Gautam's presentation of Charukesi Varnam and an excerpt from her production 'Sayuri'. Her performance highlighted both her artistic technique, and her imaginative prowess. With sophisticated abhinaya, Jayakhavi served poetic elegance, and with her movements as her language, she created visual descriptions.  Jayakhavi Gautam  Akshaya Arunkumar Akshaya Arunkumar's thematic offering to Lord Shiva began with Muthuswami Dikshitar's Ragamalika piece where each Raaga (melodic scale) that made up the composition, symbolised a virtue of his. She then established him as the reserve of the five elements of nature - water, earth, fire, air, and cosmos. With her firm, composed movements, Akshaya complemented the graceful Lord. Her coherent arrangement reinstated the Lord's transcendence - he is within the concentricity of music, and throughout the expansive universe. Meenakshi Grama presented her production 'Asma', an autobiography of Ahalya after being cursed to become stone. Portraying Ahalya as a stone added poignancy, for Meenakshi built upon that to focus on Ahalya's restlessness. The imagery set the tone, with Ahalya talking to the world outside to ask how life looks outside.  Meenakshi Grama  Sandhya Udupa  Rajesh TK Sandhya Udupa performed her production on bereavement 'Kala Tarka', implying its inevitability in the cycle of life and death. Sandhya finely stitched together this cycle with the ultimatum of liberation through her choreography, spoken word supplementing her internal monologue. Her costume supported the production, with her red coat representing bodily existence, unveiling a white outfit representing the soul attaining freedom. Rajesh TK's repertoire laid equal emphasis on his rhythmic and expressive aptitude. With added intricacies, Rajesh personalised Bharatanatyam and enhanced his performance by creating a joyful, contagious mood.  Girijashankar Sundaresan and group Girijashankar Sundaresan's Kashi-themed musical journey followed a Mandala-like progression, looking at Kashi as an outsider, then moving closer towards the heart of Kashi, with a final revelation that Kashi can be attained from wherever the mind wills. Girijashankar's passionate vocals and clarity like that of the singers of Kashi's temples and the Banaras gharana (school of practice) brought the spirit of Kashi to Jharna. Eesha Pinglay adapted Rabindranath Tagore's Khata to enact 'Uma' who finds her solace in education, and bears challenges with it. Her production was a masterclass in the four forms of expression, which she achieved through her attire and nonverbal communication. The timid innocence in her expressions transformed her into the young girl Uma.  Eesha Pinglay Dr. Himanshu Srivastava's 'UnEklavya' depicted Eklavya as he was made to forego his skill as an offering to his inspiration. Dr. Himanshu's mindful involvement into his character was the driving force here, transforming him into the tribal prince from Mahabharata. His blend of Naturalism into Bharatanatyam created a visually comprehensive experience, fit for the smooth flow of the narrative. Nirali Samani's 'Me and I' probed on duality in individuality, suggesting that humans have two sides to themselves. Nirali, with a sculptor's precision gave this abstract concept a definite shape. Her strategic choreography created the intended distinction, with a switch of sides signifying the said duality.  Himanshu Srivastava  Nirali Samani  Naachiyar Next The festival ended with Dr. Anita Ratnam's 'Naachiyar Next', a befitting conclusion to Jharna, which transforms Bharatanatyam by incorporating folk storytelling traditions that add to its vibrancy. Jharna 2025 surely encouraged exploration, innovation, and performance, and cherishing the process in-between. Looking forward to the next season of Jharna!  Ananyaa Mishra is a Bharatanatyam dancer, poet, and content creator. An avid reader and patron of the arts, she promotes arts and culture among her generation-the Gen Zs. Her work can be found on her Instagram @thedancingpoetsdept |
