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REVIEW / REPORTRasa Vilasa - Facets of Krishna- Murali Raghavane-mail: muraliraghavan2003@yahoo.com September 25, 2026 'Rasa Vilasa - Facets of Krishna,' presented recently by Srinidhi Srinivasan, disciple of Seattle-based acharya Anwesha Das, at the Sunnyvale Theatre in California, was an elegant and thoughtfully curated Bharatanatyam recital that explored the many dimensions of Krishna - divine, playful, romantic, mischievous and deeply human. What made the presentation particularly engaging was the manner in which the repertoire moved naturally between nritta and abhinaya, allowing Srinidhi to demonstrate both her technical discipline and her growing maturity as an expressive dancer.  Srinidhi Srinivasan The recital opened with a Pushpanjali in Nattai ragam followed by "Parama Purusha Jagadeeswara", in Vasantha ragam, a composition of Swathi Tirunal and choreographed by K. N. Dhandayuthapani Pillai. The centre-piece of the recital was the Charukesi raga varnam, "Innum en manam", composed by Lalgudi Jayaraman. Here, the nayika's longing for Krishna, her impatience and vulnerability were conveyed by Srinidhi with sensitivity. The performance was ably supported by the vocalist, Akshaya Arunkumar, who sang soulfully and who is a Bharatanatyam artiste herself. One could hear nuanced sangatis in Charukesi in her singing, revealing the depth of her understanding of the ragam. The varnam concluded with a virutham, with verses from Krishna Karnamrutham, and music tuned by Akshaya. The Padam, "Maiyya mori main nahin makhan khayo," in Desh, revealed yet another facet of Krishna. This Surdas's celebrated poem revolves around Krishna's spirited denial that he stole butter, eventually melting Yashoda's heart. The dance choreography captured the charm of the young Krishna with an appealing lightness, bringing humor into the abhinaya while retaining the devotional undercurrent. The Javali "Sarasamulade" in Kapi, composed by Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar, brought a delightful change of mood. The evening concluded with the exuberant Brindavani tillana, composed by Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna, followed by an apt mangalam, a composition of Saint Purandaradasa in Suratti ragam. Anwesha Das's nattuvangam with firm sollukattus provided a fine rhythmic foundation, allowing the choreography to breathe rather than merely marking time. The musical ensemble played an indispensable role in shaping the atmosphere of the recital. Akshaya Arunkumar's extraordinary vocals, Keerthivasan Krishnan's violin, Padu Vedam's flute and Shiva Iyer's mridangam, together with Anwesha Das's nattuvangam, created a cohesive musical framework for the dance. The ragams Kapi, Desh, and Brindavani share several overlapping notes, making their successive presentation particularly challenging. The vocalist handled the transition between these ragams with clarity, ensuring that the distinct character and bhavam of each ragam remained beautifully discernible. The contrast between the rhythmic vigor of the varnam and thillana and the more delicate emotional worlds of the Javali and Padam was supported sensitively by the ensemble. The flute in particular complemented the Krishna theme naturally, while the violinist provided melodic depth to the abhinaya compositions. The mridangam and nattuvangam maintained a strong rhythmic spine throughout, enabling Srinidhi to execute the demanding choreographies with confidence. Anwesha, trained in the Vazhuvoor bani under Urmila Sathyanarayanan, brings to her teaching an understanding of Bharatanatyam as a complete artistic discipline. In Srinidhi, one could see the fruits of that approach. Murali Raghavan is the convenor, Trinity Arts Festival of India. |
