Ananda and Ramabhavam - Celebrating life and dance

- Vijay Shanker
e-mail: vijaydance@gmail.com

July 28, 2025

Fine Arts Society, Chembur, organised the Bharatanatyam performance by Shubanjali Academy of Performing Arts, New Jersey, with the thematic title 'Ananda - Celebrating Bliss,' performed by Guru Suba Parmar and her team of talented dancers at the Sivaswamy auditorium, Mumbai, on 12th July. The performance was noteworthy for its soul stirring music, technical excellence and a fine control of expressions by the teenaged dancers, forming a fine synthesis of the Vazhuvoor and the Pandanallur tradition of Bharatanatyam.

Suba Parmar

The performance commenced with the traditional Mallari with Nadaswaram music as the temple deity is taken on a religious parade for the "darshan" and the devotees are delighted to see their Lord, enhancing the spiritual atmosphere. It was quite enchanting to watch eleven dancers with a single male dancer, all attired in the same colourful costume, signifying unity in diversity, as they danced with devotional fervour and clarity of movements. The composition was by Guru V.S Muthuswamy Pillai.

"Ananda Narthana Ganapati" portrayed the joyous dance of the Lord and Sringara Lahiri picturised the virile and benevolent aspect of the goddess Parvati with suitable and striking movements. The playful item "Vishamakara Kannan" depicted the naughty little Krishna, performed by Guru Suba Parmar with fine expressions as the naughty Krishna wants the pots of butter to be kept open, he pinches the neighbour girl as is she unable to sing a particular song, and his dalliance with the Gopis.

The Khamas Varnam dedicated to Lord Kartikeya and his two wives Valli and Devayani "Velanai Kaanbom", the Anupallavi - "Kayilai nadanin sila maganai kaana" describes the birth of Kartikeya from sparks that fell from Shiva's third eye into the sacred Saravana Poigai river and raised by Kathekeya Pengal. The charanam "Muni tanda Kavi eva" features the popular episode when Kartikeya is enraged to watch his elder brother eating the fruit after he returns from his universal journey, only to realise later that his parents Lord Shiva and Parvati are much greater than the entire universe. This was performed by Guru Suba Parmar and all the dancers. While most of the dancers performed quite well, there were a few, who were still upcoming. They have been encouraged by their mentor to perform, thereby gain confidence, enhancing their self-esteem as well.

Arunachala Kavi's popular composition "Kanden Sitayai" incorporates the episodes when Hanuman spots Sita in Ashoka vatika and is thrilled to inform Lord Rama about his encounter with Sita. In Saint Tyagaraja's Ninda Stuti "Nagumomu kamaleni" he scolds Lord Rama for making a late appearance. This item also depicted the scene when Lord Krishna lifts the Govardhana mountain in order to save the residents of Brindavana from deluge. The saint poet also seeks liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

Suba Parmar's disciples

The programme concluded with the intricate Lalgudi Jayaraman Thillana and the recitation of "Maithreem Bhajata" dedicated to Swami Periyava of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. The dancers who performed along with Guru Suba Parmar were Riya Madhu, Sanjukta Srinivasan, Krishna Ravindran (sole male dancer), Keertana Sujith, Sanjita Tumu, Shreenidhi Ravishankar, Sanvi Parikh, Shriya Iyer, Ananya Mehta, Shakthi Ravindran and Gayatri Krishnan. The musical team was led by Guru Suba Parmar for nattuvangam, vocal and nattuvangam by Swamimalai Suresh, mridangam by Dhananjayan, violin by Sukanya TV and flute by Yakeswaran D.

The programme was also a celebration of the completion of five decades of initiation into dance in the life of Guru Suba Parmar, and completion of thirty three years of Shubhanajli Academy in New Jersey. She is a recipient of "Most Influential Teacher Award" presented by the Obama Administration, USA.

RAMABHAVAM IN MOHINIATTAM

Natyakalamandiram and Fine Arts Society, Chembur, presented Ramabhavam, under the guidance of Kalamandalam C. Gopalakrishnan, an initiative of Guru Deepak Mazumdar, at the Sivaswamy auditorium on 13th June and performed by the senior disciples of Dr Kanak Rele, led by Dr Dimple Nair. Based on Swati Thirunal's 'Bhavayami Raghuraman', it was choreographed by Dr Kanak Rele and performed by her in the "ekaharya abhinaya". It was re-choreographed and introduced in the dance drama format portraying the magnificence of the Lord and the complete 'charitram' while portraying varied episodes in the life of the Lord in the Mohiniattam style.

Dr. Dimple Nair and group

Kalamandalam Gopalakrishnan's 'Ramabhavam' which is based on Swati Thirunal's 'Bhavayami Raghuramam' portrays the entire story of the Lord as "Maryada Purushan". This was one of the most favourite presentations of Dr Kanak Rele wherein she used to picturise all the characters in the "ekaharya" format with commendable abhinaya with amazing dexterity which is etched in my memory for ever. Maintaining the narrative format with due emphasis on the dramatic characterisation of all the main characters, has been distributed to the dancers with Dimple playing the lead as Lord Rama. While it was not easy to coordinate with the dancers, as each one hails from a different place, it was decided to present it in the dance drama format and the result was undoubtedly wonderful as everyone played their parts well.

Whether it was the humourous Sita Swayamvaram scene in which every King tries to lift the Shiva Dhanush but is unable to do so and fails miserably, until the appearance of Lord Rama who does it with ease and wins the hand of Sita, Rama's exile to the forest or the sudden appearance of the golden deer and the abduction of Sita, the fight and devotion of Jatayu, the steadfast devotion of Hanuman, the tussle with Ravana and the victory of Rama and ultimately the Rama Abhishekam, all were depicted with complete involvement by the dancers. The main characters were played by Dr Dimple Nair as Rama, Laxman by Nayana Prakash, Sita by Deepa Nair, Ravana and Surpanakha by Sneha Nambiar, Jatayu by Unnati Ajmera, Hanuman by Radhika Nair and the dancers include Sujitha Nair, Ananya Amrutraj and Deepanita Das. The musical team featured soulful singing by Kalamandalam Gireeshan, nattuvangam by Dr Ambika Vishwanath, mridangam by Nandakumar Irinjalakuda, edakka by Kalamandalam Krishnakumar and violin by Balasubramaniam Sharma.

This programme was part of the Gurusmarana programme as a tribute to Dr Kanak Rele on the occasion of her 88th birthday which was observed on June 11 at Kanak Sabha in Juhu with a programme organised by Dr Uma Rele on behalf of Nalanda Dance Research Centre and Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalaya. The compering was conducted well by Vaidehi Rele, who also happens to be the third generation to continue the legacy of the great artiste.

Vijay Shankar is a Kuchipudi and Kathakali exponent, teacher, bilingual journalist, arts critic and actor.