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 Shruthe Raammohan's captivating performance- V.V. Ramanie-mail: ramanigaru@gmail.com September 13, 2025 There are times when watching a dance performance in an intimate setting of a chamber concert makes us focus in greater detail on the intricacies of an artform. Daughter and disciple of Sasirekha Raammohan, Shruthe Raammohan's performance of Bharatanatyam as a part of Narthaki Studio Series in Chennai was one such memorable experience, where the joy that one derives from dance, permeated on her movements and expressions.  The energetic composition dedicated to Lord Ganesha was "Ananda Narthana Ganapatim Bhavaye" in ragam Nattai. The brisk movements, graceful postures and certain signature stances of her mentor Chitra Visweswaran, danced with precision and enthusiastic energy along with little narratives of the story of Ganesha woven into it made this opening number engrossing. Moving on to the main composition of the evening, the Kamboji Varnam by Thiruveezhimizhalai Nataraja Sundaram, "Naadhanai Azhaithuva Sakhiye" danced at a leisurely pace, enabled the dancer to express the emotions with finesse. The imageries to communicate the expression of love, like blushing when she sees the reflection of her hero in flowing river water and the disappointment when the water is disturbed, the jingling sounds of her ankle bells reminding her of his majestic gait, the transition from joyful anticipation to disappointment and pain were effectively incorporated. In the Nadopadesam sequence, the shift in the posture of Shiva from majestic demeanour to that of a humble student, the subtlety in expressing the innate pride of the father, were some noteworthy moments. The precision of rhythmic responses to mridangam in her footwork, combined with graceful adavus, made the nritta sections vibrant.  "This is not the street that you are looking for, why did you come here?" asks the heroine to her nayaka in the padam, "Indendu Vachithivira" in Suruti ragam. Discovering his wily ways of seeking other women, the angst arising out of a deep love for her hero, was the core bhava highlighted in this composition. From her lovelorn gaze when she sees her hero coming, to anger and sarcasm, the myriad ways in which she pinpoints his knocking on the wrong door, Shruthe's depiction was poetic and captivating. The emotion packed singing by Prithvi Harish and the fervour with which Shruthe danced, was inspiring to take the viewers to move into a state of ecstasy, of devotion and surrender in the final song "Vrindavani Venu" in ragam Bhimpalas. The intoxicating power of the music of Krishna's flute, was depicted beautifully using images of dancing peacocks, prancing deer, swaying trees, leading up to the sounds of "Vittala Vittala" that echoed through the space with fervour. Uma Satyanarayana wielded the cymbals. Rakesh Pazheda on mridangam and Nandini Sai Giridhar on violin provided competent support. Sasirekha Raammohan compered the program with crisp introductory notes for each composition.  V.V. Ramani is a Chennai based multi-dimensional artist working in diverse fields ranging from collages and painting, teaching art, textile and costume designing, stage sets designing and wedding decor, to writing on visual and performing arts. |
