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REVIEW / REPORTKatha Vachan's Anant: An immersive evening of classical synergy- Akash Mallicke-mail: akashmallick699@gmail.com Photos courtesy: R. Bhargavi Sudharshan September 7, 2026 On 30 August 2026, the Delhi Tamil Sangam hosted ‘Anant', a captivating evening presented by Katha Vachan that explored the infinite possibilities of Indian classical arts. Conceived around the philosophy that tradition is a continuous, living journey, the programme brought together Kathak, Carnatic music, Hindustani music, storytelling, and rhythm in a seamless blend of heritage and contemporary artistic interpretation.  Music ensemble The evening commenced with Samanvaya, a musical dialogue bridging the Carnatic and Hindustani classical systems. Rather than presenting the two traditions in isolation, the ensemble established a shared acoustic space where sur, taal, and laya conversed effortlessly. Subha Rajagopalan's soulful Carnatic vocal renditions paired beautifully with the Hindustani vocals of Sanjeev Shukla and Aishwarya Thapliyal. Supported by a multi-generational accompaniment of Arvind Narayanan on violin, Anil Kumar Mishra on sarangi, Mukkaram Qadri on tabla, and young Master Arjun Arvind on mridangam the presentation highlighted how distinct musical frameworks can weave together into a unified harmony. Transitioning from music to movement, Govardhan Leela showcased Katha Vachan's core pedagogical vision of connecting dance technique with narrative depth. Choreographed by founder R. Bhargavi Sudharshan, the piece saw young learners depict Lord Krishna's lifting of Mount Govardhan. Set in Teentaal, Madhya Laya, the young dancers including Aarna Jha, Pradipti Prabhakar, Samvrita Sudharshan, Navyanshi Tomar, Avani Sandhu, Yashvee Kumari, Shanaya Singh, Akshiti Jain, and Mishika Bansalm translated faith, surrender, and divine play into crisp padhant, rhythmic agility, and expressive abhinaya. Live accompaniment by Sanjeev Shukla, Anil Kumar Mishra, Lavinya Ambade on sitar, and Mukkaram Qadri provided a rich, supportive canvas that allowed the young performers to experience Kathak as a complete performing art.  Ruchi Saini & Bhargavi Sudharshan The focal point of the evening was Samvaad, an intimate Kathak duet featuring Ruchi Saini and R. Bhargavi Sudharshan, both disciples of the late Kathak maestro Munna Shukla. Conceived as a non-verbal conversation between two artistes sharing a sacred guru-parampara, the duet opened with a moving Guru Vandana in raag Yaman and roopak taal, featuring the authoritative padhant of Bhavna Bisht and Pt. Rishi Shankar Upadhyay's resonant pakhawaj. The performance then transitioned into Chautaal, a 12-beat cycle rooted in the Dhrupad tradition, where the dancers physically inhabited the intricate rhythm through dynamic footwork and precise laya. The evening culminated in an energetic Chaturang in raag Malhaar (drut laya), weaving poetry, sargam, tarana, and percussion bols into a breathtaking, improvised finale between the dancers and the live ensemble.  Akash Mallick is a Marga Natya practitioner, arts pedagogue, rooted in classical Indian performance traditions. Recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi Bismilla Khan award. A graduate with a Masters in performance studies from the Central University of Hyderabad, his artistic journey weaves together scholarship and stage, guided by the Natyashastra and committed to reimagining traditional forms for contemporary audiences. |
