Artograph Vol 02 Iss 03 (2020 May-Jun)

artograph A NEWNMEDIA™ PUBLICATION

2020 MAY - JUN | VOL 02 | ISS 03

A BI-MONTHLY, BILINGUAL E-MAGAZINE FOCUSING ON ARTS | PUBLISHED BY NEWNMEDIA™ FROM KERALA, INDIA | 2020 MAY-JUN VOLUME 02 ISSUE 03 | PAGES: 36 | HTTP://ARTOGRAPH.NEWNMEDIA.IN

a

MASTER of the times

Starting his dance journey from the remote village of Pithapuram, Jayarama Rao built a successful career as a dancer and guru. One of his noted disciples T. Reddi Lakshmi in conversation with the maestro.

Seeing the unseen Meera Sreenarayanan writes about ‘The Unseen Sequence’, a documentary by Sumantra Ghosal on Malavika Sarukkai.

Staging the lights

Sreekanth, noted light designer and director of Cameo Light Academy, says lighting could enhance live performances.

A blend of two

Padmini Krishnan shares, how she along with her sister Draupadi Praveen came up with ‘Nritha Samanvayam’, Bharatanatyam - Kuchipudi duet performances.

CONTENTS

2020 MAY-JUN | VOL 02 | ISS 03

02

Vol 02 Iss 03

Seeing the unseen 04

ചന്ദ്രഹാസം 07

Meera Sreenarayanan Sethunath U.N.

WATCH OUT

INDIAN RAGA

A master of the times 10

Opening the frontiers of Kuchipudi 15

JAYARAMA RAO

As Hiranyakashipu during the 'Guru Shishya Sanman Festival' by Debadhara at India Habitat Centre in May 2018.

PHOTO: RAHUL NAAG

T. Reddi Lakshmi

Hareesh N. Nampoothiri

STAGE

GOPI KALAMANDALAM

Live stream strive 21 Priyanka B.

Staging

Sreekanth

the lights 29

A blend of two 30 Padmini Krishnan

TALKING FRAMES A NEWNMEDIA™ PUBLICATION LEAD PHOTOGRAPHY: HAREE FOTOGRAFIE DESIGN & LAYOUT: NEWNMEDIA™

SHARED UNDER

CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

ADVT.

THE ORIGINAL RIGHTS OF THE TEXTS AND THE PHOTOGRAPHS RESERVED TO RESPECTIVE OWNERS. THE CC LICENSE IS VALID ONLY FOR THE E-MAGAZINE IN ITS EXACT FORM.

RAHANA HABEEB

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03 EDITORIAL

2020 MAY-JUN | VOL 02 | ISS 03

A medicine for distress

A

vaccine for the virus is in the testing stages in multiple labs around the globe. Meanwhile, art and artists have served as a vaccine, boosting the morale of the people. And by engaging themselves, they’ve also found their peace and kept themselves connected to the art enthusiasts while staying behind the closed doors.

Online classes have become one of the significant aspects that came into being. Those who have never given it a thought or considered it as a possibility were pleasantly surprised by its potentialities. While this serves the purpose for the time being, as it is the case with formal education, it can never replace the real-world classrooms. Probably, this will serve as an enhancement once the schools get reopened.

Individual live shows and dedicated festivals continue to happen.

Many a time, multiple events happen simultaneously making it hard to pick. But not to worry, one can stream it on their convenience later, provided the organizer/artist keep the video in their archive. Many of them tend to delete or make it private once the show is over, sometimes after a couple of days.

While we wait for the vaccine for the virus to come, art serves as a cure for our souls for the moment.

Artists also utilize time effectively by producing music and dance videos. Among the productions on specific themes, the fight between humans and the virus has been the trend. Maybe, there is a lot already, and at least a few are saying, no more of it! Nevertheless, it doesn’t matter, being engaged and bringing out something, is the key.

It all comes to a point where we all need is a vaccine to get out of this viral spread. And, until the scientists come with one in their labs, let’s keep the spirits high, and other than arts, what else will come in aid?

More power to all the artists making it possible.

Hareesh N. Nampoothiri CONTRIBUTORS TEXTS: MEERA SREENARAYANAN, PADMINI KRISHNAN, PRIYANKA B., SETHUNATH U.N., SREEKANTH, T. REDDI LAKSHMI PHOTOS: AVINASH PASRICHA, CAMEO LIGHT, RAHUL NAAG, T. REDDI LAKSHMI

EDITORIAL TEAM CHIEF EDITOR: HAREESH N. NAMPOOTHIRI ASSOCIATE EDITOR: PRIYANKA B. MEMBERS: MEERA SREENARAYANAN, NAVYA VINOD, SETHUNATH U.N., VANI SANKAR DISCLAIMER: THE OPINIONS AND VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THE WRITE-UPS ARE THOSE OF THE RESPECTIVE AUTHORS AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE OFFICIAL POLICY OR POSITION OF THE MAGAZINE.

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artograph

INSPIRE

2020 MAY-JUN | VOL 02 | ISS 03

04

unseen seeing the

MEERA SREENARAYANAN

A shot from the opening scene of 'The Unseen Sequence', a documentary by Sumantra Ghosal on Malavika Sarukkai.

SCREEN CAPTURE

‘The Unseen Sequence’ begins with a Bharatanatyam recital offered in obeisance

by Malavika Sarukkai commemorating her fortieth year of public performance.

MEERA SREENARAYANAN is an aspiring

Bharatanatyam danseuse, a winner of several accolades, and a graded artist in Doordarshan. She has master degrees in Bharatanatyam and Physics. A disciple of multiple gurus, she is now under the guidance of guru Indira Kadambi.

T

he sanctum sanctorum of the Chidambaram temple witnessed a special event on the 6th of March 2012. It was a Bharatanatyam recital offered in obeisance by the iconic dancer Malavika Sarukkai to commemorate the fortieth year of her public performance. This visual extravaganza forms the opening scene of the documentary ‘The Unseen Sequence’, directed by Sumantra Ghosal. Having done this, the director takes the viewers to the same place, a few centuries back, to the time when devadasis imbued the space with their dance and music. What follows is a virtual pilgrimage, bestowed with three different perspectives that are central to the evolution of Bharatanatyam. The history of the art form, its duologue with Malavika and the expedition of the director as he responds to the unfolding story with sensitivity and wonderment connected through match cuts and other smooth transitions.

The art and the artist With a non-linear approach to the narrative, Sumantra begins the film with a close-up shot of Malavika in introspection with the Lord.

The opening scene casts a hypnotic spell, as the temple bells ring in reply to her offering of Shivashtakam, celebrating Lord Nataraja which is nothing but a glorification of the dance itself.

The film explores Bharatanatyam through the art of Malavika Sarukkai and by placing it as the reference point, voyages through the developments prior and post to it. This sequence, set forth from a guru to shishya, still thrives in unseen ways due to the potency with which the teaching-learning happened. The excerpts of interviews with Lakshmi Viswanathan forms the thread dealing with the metamorphosis of the dance, from a temple ritual to a court entertainment that finally settled as performances on stage. In addition to contextualizing these, the film also probes into the ways it advanced. As a practitioner of a formidable tradition like Bharatanatyam, it is easy to get entangled and end up repeating what forebears had already done before.

Malavika, trained under legendary gurus K. Kalyanasundaram Pillai of Thanjavur School, S.K. Rajarathnam Pillai of Vazhuvoor School,

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05 INSPIRE

2020 MAY-JUN | VOL 02 | ISS 03

Kalanidhi Narayanan, and Kelucharan Mohapatra, beholds the perseverance and articulation that allows one to make the tradition a personalized idiom for dance. The danseuse further discusses the role of teachers in bringing a perspective to the discipline, besides developing a vocabulary of their own. The point is evident as she smilingly agrees to the opinion of Kalanidhi Narayanan that she never dances to the padams. The film intelligently captures such connections and departures that she makes from the established traditions.

On a spiritual quest Another significant aspect the film looks at is how the spiritual and metaphysical ideas advise the way of dance and life of an artist. It talks about how Malavika had mastered to let go of everything, aside from dance alone. The director finds parallels between the devadasi life and that led by Malavika as they both find meaning and replenishment in a spiritual and physical bond with God through dance.

Sumantra puts it elegantly; “like the devadasi, she has always been married to an idea rather than to a physical person”. Also, it is fascinating to see how Malavika confronts and befriends the concept of death through her art and the way she finds her voice taking up themes like “Astham gatho ravihi...”, giving up all the colours and romance of traditional pieces.

In another segment, Malavika talks about the influences in her career like the famed Balasaraswati, the place Varanasi, artist C.V. Chandrasekhar and the village lady Thimmakka, substantiating the innumerable ways in which an artist can get inspired. She achieves peace in dance while the world around her fragments. It takes no time for one to realize that it is this marriage of quintessential expression with a profound spiritual questioning that makes her dance so powerful. I guess one has to surrender to the art in a way that it starts speaking to you like a partner in every sense.

Directorial brilliance The film is on dance, nevertheless, at no point does the camera get

Sumantra Ghosal, the director of the film.

SELFIE

Gurus K. Kalyanasundaram Pillai (clockwise from top-right) Kalanidhi Narayanan, dancers C.V. Chandrasekhar and Lakshmi Viswanathan, mother Saroja Kamakshi, and disciple Mythili Prakash sharing their views and experiences.

SCREEN CAPTURES

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INSPIRE

2020 MAY-JUN | VOL 02 | ISS 03

06

in the way of it. Unlike some directors who love to showcase their choreography of takes and retakes which could have diminished the element of creativity, Sumantra Ghosal smartly knits the shots from actual stage performances and seamlessly translates the intensity of the art and the spontaneity of the dancer. Furthermore, he gets into the mind of Malavika, to learn the process of creation that goes behind her choreographies. For someone like the director himself who had no background in any performing art tradition, Malavika breaks the wall between them, making this film even more universal.

It was interesting to watch how the feeling of dissatisfaction with the single dimension of the piece compelled Malavika to reinvent and incorporate new images like a bird in the cage in “Nee Matale...”

Similar scenes like the portrayal of many hands and the body stance of the asura inspired by the temple sculptures in ‘Mahishasuramardhini’, the whole universe inside baby Krishna’s mouth through the simple use of alapadma in “Krishna nee begane baro...”, and discovering the character of Hanuman in a moment just by holding the tail poses the significance of questioning and requestioning oneself in the reiterations of craft. Dedicated to Saroja Kamakshi, the mother of Malavika Sarukkai, the film blends some delightful moments of the mother-daughter duo establishing the influential and emotional bonding between them.

Personal excerpts The film also features a few bytes taken from mindfully chosen individuals like guru K. Kalyanasundaram, Madhavi Mudgal, Sai Shravanam etc. During the mentoring sessions with Mythili Prakash, Malavika casually talks about how some things get better expressed with dance rather than words. While her dance spews out the gravity of body intelligence and internalizes the emotion, there is also a suggestion on the importance of lighting, stage-setting and costumes to bring out the best while performing.

Sumantra Ghosal indeed explores the celebration of an artist, who dared not to give up her dreams and found freedom in dance.

The documentary premiered in 2013, was recently screened again through the Aalaap YouTube channel on 17th of May this year, as part of their online initiatives during the pandemic situation. ● Malavika Sarukkai during one of her live performances, staged as part of the 'Thrinethra Dance Festival' in 2016, under the aegis of Natyapriya Dance Academy, Kollam.

PHOTO: HAREE FOTOGRAFE

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07 GENERAL

2020 MAY-JUN | VOL 02 | ISS 03

ചന്ദ്രഹാസം സേതുനാഥ് യു.എൻ.

ബാ

ലിവിജയം കഥകളി. രാവണൻ തന്റെ തലവിധി പ�ോലുള്ള അലർച്ചയും, തിരശീലയ�ോടും അതു പിടിക്കുന്നവര�ോടും ഉള്ള സാമ്പ്രദായിക മല്പിടുത്തവും (തിരന�ോട്ടം) ഒക്കെ പൂർവ്വാധികം ഭംഗിയായി നിർവഹിച്ച ശേഷം, നേരെ പ�ോയി കുത്തിപ്പിടിച്ചിരുന്നു നാരദനെ കണ്ടു കളയാം എന്ന് നിരീച്ചു (മണ്ഡോദരിക്ക് പതിഞ്ഞപദത്തിന് കഴിയത്തില്ല എന്നു പറഞ്ഞാരുന്നു. ആ വഹയില്‍നമുക്ക് രൂഭാ അഞ്ഞൂറ് ലാഭം). നാരദൻ വന്നു അരങ്ങുവന്ദനം ഒക്കെ കഴിഞ്ഞു വീണമീട്ടി പാടാൻ കുന്ദളിച്ചു നിൽക്കവേ, രാവണൻ ഇരിക്കേണ്ട സ്ഥലത്ത് ടിയാന്റെ ഉടുത്തുകെട്ടിന്റെ പ്ലാസ്റ്റിക്ക് ചാക്ക് നൂല് പ�ോലുമില്ല.

കഥകളി പ്രേക്ഷകർക്ക് അപരിചിതമല്ലാത്ത ചില അനുഭവങ്ങളെ നർമ്മത്തിന്റെ മേമ്പൊടിയിൽ ഒരു മിനിക്കഥയായി രൂപപ്പെടുത്തിയതാണിത്.

ങാഹാ! രാവണനെവടെപ്പോയി! നാരദൻ വീണ മീട്ടി ച�ോദിച്ചു. രാവൺജി ആബ്സെന്റ് ആയതിനാൽ,

“സുസ്മേരചാരുവദന: സമവാപ ലങ്കാം...’ എന്ന് ഹുസേനിയുടെ എല്ലാ വകഭേദങ്ങളിലും നീട്ടിയും കുറുക്കിയും പ�ൊന്നാനിയും ശങ്കിടിയും മാറി മാറി പാടിക്കുഴഞ്ഞുക�ൊണ്ടിരുന്നു. ഒടുക്കം അതാ ഛത്രാധിപതി രാവണൻ വെറും കയ്യോടെ കേറി വരുന്നു.

പ്രശ്നം ഗുരുതരമാണ്. ചന്ദ്രഹാസം കാണ്മാനില്ല. രാവണൻ വാൾ വെച്ചു മറന്നോ അത�ോ പെട്ടിക്കാരൻ വാൾ എടുക്കാൻ മറന്നോ! രാവണൻ മുരണ്ടുക�ൊണ്ട് തിരശീല പിടിച്ചിരുന്ന മെയിൻ പെട്ടിക്കാരൻ ചന്ദ്രന�ോട്, “പ�ോയി വാൾ തപ്പിക്കൊണ്ട് വാ...” എന്ന് വാച്യത്തിൽ മുദ്രാവാക്യം മുഴക്കി, ശേഷം തിരശീലപിടുത്തം സബ്സ്റ്റിട്യൂട്ട് ആയി ഏറ്റെടുത്തു.

തിരശീല രാവൺജിയെ ഏൽപ്പിച്ചു ചന്ദ്രൻ ചേട്ടൻ പുറക�ോട്ടോടി. പിന്നണിയിൽ പ�ൊന്നാനിയും ശങ്കിടിയും ശ്ലോകത്തിന്റെ ലാസ്റ്റ് ലൈനിൽ കടിപിടി കൂടിക്കൊണ്ടിരുന്നു. ഒരു വേള, ഹുസേനി മാറ്റി പല രാഗങ്ങൾ രാഗമാലിക ആയി പരീക്ഷിച്ചാൽ എന്ത് എന്നുപ�ോലും പ�ൊന്നാനി ചിന്തിച്ചു. പിന്നെ, അത�ൊരു ചിട്ടയായി മാറിയാല�ോ എന്നുശങ്കിച്ച് ശങ്കാഹീനനായി ഹുസേനിയിൽ തന്നെ നീട്ടിക്കുറുക്കി പരത്തിക്കുഴച്ചു.

SETHUNATH U.N. has learned Kathakali for nearly fifteen years and is passionate about classical art forms. He is active in different cultural forums while in the profession heads Mavis DX Consultants (IT), T’puram.

അണിയറയിൽ, ചന്ദ്രൻ ചേട്ടൻ പെട്ടിയായ പെട്ടിയ�ൊക്കെ ന�ോക്കിയിട്ടും, കിളച്ചു മറിച്ചിട്ടും വാൾ കിട്ടിയില്ല. ചിന്താധീനനായും, പരവശനായും, വിയർത്തൊലിച്ചവനായും കാണപ്പെട്ട അയാൾ, താൻ വാൾ വെച്ചു മറന്നതെവിടെയായിരിക്കുമെന്ന് പേർത്തും പേർത്തും ചിന്തിച്ചു മണ്ടിപ്പാഞ്ഞ് നടന്നു. പശ്ചാത്തലത്തിൽ മുഴങ്ങുന്ന ഹുസേനിയുടെ ആവർത്തനങ്ങൾ അയാളെ തളർത്തി. വാൾ കിട്ടാത്ത ആ സാഹചര്യത്തിങ്കൽ, ആ സമയത്തില്, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ആ ടൈമില് വാളില്ലാതെ ഇരുന്നു കളയാം

artograph എന്ന് രാവണൻ തീരുമാനിച്ചു.

ചന്ദ്രഹാസരഹിതനായി, വാൾ പിടിക്കേണ്ട വലം കയ്യിൽ ഉത്തരീയവും പിടിച്ചു രാവണൻ നാരദനെ പ്രതീക്ഷിച്ച് ഇരിപ്പായത്തോടെ ശ്ലോകത്തെ സംഹരിച്ച പ�ൊന്നാനി “ജയ ജയ രാവണ...” മുദ്രാവാക്യം മുഴക്കി പദം തുടങ്ങി. നാരദൻ വീണ മീട്ടുവാനും തുടങ്ങി.

പിറകിൽ ഉള്ളിൽ തീയുമായി ചന്ദ്രൻ ചേട്ടൻ തിരഞ്ഞു നടക്കുകയാണ് അപ്പോഴും. ഹതാശനായ അയാൾ പുറത്തേക്കിറങ്ങി. വാൾ കിട്ടില്ല എന്ന് ഉറപ്പായ സ്ഥിതിക്ക്, ഒരു വാൾ ഉണ്ടാക്കാൻ പറ്റിയ സാമഗ്രികൾ എന്തെങ്കിലും കിട്ടിയാല�ോ എന്നായിരുന്നു അയാളുടെ ചിന്ത. ക�ൊടുംകാട്ടിൽ ദമയന്തിയെ ഉപേക്ഷിച്ചു പ�ോകാൻ നേരം, നളന് ചുമ്മാ അവിടെക്കിടന്ന് ഒരു മുറിവാൾ കിട്ടിയതു പ�ോലെ തനിക്കും ഒരെണ്ണം ഇപ്പോൾ കിട്ടിയിരുന്നെങ്കിൽ എന്ന് അയാൾ ആഗ്രഹിച്ചു. ആട്ടക്കാർക്ക് കളിയിൽ എന്തും കാണിക്കാം. പക്ഷേ, തനിക്കൊരു വാൾ തന്നെ വേണം. ഇല്ലെങ്കിൽ രാവണൻ റിട്ടേൺ ആയാൽ തന്നെ നിഗ്രഹിച്ചു കളയും. ബാലിയെ പിടിച്ചു കെട്ടാൻ പുറപ്പെടാൻ നേരം കൈലാസ�ോദ്ധാരണം ആടാൻ പാകത്തിന് ഇളക്കിക്കാണിക്കാൻ വാളവിടെ ഇല്ലെങ്കിൽ...

അയാൾ ഉത്സവപ്പറമ്പിലെ ഒഴിഞ്ഞ ക�ോണിലേക്ക് നടന്നു. ഇരുട്ടത്ത് ഒരനക്കം. വെളുത്ത ഭീഷണങ്ങളായ രണ്ടു ക�ൊമ്പുകൾ.

■ HAREE FOTOGRAFIE

ചുല്ലക്കൽ ഗ�ോപാലകൃഷ്ണൻ.

അയാളുടെ ഉള്ളൊന്നാളി. ആറേഴുപേരെ നിർന്നിമേഷനായി തട്ടിയ ആനയാണ്. ശാന്തനായി നിന്ന് മടലിൽ നിന്ന് ഓല ഇരിഞ്ഞു തിന്നുന്നു. അപ്പോഴാണ് അത് സംഭവിച്ചത്. അയാളുടെ ദൈന്യം കണ്ടെന്ന പ�ോലെ,

GENERAL

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മുഴുവൻ ഓല ഇരിഞ്ഞ ഒരു വലിയ പച്ച മടൽ, അതും ആനക്ക് തിന്നാൻ ഏറ്റവും ഇഷ്ടമുള്ളത്, ഗ�ോപാലകൃഷ്ണൻ അയാളുടെ മുന്നിലേക്ക് നീക്കിയിട്ടു.

ഒരു നിമിഷം ഇതികർത്തവ്യതാമൂഢനായി നിന്ന അയാൾ യാന്ത്രികമായി അത് എടുത്തു ക�ൊണ്ട് അണിയറയിലേക്ക് മടങ്ങി. ഗ�ോപാലകൃഷ്ണനെ അയാൾ സ്നേഹത്തോടെ തിരിഞ്ഞുന�ോക്കിക�ൊണ്ട് മുൻപ�ോട്ട് നടന്നു. ഇത�ൊന്ന് വെട്ടി കുറുക്കി ചീകി മിനുക്കി, വാളിന്റെ രൂപത്തിൽ ആക്കി, കരി പുരട്ടി, ഒരു വക്കിൽ വെളുത്ത സിങ്ക്വൈറ്റും ഇട്ടാൽ ചന്ദ്രഹാസമാക്കാം എന്നയാൾ കണക്ക് കൂട്ടി. അരങ്ങത്ത് “ചിത്രമഹ�ോ നമുക്കൊരു ശത്രുവുണ്ടായതും...” എന്ന് രാവണൻ ഗർജ്ജിക്കുന്നു.

അണിയറയിൽ ചെന്ന്, ഓലമടൽ ചീകാൻ കത്തി തിരഞ്ഞു അയാൾ. വൈകിട്ട് ഓലഞർക്ക് ഉണ്ടാക്കിയിട്ട് വെച്ചതെവിടെയായിരുന്നു? അതും മറന്നു. എന്തൊരു നശിച്ച ദിവസം. അയാൾ അതും തിരഞ്ഞു നടപ്പായി. പെട്ടെന്നാണ് അത് അപ്പുറത്തെ ചായ്പ്പിന്റെ മുകളിൽ ചേടി വെച്ചിട്ടുണ്ടാകും എന്നോർത്തത്. ഇരുട്ട് നിറഞ്ഞ ചായ്‌പിൽ ചെന്ന്, മേൽക്കൂരയുടെ പട്ടികയിൽ കൈകള�ോടിച്ച അയാളുടെ കയ്യിൽ അതിന്റെ പിടി തടഞ്ഞു. അയാൾ അത് മുകളിൽ നിന്നും ഊരിയെടുത്തു.

അത് കത്തിയായിരുന്നില്ല. കളഞ്ഞു പ�ോയ വാൾ തന്നെയായിരുന്നു - രാവണന്റെ ചന്ദ്രഹാസം.

വാൾ ക�ൊണ്ടുപ�ോയി രാവണന്റെ ഇടതുവശത്തെ പീഠത്തിൽ വെച്ചപ്പോൾ അരങ്ങിന് ഒരാശ്വാസം ക�ൊടുത്തതു പ�ോലെ ത�ോന്നി അയാൾക്ക്.

തിരികെ വന്ന്, ആ പച്ചമടലും എടുത്ത് അയാൾ ഗ�ോപാലകൃഷ്ണന്റെ നേർക്ക് നടന്നു. അല്പം അകലെ നിന്ന് ആനയുടെ കാൽക്കലേക്ക് അയാൾ നീട്ടിയിട്ടുക�ൊടുത്ത പച്ചമടലിന്റെ ത�ോല�ൊക്കെ ചവിട്ടി ഉരിച്ചു വെടിപ്പാക്കി ഒരു മുഴം കഷ്ണം ഒടിച്ചു ക�ൊതിയ�ോടെ പിന്നെ തിന്നാൻ ക�ൊമ്പിനിടയിൽ തിരുകി വെച്ച് ഗ�ോപാലകൃഷ്ണൻ അയാളെ ന�ോക്കി. പിന്നെ ബാക്കി തിന്നാൻ തുടങ്ങി. അരങ്ങത്ത് രാവണൻ ‘കൈലാസ�ോദ്ധാരണം’ ബഡായി തുടങ്ങിയിരുന്നു. നളന് കിട്ടിയ ആ മുറിഞ്ഞ വാളിനെക്കുറിച്ച് അയാള�ോർത്തു, അതിനാടകീയതകൾ അരങ്ങിനു പിന്നിലും സംഭവിക്കാമെന്നും. ചന്ദ്രൻ ആശ്വാസത്തോടെ ചിരിച്ചു. ചന്ദ്രഹാസം. ●

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09 WATCH OUT 2020 MAY-JUN | VOL 02 | ISS 03

FEATURED

INDIAN RAGA

IndianRaga provides a slew of opportunities to aspiring artists as a platform to explore their talents.

STATISTICS: NOXINFLUENCER TEXT: PRIYANKA B.

Joined on

Average Video Views

Subscribers

Total Videos

2012 OCT 29 384K

4.32K 674

Total Views

62.42M

* Data as on 2020 Jun.

I

ndianRaga founded by Sriram Emani is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service based in North America. Co-founded by Anasuya Mandal and managed by a team of nine other members, its mission is to identify the best talents, and be the largest global platform for innovation and advancement in Indian performing arts.

Conceptualized with a holistic approach towards dance and music in both classic and contemporary styles, it offers an opportunity for talented artists to collaborate and perform, both live and online. A platform for aspiring artists to explore their talents, it provides a slew of opportunities focussing on presentation and performance, high-quality audio and video production for digital channels, and acquaintance with accomplished artists.

Designed with the flexibility to participate from anywhere in the world, the programmes offered include fellowships, Raga Labs (innovative music and dance workshops where a group of 6-8 artists get trained to produce a high-quality video), Raga Jam (a music or dance collaboration of 4-6 individuals that can go from a concept to full-fledged professional music or dance video), certification programmes (to showcase talents to universities, employers, organizers and the media) and monthly competitions.

Their activities over the past five years have connected over 3,000 artists, from 40 cities and have collaborated to produce 400 masterpieces viewed by 10 million people across 65 cities. Having credited with hosting live concerts worldwide, IndianRaga fellows have performed at the United Nations General Assembly, World Government Summit, Times group Gaana Music Festival, Lincoln Center, Chicago Cultural Center, TEDx and so on. With a wide following on Facebook (35K+ Likes) and 384K subscribers on YouTube, IndianRaga is among the top charts.

Channel link: youtube.com/user/indianragaproject

THIS SEGMENT FEATURES YOUTUBE CHANNELS THAT PROMOTE CLASSICAL DANCE AND MUSIC RELATED CONTENT.

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COVER STORY

a

MASTER

of the times

T. REDDI LAKSHMI

A

■

AVINASH PASRICHA

journey of thousand miles starts with a single step, likewise the dance career of this legendary artist began from the remote village to the national capital at the tender age of twelve. The eldest among the six children of Durga Rao and Shanta Appayamma, Veeranala Jayarama Rao was born in the temple village of Pithapuram in the East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh. He belonged to a tradition of historic folk theatre form called ‘Pagati Veshalu’.

However, he discovered his destiny in Kuchipudi after witnessing a performance of guru Vedantam Satyanarayana Sarma, famous for his portrayal of the character Satyabhama in ‘Bhama Kalapam’. His passion took him to ‘Kuchipudi Kalakshetram’ and later around the globe, fetching him numerous accolades including the Padma Shri, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, and the Delhi State Award. It was a journey of crests and troughs, and from the challenges encountered, he rose like a phoenix bird.

Q: What prompted you to take up Kuchipudi?

As a tradition, my family used to travel and perform in different villages near Pithapuram. We never stayed in any place for longer, and this hampered my prospects for formal education.

I learned Hindi and English much later, once I shifted to Delhi. I had a flair for acting and used to play small characters along with my father and uncle. The Kuchipudi performances of eminent artists during festive occasions helped me develop a passion for the art form. Though unwillingly, upon my demand, parents sent me to ‘Kuchupudi Kalakshetram’ when I was too young to be left alone.

Back in 1962, I was the only student living in the school premises, for there were no hostel facilities. I slept on a mat in front of the school veranda, took showers under a hand pump in the village. The villagers fed me as my gurus insisted, and on some days, I cooked myself. Though all these sound tough for an eleven year, I couldn’t have asked for more. Even my mother tried to dissuade me,

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artograph but my instinct was quite strong. On a brighter side, I received a scholarship of 5 rupees per month which later got increased to 10 INR. And this way, my training continued in Kuchipudi Kalakshetram for as long as seven years.

Starting his dance journey from the remote village of Pithapuram, Jayarama Rao built a successful career as a dancer and guru after moving to the capital city of the country.

Q: Though you got your training in Andhra Pradesh, you later shifted to Delhi. How did it help flourish your art career?

It all looks like the call of destiny. B.K.L. Rao, the head of Kuchipudi Kalakshetram, advised me to move to Delhi for teaching, on a request made by K.L. Rao, who was then the Minister for Irrigation and Power. Thus, I had the fortune of being the first one to have introduced Kuchipudi to the Delhi learners. I remember, it was the occasion I bought my first ever set of footwear and boarded the train for my dream journey to the capital. Wife of K.L. Rao and the president of Delhi Andhra Ladies Association, Varalakshmi Rao provided for my accommodation until I settled down in Delhi. She also arranged a few students to begin with, and the classes happened at their house in Janpath. What started with just five students gradually increased to five branches, with several students including the now-famous Swapna Sundari and Meenakshi Seshadri.

In 1973, I registered and established the Kuchipudi Dance Academy.

Being a guru helps you mature as an artist. I taught many students in the initial phase of my career. Not all experienced the same level of success. Giving due credit to a guru is critical, and not receiving it makes one more conscious. As a guru, I try to do my best for all those who come with a professional approach.

Jayarama Rao along with his wife Vanashree Rao during a photoshoot in their early days.

PHOTO: AVINASH PASRICHA

Q: Breakthroughs in your career.

After focusing solely on teaching for nearly five years, I concentrated on giving performances. But most of the opportunities also demanded a female partner. My first duet performances were with Meenakshi Seshadri and the breakthrough came when I paired with Vanashree Rao. Our duet performance under the aegis of the academy in 1980, with the financial support arranged by Suvra Mukherjee, (the wife of Pranab Mukherjee, the former President of India) was quite successful. Afterwards, she took us to France along with her musical ensemble from Bengal. In Paris, I had the opportunity to conduct a month-long workshop, and since then, it was a rain of opportunities. Vanashree and I got married in 1981. Though a post-graduate in political science, she chose to be an artist, supporting and pushing me better with her ideas. We have performed together in more than 60 countries and became one of the prominent couples of Kuchipudi.

Q: It must not have been a smooth journey. About the struggles and challenges faced.

Being an artist comes with its own set of struggles and challenges.

The hardships one faces during each phase of growth are different.

It was my inherent nature to see only the brighter side of life, and I made no comparisons. As a performer, I never had an urge to surpass anyone, and being myself kept me away from the stress of competition. When a few shows got cancelled due to political reasons, we were demoralised at times, but never made us quit. Those days, the only means of communication was letters, and we often had to wait long for the replies.

artograph The scope that Kuchipudi offers is enormous when performed in the original format with conviction.

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The most challenging incident I remember was travelling to Afghanistan in the mid of Soviet-Afghan War in 1987. We went through ICCR and after the performance, got to stay in a hotel next to the war zone.

That night we hardly had any sleep and prayed for our lives. The hardships we had then are far different from that of today. We were happy and content with the opportunities we had. As seniors or old school artists, we see the times have changed and our challenges too.

Now, our main concern is about the future of the art form and the next generation.

Q: Your choreographies are a blend of multiple schools. How did it happen?

After basic training under guru Vedantam Parvateesam, I learnt dance numbers such as ‘Dasavatara Sabdam’, ‘Rama Pattabhishekam’ and ‘Prahlada Pattabhishekam’ under guru Pasumarthy Venugopala Krishna Sarma, also a Carnatic musician. It was a norm for us to learn Carnatic music along with the dance training those days. Dance-dramas such as ‘Usha Parinayam’, ‘Bhama Kalapam’, ‘Prahlada Natakam’ and ‘Yakshaganam’ were taught to me by kulaguru Chinta Krishnamurthy, the then principal of Kuchipudi Kalakshetram. All my gurus were very young, most of them in their mid-thirties. Though I’ve moved to Delhi as a dance teacher, during vacations, I used to learn at Kuchipudi Art Academy of guru Vempati Chinna Satyam in Chennai. Hence, my performances and choreographies are a blend of multiple schools.

■ T. REDDI LAKSHMI

Q: The favourite numbers you like to perform...

When I was young, I performed ‘Dasavatara Sabdam’ in several stages. Hence, people used to call me ‘Dasavataram Ramu’. I always liked playing characters of valour like Hiranyakashipu in ‘Prahlada Natakam’, Arjuna in ‘Geethopadesam’, Ravana in ‘Mandodari Sabdam’ etc. Recently the character Karna, which I performed in Delhi, has become a dear number. I thoroughly enjoyed the script prepared by Vanashree as it gave me the scope to present the character through

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abhinaya elements suitable for my age. The female characters I portrayed in my young age, and the humorous role of Madhavi in ‘Bhama Kalapam’ quite recently have all been in the list of favourites. I feel fortunate in being able to play all these, which fulfils the life of an artist.

Q: As a disciple, I always felt you have a unique way of teaching female characters.

How did you develop it?

It happened naturally for me, I guess. Performing ‘Bhama Kalapam’, and the role of Satyabhama is like a dream come true for any artist. I had the opportunity to share the stage with veterans like Chinta Krishnamurthy and Pasumarthy Venugopala Krishna Sarma when I enacted Satyabhama for the first time.

Along with my training, I had the good fortune to be a part of the stage shows of guru Vedantam Satyanarayana Sarma.

As mentioned earlier, he was a doyen of female characters, especially that of Satyabhama.

I used to play the roles of Chelikatte (Sakhi) for him in ‘Usha Parinayam’ and many supporting characters in different plays.

Such practical experiences come handy while teaching female roles.

Q: About your general approach towards new choreographies...

I have spent a lion share of my time as a student, learning the already existing choreographies or traditional numbers which were less seen and explored during those times. Later, when I started performing together with Vanashree, we had to create something new to meet the settings and give extra scope for duet performances such as ‘Geethopadesam’, ‘Ardhanari’,

‘Shiva Tarangam’ etc. We created a distinct repertoire which included invocations on different gods and goddesses, jatiswarams, thillanas and the exploration of non-Telugu compositions such as Meera Bai poems, Ashtapadi, Swati Tirunal bhajans and many more. These works choreographed for duet performances,

also gives scope to be presented as solo numbers.

When it comes to teaching new items, it all depends on individual quality and the interest of each student. Many a time, when students come with a composition, theme or their idea, I consider while setting the items.

Q: What about the traditional pieces? Did you add anything new to them?

I like to perform and teach the traditional numbers precisely the way I learnt from my gurus.

I feel they are already well-polished gems and no need for additional treatment. The scope that Kuchipudi offers is enormous when performed in the original format with conviction. I add a few of my ideas only when I seem to have forgotten something or if there is a step which I feel could be changed. We do not have a record of the things I have learnt to go back and refer.

Sometimes we present only the

small excerpts of a whole play due to time constraints. Even such instances offer great joy and help us to be in touch with the core of the art form.

Q: How do you think Kuchipudi as an art form has evolved over the years? What were your contributions?

Kuchipudi is one such dance form which gives tremendous scope to the performer and an unforgettable experience to the rasikas. It includes every aspect of ‘Natya Shastra’. Performers of several art forms learnt a few numbers from Kuchipudi, and merged it with their stream, as this delighted the spectators and helped them gain global recognition. I know many artists who originally learnt a different dance form, but later got attracted towards Kuchipudi. When I was learning Kuchipudi, we draped sarees as costumes and wore jewellery made from lightweight wood. Then came revolutionary changes in the aharya and also in the ways of presentation, giving the artform identity and recognition in every aspect.

My contributions are to be evaluated and appreciated by others.

If you insist, I would only say that being alive in the dance form since my boyhood through learning, teaching, and performing is the least I could do for this grand art form. Even now, I feel like a drop in the ocean of arts.

Q: If I may ask, in what ways are you different from your gurus?

It’s a rather interesting question.

There has been a considerable improvement in my temperament in the course of my life as a guru. When I was a student, the teaching methods were rough, and we used to be beaten up by gurus very often. Such practices

artograph were there in my teaching as well for some time, but eventually, I changed.

My disciples have total freedom to express their opinion on or off stage. Without freedom of expression, it is hard to bring out the uniqueness in an individual.

I do not want my students to be a replica of me, but make their own identity and perform better than me. Oppressing them with the authority of being a guru, doesn’t work well with this generation.

After all, in guru-shishya parampara, it is not just learning an art form, but knowing life lessons required to move forward.

Q: What does your experience suggest for the young generation?

The next generation will surpass the previous one. Success should not be something which others make you realise. It comes with Guru Jayarama Rao as Madhavi and T. Reddi Lakshmi as Satyabhama in 'Bhamakalapam', presented as part of 'Nartanam Conclave' in 2017 at Hyderabad.

PHOTO: AVINASH PASRICHA

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self-contentment, and it is best to discern it on your own. I was neither privileged nor had the amenities when I started, but on looking back, I feel the content of being able to make an identity using my abilities. Many artists of my generation had a similar start and reached the top of their careers. This generation has experienced gurus to guide them.

I believe in embracing vast possibilities the world offers, coming out from the web of comparisons, and being firm and determined. I already see many young artists with this conviction, and it feels great to see them touch the sky.

I would also like to remind the organisers that many young artists are very hardworking.

Despite having plenty of opportunities in other fields, many prefer learning and performing traditional art forms, which should be appreciated. We, as art promoters, should identify such talents and create more opportunities for them. And it’s the only way of keeping art alive.

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Q: We are going through an unprecedented pandemic situation. How does it affect your life?

I have never seen or experienced something like this during my entire lifetime. As someone from the older generation, it is difficult for me to operate or conduct online classes for children in this dire situation. I feel sorry for many students who depend on the space of their gurus for practice. I am concerned about many artists who face a financial crisis in this situation. Those who did not make art a business suffer the most today. Also, many are hesitant to ask for help, out of their self-esteem. It becomes even more difficult, as we do not know what is to follow. The world as a whole was not expecting something of this sort. All I can hope and pray is that let there be an end to this calamity soon. â—?

T. REDDI LAKSHMI, an established artist of ICCR, who has performed around the globe, is a recipient of the Indira Priyadarshini Award and Women Achiever Award. Govt. of Delhi has sponsored her to pursue the nuances of Kuchipudi under well-known guru Jayarama Rao.

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Opening the frontiers of

Kuchipudi HAREESH N. NAMPOOTHIRI

The first online international seminar on Kuchipudi brought several noted artists and connoisseurs in the field together.

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he pandemic, the varied levels of lockdown, and restraints in the movement have made a vacuum when it comes to art-related discourses. Shambhavi School of Dance hosted an online Kuchipudi seminar, first of its kind, featuring many artists and connoisseurs around the world. Though the sessions on the initial days were within the two hours mark, as the days went on, it often got extended by hours further, and it went on for half a month, touching a total of nearly 45 hours.

There is no doubt that the sessions were informative, as it explored many aspects of Kuchipudi in general and on specific topics. The speakers, all of them in some way or the other connected to the great lineage of gurus and traditions, were in their own houses, at their comfort, and they all seemed to be willing to share without bounds, compared to a formal presentation in the real world. But, so much information also made it hard to comprehend. With each session having enough content to make into separate write-ups, bringing it all together into one was even harder.

And it was Vyjayanthi Kashi all along, who conceptualized the event and convened the talks.

Prateeksha Kashi chipped in by

introducing the speakers and bringing the questions raised by viewers at the end of each session. A few of the sessions were in Telugu, which was a bit restrictive, at least for some viewers. Madhumathi K. and Rajashree Holla came to their rescue by providing a crux of each such sessions in English.

Initial sessions The online seminar got to a start featuring Raja Reddy and Vedantam Ramalinga Sastry. The former started talking on the greatness of Kuchipudi as an art form and remembered Vedantam Prahlada Sharma, who always looked for perfection among his students. Singing and performing a portion from the ashtapadi “Nijagadhasa...”, and demonstrating the lasya and tandava aspects made the session more intriguing.

Vedantam Ramalinga Sastry touched upon how the art form evolved over the years, and how Siddhendra Yogi opened a new stream with his magnum opus ‘Bhama Kalapam’. An interesting question raised was, why Satyabhama and not some other character? Ramalinga Sastry responded to it by saying, Bhama was apt to highlight the Advaita philosophy, and before Siddhendra no one else has explored that particular character.

The second day had renowned art critique Sunil Kothari and well known danseuse Rathna Kumar.

Being a dance historian as well, Sunil talked with a lot of passion and reminded of the good old days and artists during that period. The personal connection he had with the artists helped him to mention not only their artistic skills but also to touch upon their persona.

It was Vyjayanthi Kashi who conceived the idea and executed it under the aegis of her institution Shambhavi School of Dance.

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Raja Reddy (clockwise from top-left), Vedantam Ramalinga Sastry, Sunil Kothari, Rathna Kumar, Suvarnalatha Nemalakanti, Pasumarthi Ramalinga Sastry, Chinta Adinarayana Sarma, Pasumarthi Seshu Babu, Vedantam Radhesyam, and Yeleswarapu Chalapathi Sastry during their sessions.

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Rathna Kumar started with mentioning her gurus and why she decided to stick to Kuchipudi instead of Bharatanatyam. She welcomed changes but made it clear that the aesthetic aspects should not be compromised.

Within the constraints of the space, Rathna also took the trouble of presenting a few snippets from her repertoire.

Reminiscing the past Pasumarthi Ramalinga Sastry and Suvarnalatha Nemalakanti were the speakers on the next day.

Ramalinga Sastry shared about his association with Rukmini Devi and a few of the dance productions that they worked together.

The facilities of Kalakshetra made a difference, he recalled.

He also highlighted Kalakshetra’s style of using stage settings and different props, which was later adopted by Vempati Chinna Satyam as well. Compared to Yakshagana, this helped to reach the public more effectively. Speaking about the lost vachika tradition, he opinioned that leaving music to the orchestra has some benefits. But, if it is the musicians who do the music and dialogues, then it can’t be vachika abhinaya.

How Kuchipudi differentiates itself from other dance forms, like Bharatnatyam?

Suvarnalatha Nemalakanti started by answering this and demonstrated the torso move with fixed feet, an adavu typical to Kuchipudi. She also recalled a few jathis and portions of Tyagaraja keertana, that she learned from her guru.

Speaking of the musical aspects in dance, Suvarnalatha said it should blend like the fragrance to the flowers. Knowing the text and being well versed in music, like the dancers in olden days could be helpful, she observed.

Vedantam Radhesyam and Yeleswarapu Chalapathi Sastry,

two of the legends admired for their female lead roles were the speakers on the fourth day.

Vedantam Radhesyam told, for him, it was the lineage that made him. Right from childhood, he could familiarize with the tradition and had the opportunity to learn from multiple gurus. He explained about some of the roles that he excelled by presenting excerpts, and the portion from ‘Usha Parinayam’ turned out to be quite enthralling. Many things and items in the tradition are no longer learned or presented, which he thinks should be preserved, and not let them go forgotten.

Chalapathi Sastry outlined how Kuchipudi got evolved into a solo dance form. With the help of ‘Ramayana Sabdam’, he demonstrated how the abhinaya karma, as mentioned earlier, got refined to defined hand gestures over time. Transformation into the solo form also saw many more hasthas coming into practice. He concluded by acting the Kshetrayya padam “Challanayana manasu...”.

Chinta Adinarayana Sarma and Pasumarthi Seshu Babu were the speakers on the fifth day. Adinarayana Sarma remembered the days he learned the character of Prahlada, and how his guru emphasised on making it simple and less vigorous, focusing on the devotion. A short demonstration using the daravu from ‘Usha Parinayam’ with minimal as well as robust footwork helped the viewers get his point better. The vachika aspect also got to a back-

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seat, as Kuchipudi moved away from the Yakshagana tradition, he opinioned. However, agreeing to what Vyjayanthi Kashi has commented in between, he added what Vempati school did was making the dance form cross the boundaries by taking away the language barrier, and made it accessible to a broader audience.

for the artform. Sethuram focused mainly on his father Bhagavatula Ramakotaiah, and also his contemporaries. Speaking about the school that he belonged, mentioned how his father introduced female dancers to take up male roles, especially during a time when male dancers used to do even female characters.

Being from a traditional family, Pasumarthi Seshu Babu is also well versed in both dance and music. He sang some of the rare daravus from ‘Rama Natakam’ Yakshagana. To show how dance music is different from the concert, he sang a piece and showcased how with limited sangathis and focus shifting to bhava and tala, a composition will fit into dance. He further explained ‘Saptatala jathi’ and presented a portion of ‘Sringara Lahari’.

Usha Gayatri demonstrated the difference in style between her gurus, and their approach enabling a dancer to take the tradition forward than perform a few items. To make her point on padams, why it needs a more sensible approach based on the nayika, performed a Kshetrayya padam in raga Shahana.

Halfway through Bhagavatula Sethuram and Maddali Usha Gayatri, in their sessions on the sixth day, shared a lot of anecdotes with their late gurus. They both emphasised how they all dedicated their life

Smita Shastri and Seetha Nagajothy were the guests on the seventh day. After detailing her experience as a student of Kuchipudi hailing from Gujarat, Smita Shastri explained the repertoire of her guru C.R. Acharya.

She performed an ashtapadi and a sabdam to show the nuances of her guru’s choreography.

Being a disciple of Vempati Chinna Satyam, Seetha Naga-

jyothi told how she was able to contribute to her guru’s efforts to bring in the ideas of ‘Natyasastra’ into Kuchipudi, and further explained the process. She presented a ‘Krishna Sabdam’ and the popular thillana in raga Hindolam, which her guru choreographed for her arangetram.

The eighth day had Suryanarayana Sarma from Mahankali tradition and also P. Rama Devi, again a follower of the same school. Mahankali Suryanarayana Sarma got his training in both dance and music right from his childhood, and he mainly shared his experiences. Speaking about his works, mentioned about the complete choreography of ‘Krishna Leela Tarangini’, and demonstrated some footwork in some rare varieties of misra chapu and khanda chapu, based on Rupaka tala.

P. Rama Devi started by speaking how the legendary Kuchipudi gurus moulded their students for the art form in olden days.

While the foundation remained the same, it was in the nuances the schools diversified. As a scholar who had done extensive research in the art form, she shared a snapshot of her knowledge on different aspects. She also performed a snippet from ‘Golla Kalapam’, and the pravesa daravu of Ravana.

Narasimhachari and Vasanthalakshmi are a celebrated couple in the field, and the latter participated in the event the next day to talk about their dance journey.

By giving apt instances and anecdotes, Vasanthalakshmi could CONTINUED ON PAGE 20 ►

Bhagavatula Sethuram (clockwise from topleft), P. Rama Devi, Seetha Nagajothy, Smita Shastri, Mahankali Suryanarayana Sarma, Maddali Usha Gayathri, Leela Venkataraman, and Vasanthalakshmi Narasimhachari during their sessions.

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ffstage captures of octogenarian Kathakali maestro Kalamandalam Gopi from different venues. The photos in make-up were from backstage before he wears the headgear and transforms into the evening’s character. The capture on the right is when he attended the sixtieth birthday celebration of his disciple Kalamandalam Ramachandran Unnithan.

PHOTOS: HAREE FOTOGRAFIE

EXPOSURE: 1/50 | F2.2 | ISO 800 CANON EOS 450D / CANON EF 50MM F1.8 II EXPOSURE: 1/125 | F7.1 | ISO 800 CANON EOS 450D / SIGMA 70 - 300 MM F4-5.6 DG MACRO

THIS SEGMENT FEATURES PHOTOGRAPHS CAPTURED DURING LIVE PERFORMANCES OF DIFFERENT ARTISTS MANY YEARS BACK.

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make her points clear; how the artists managed to deliver their best irrespective of lack of facilities, on having the presence of mind, knowing the pulse of the audience, the importance of observing the world, and the like. She presented a few photographs from the past and also the video of one of their duet performances.

Art critique Leela Venkataraman was the next speaker for the day, and she began mentioning the artistic excellence of Yamini Krishnamurthy. Talking of the Kuchipudi village and the gurus in the early days, she discussed gender aspect in dance and elaborated how the body is an instrument which is asexual. She also traced how from a male-dominated tradition, Kuchipudi transformed into a female-oriented dance form.

The final lap On the tenth day of the seminar, Anuradha Jonnalagadda, after mentioning how she got trained in her childhood, elaborated upon how Kuchipudi evolved, following the changes in the society and catering to the needs of it, like films influencing the dance stream to have a structure. She had a methodological approach in explaining different aspects, and for the gender aspect, she mentioned that the gurus internalized and channelized the movements to suit the female. A meaningful way of teaching shall

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be instilling the habit of making the students think of what they are doing, she suggested. By showing two demonstration videos of Vempati Chinna Satyam - one that of Ravana and the other a nayika, Anuradha highlighted the unique approach of the visionary.

Pasumarthy Vithal on the next day started saying about how Yamini Krishnamurthy inspired him in the early days. Laced with a lot of song passages and extempore enactments, he shared a lot of his dance journey.

The day moved on to the session

by Aruna Bhikshu. To begin with, she talked about the socio-cultural-political scenario, prevailed during a time that the evolution in Kuchipudi started to happen.

She particularly mentioned Indrani Rahman and Lanka Annapurna to make her points in these lines. Remembering her guru Yeleswarapu Surya Prakasa Sarma, Aruna touched upon the specificities of the gestures and spontaneity of expressions that she learned from him. Later she also shared why and how she came up with ‘Rudrama Kalapam’, and also acted a short segment from it.

The twelfth day featured Vanaja Uday and Rajyalakshmi Seth.

Vanaja Uday initially talked about how she got introduced to her guru Uma Rama Rao, and then about her guru’s contributions. She also presented

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Anuradha Jonnalagadda (from left), Pasumarthy Vithal, Aruna Bhikshu, Vanaja Uday, Rajyalakshmi Seth, and Shobha Naidu during the sessions.

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an excerpt from ‘Sree Krishna Janaka Sabdam’. On the other hand, Rajyalakshmi Seth talked about her sisters and gurus Uma Rama Rao and Sumathy Kaushal.

Later she demonstrated a few of the rhythmic variations that they brought into their choreography works. The session concluded with a video record of the performance by Sumathy Kaushal.

The last individual speaker of the event was Shobha Naidu, and the session started with the streaming of an excerpt from “Marataka manimaya...”, a unique tarangam by Vempati Chinna Satyam, choreographed for herself. She touched upon who all inspired her, the dance journey that she has taken, her approach towards abhinaya pieces, among many things. Shobha then danced segments of a javali, roles of Padmavati and Satyabhama, portions from a few other items, and her dance did the talking for the rest of the session.

The last three days featured a handful of artists and gurus across the globe, and it was more like a set of interviews, aimed at finding the answers to some of the frequently asked questions connected to the repertoire. The event was streamed live in both Facebook and YouTube handles of Shambhavi School of Dance from May 07th to 21st. ●

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Live

Stream Strive PRIYANKA B.

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he dangers posed by the COVID-19 pandemic unlikely to end sooner, online art activities have become increasingly significant. The trend which began since the first phase of the lockdown continues, with the events getting a more serious and disciplined approach. Many programs got staged in traditional spaces with proper stage settings, and those who couldn’t afford ensured a reasonably good backdrop and lighting to meet the standards.

Leading by example Sangeet Natak Akademi, the pioneering institution in the field of performing arts, set an example by conducting a series of online events that excelled at artistic and academic levels. The Facebook page of SNA bustled with a lot of activity. More than 130 programmes in different categories, covering an average screen time of 60-90 minutes, got streamed during the period of May-June. The major attractions were ‘Deeksha’ online class series, ‘Abhivyakti’ presentations from Akademi’s archives, and ‘Antarang’ Facebook lives series incorporating eminent artists.

Deeksha series featured Kathak, Manipuri, Sattriya, Chhau, and Kutiyattam classes curated by pioneering institutions

Rajendra Kumar Gangani was one of the mentors of 'Deeksha' event by SNA. This shot is from his Kathak recital at the 'Soorya Dance and Music Festival 2017', organized by Soorya India.

HAREE FOTOGRAFIE [ARCHIVES]

The ongoing pandemic situation made online initiatives more significant, and many programs got staged during the period.

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training these art forms. The Kathak classes by Rajendra Gangani and the Kutiyattam sessions by Ammannur Parameswara Chakyar and Margi Sajeev Narayana Chakyar elevated the standards for webbased arts education.

The documentary films and recorded videos from SNA’s archives offered insights into the vast plethora of India’s heritage that encompasses traditional and folk art forms. Under ‘Abhivyakti’ and ‘Sampreshan’ series, nearly thirty programmes were shared, all bearing the testimonials of commendable research.

The docu films on Mani Madhava Chakyar, K.P. Kittappa Pillai, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, and Pandanallur Subbaraya Pillai offered rasikas and performers a blessed opportunity to explore the lives of these legendary artists. Videos on shadow puppetry, Bhoota Aradhana, Mayurbhanj Chhau, Manipuri Raas, and folk dance forms of the north reminded rasikas of the cultural richness of the country.

From the documentary film on Mani Madhava Chakyar and the dance performance in the 'Yog Parv' events.

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SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI fb.me/sangeetnatak

IICF Middle East did a commendable job by conducting a series of live events on their Facebook page.

'Poothanamoksham' presented by Kalanilayam Madhumohan under the aegis of IICF Middle East.

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IICF MIDDLE EAST fb.me/iicfme

Variety of programs An organisation of this stature, SNA takes the credit for possessing such rare records of historical significance and the efforts to share them with the public highlights their commitment to arts and the art fraternity. Nevertheless, there were fewer performance videos of dance forms from the South, with the only exception of tanavarnam

by Leela Ramanathan. Hoping that this aspect will be taken care of in the forthcoming months, as the Akademi is still in full swing.

The ‘Antarang’ series gave birth to fresh ideas, and those who shared their experience and expertise were the well-known Deepti Omchery Bhalla (Mohiniyattam), Gopal Prasad Dubey (Chhau) and Jitendra Maharaj (Kathak). K.G. Paulose, Sanskrit scholar and the former vice-chancellor of Kerala Kalamandalam also joined through his lecture on Rasa theory. Besides, the Akademi hosted a three-day festival, ‘Yog Parv’ in connection with International Day of Yoga, featuring

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the interdependence of various art forms with yoga.

Organised as a series of lecture-demonstrations and live performances, those who participated included seasoned artists like Mandakini Trivedi, Aruna Mohanty, Padma Subrahmanyam, Kanak Rele, Rajkumar Singhajit Singh etc. Kalamandalam Prasanthi and Kalamandalam Sangeetha marked the presence of Kerala through Nagiarkoothu performances in ‘Yog Parv’.

More shows going live International Indian Cultural Forum (IICF Middle East), aimed at promoting traditional Indian classical art forms and popularising it abroad, did a commendable job by conducting a series of live events on their Facebook page. A few of the videos were later made available via YouTube as well.

The solo performance of ‘Poothanamoksham’ Kathakali, was the first among the list of programs. The play by Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma centres around the demoness Poothana who sets out to kill little Krishna, upon the orders of King Kamsa. The particular scene in the play depicts Poothana in disguise as a beautiful lady reaching Ambadi, and her attempt to breastfeed Krishna with poison. Kalanilayam Madhumohan enacted Poothana, to the musical accompaniment offered by Nedumbally Ram Mohan and Naveen in the vocal, Kalamandalam Nandakumar on the chenda, and Kalamandalam Venu on the maddalam.

Vinitha Nedungandi made an enthralling Mohiniyattam recital by presenting a few of the noted numbers. She began with a pure dance piece ‘Mukhajalam’, composed by Kavalam Narayana Panicker in indigenous tala Panchari. She then moved on to a keerthanam “Omkara karini madahankara...”, a composition of M. Balamuralikrishna in praise of goddess Tripura Sundari.

Vinitha continued with one of her most lauded work “Karukare karmukil...”, a rain song in Samantha Malahari, yet again a composition of Kavalam Narayana Panicker. Employing the less explored rasa ‘Preyas’, she achieves communion with nature by taking the form of a peacock who dances and rejoices under the cloudy sky.

Swathi Tirunal padam “Poonthen nermozhi..”, in Anandabhairavi followed, and she concluded with the endearing lullaby “Omanathinkal kidavo...”, by Irayimman Thampi.

Vinitha Nedungadi presents "Karukare karmukil..." in 2017, for an event organized by Sopanam commemorating Kavalam Narayana Panicker.

HAREE FOTOGRAFIE [ARCHIVES]

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artograph Novel choreography Rajashree Warrier ruled the stage and conquered hearts while she gave her Bharatanatyam recital featuring three self-choreographed items, that demonstrated her skill and command over the artform. She opened with ‘Sankirna Alarippu’ a traditional piece interspersed with a Ganesha sloka.

The crux of her recital was the varnam, “Sakhiye indha jalam...”, a composition of K.N. Dandayudhapani Pillai in raga Sankarabharanam. Here the love-smitten nayika converses with her sakhi to bring her beloved, in the absence of whom she passes through a state of deprivation. Pensive, the nayika neither realises the fleeting of time nor can eat or drink. She boldly declares her love for the lord and gives several instances where he appeared before those who seek his refuge.

The choreographic brilliance of Rajashree was evident as she moved to “Shudi koduthavalai kudi mana maalai shudi...”. In the charanam, where she depicted the legend of young Andal, who offered garlands to the Lord but not before wearing it herself.

Blessed for her selfless and innocent love, she is one among many others, including the Pandavas and Panchali who reckoned his magnanimity.

Rajashree concluded her recital with the well-known keerthanam “Manasa sancharare...”, composed by Sadasiva Brahmendra. In this abhinaya oriented piece, she introduced the saga of the Kuchela who sets forth to meet Krishna, through the perspective of the wife of the poor Brahmin.

In the enlivening roleplay, the sad plight of the family and the meeting with Krishna got portrayed in a heartwarming manner.

Besides dance segments, IICF also featured a musical concert by Kavalam Srikumar and a talk on the aesthetic aspects of ‘Nalacharitham’ Kathakali play led by Ettumanoor P. Kannan.

Focus on Mohiniyattam The third edition of Kanak Nrityotsav, in honour of the legendary dancer Kanak Rale, combined talents in the field of Mohiniyattom. Curated by her senior disciple Sunanda Nair, the near one-hour, pre-recorded Rajashree Warrier during the presentation of the varnam "Sakhiye indha jalam..." at Vyloppilli Samskrithi Bhavan, T'puram in Dec 2018.

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session featured four dancers.

The performance began with a short clipping of Kanak Rele depicting the Hasya rasa in a performance from her past.

The first performer was the young Meghna Muralidharan, who presented the Ashtapadi “Ganayati gunagramam bhamam..”, in Ragamalika, where the nayika converses with her sakhi, recollecting the moments of lovemaking spent with Lord Krishna. Following this, Salini Harikumar presented the Swathi Tirunal Keerthanam, “Gangeya vasanadhara Padmanabha..”, in raga Hamir Kalyani, elaborating the virtues and endearing traits of Lord Padmanabha.

The Mohiniyattam adaptation of the evergreen Kathakali padam “Ajitha hare jaya..”, by Mini Pramod Menon came up next. The slow tempo of the padam, when met with skilful abhinaya by the dancer, made it quite an interesting watch. Presented by San-

geetha Prasad, “Bhasurangi bale madana..”, the Swathi Thirunal keerthana in raga Saveri was the final piece. The accompaniment of live musicians/music added charm to her performance.

Artists of Natanakairali paid a befitting tribute to their guru Nirmala Paniker, who turned seventy, through a series of performances hosted online. ‘Desi’ items such as Mookkuthi, Kurathi and Poli revived by Nirmala Paniker were presented by disciples Sandra Pisharody, Anupama Suresh and Meenakshy Rajesh respectively. Sneha Sasikumar, Shruthi Kezhakepuram Purushotham, Hridya Haridas, Anju Peter, Keiko Okano and Gopika G. Nath were among those who joined the celebrations.

Traditional shows For traditional art forms like Kutiyattam and Koothu, the shift into an online platform may not have been easy. Fuelled by the compelling circumstances, pioneering

Participants of 'Kanak Nrityotsav'; Mini Pramod Menon (clockwise from top-left), Kalamandalam Sangeetha, Meghna Muralidharan, and Salini Harikumar.

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institutions in the field came up with live sessions, kindling hope among its practitioners besides giving the younger generation an exposure to these, otherwise confined to the limits of Koothambalam.

‘Nepathya Centre for Excellence in Koodiyattam’ hosted a series of well-arranged live programmes as part of their online initiative.

Chakyar Koothu by Nepathya Sreehari Chakyar (Part three of ‘Parasuramavijayam’), based on the episode of debate between Lord Rama and Parasurama was the inaugural performance.

The lesser staged Padakam narrating the story of Dasaratha’s curse by Nepathya Jinesh, ‘Gita Govindam’ Nangiar Koothu by Indu G., ‘Parnasalankam’ Kutiyattam - Lakshmana’s recapitula-

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Indu G. performs 'Gita Govindam' Nangiar Kuthu (clockwise from right), Rahul Chakyar, and Yadu Krishnan during their respective performances.

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NEPATHYA CENTRE FOR EXCELLENCE IN KOODIYATTAM fb.me/NepathyaMoozhikulam

tion by Nepathya Rahul Chakyar, the second part of ‘Viswamithragamanam’ Chakyar Koothu

by Nepathya Yadu Krishnan K.R. formed part of the performance series. Besides, Nepathya also organised a lecture-demonstration on the significance of the idakka in Kutiyattam, by Kalanilayam Rajan.

Margi, T’puram staged their monthly programme for June live online. ‘Panchaliswayamvaram’ Chakyar Koothu by Margi Sajeev Narayana Chakyar and ‘Seethaswayamvaram’ NangiarKoothu by Margi Usha were featured. Moreover, the ‘Kutiyatta Mudraparichayam’ class led by Margi Usha, familiarising the mudras used in Kutiyattam, is progressing in a way that benefits even the naive audience.

Thodayam Kathakali Yogam over their Facebook page livestreamed ‘Duryodhanavadham’ play much to the amusement of

Kathakali enthusiasts.

Video productions Margi released a five-minute Kathakali play titled ‘Jagratha’ to create awareness about the spread of Coronavirus and the need to fight it collectively.

Written and choreographed by Margi Vijayakumar, the play makes use of three characters; the virus (Karutha thadi), the common man (Minukku) and a saviour (Pacha) enacted by Margi Suresh, Margi Vijayakumar and Margi Balasubrahmanyan respectively. The act had the accompanying support of Kalanilayam Vishnu in the vocal, Kalamandalam Krishnadas on the chenda and Margi Ratnakaran on the maddalam.

Paris Laxmi came up with “Odi poyidu Coronave...”, a dance video highlighting the battle between the deadly virus and the despairing mankind. The virus ferocious and inhuman is fought

by will-power, leading to the restoration of normalcy. Conceptualised, directed and choreographed

by Paris Laxmi, the video makes use of lyrics penned by M.D.M. Kalaiselvi Puliyoor Kesigan, sung

by Bhagyalakshmi Guruvayur.

Another attempt along similar lines was the video ‘Mother Earth’, paying tributing to nature and the need to curb violence against it, released on the occasion of World Environment Day. Titled ‘Sanjeevani’, Parvathy Chandran presented a 45-minute live recital, accompanied by her students Nandana Gopan and Sangeetha Santhosh. Breaking the barriers of home interiors, the presentation which took place in the professional space offered

by Cameo Light Studio became a refreshing experience in itself.

Cameo also staged ‘Malsyagandhi’, a Malayalam one-act play written by Sajitha Madathil, narrating the woes of fisherfolk

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Paris Laxmi in her video production 'Mother Earth' and Shylaja P. Ambu (top) enacts the role of fisher women in the drama 'Malsyagandhi'.

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CAMEO LIGHT fb.me/cameolight.net

enacted by Shylaja P. Ambu.

Interactive sessions Bharat Bhavan - Kerala, organised a series of interactive sittings incorporating experts from various fields. Among those who enriched the audience with their thoughts and dance excerpts were danseuses Rajashree Warrier, Neena Prasad and Methil Devika MARGI THEATRE fb.me/margitheatre BHARAT BHAVAN - KERALA fb.me/BharatBhavanKeralaOfficial

Margi Sajeev Narayana Chakyar (clockwise from bottom-left) and Margi Usha during their live sessions by Margi Theatre, and Methil Devika and Neena Prasad speaking on the 'Navamadhyama Sargavedi', a show hosted by Bharat Bhavan Kerala.

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in sessions moderated by Sajna Vinish, Vidya Pradeep and Usha Raja Warrier respectively.

‘Manathe Macholam’, a revisiting of Kavalam Narayana Panicker’s works presented by Sopanam Institute of Performing Arts, proved delightful.

Ammannur Chachu Chakyar Smaraka Gurukulam over their Facebook page conducted an online lecture series - ‘Natyasurabham’, enumerating on the aesthetic aspects of traditional artforms. Those who led the sessions include G. Venu, Kapila Venu, Ammannur Kuttan Chakyar, Ammannur Rajaneesh Chakyar, Kalamandalam Rajeev and

Kalamandalam K.P. Narayanan Nambiar.

‘Lāsya Mukharika’, an online interview series curated by Malavika Menon in her YouTube channel witnessed the coming together of Mohiniyattam exponents. The theatre talk series conducted by Lokadharmi Theatre, Kochi on Zoom platform also caught attention.

For young practitioners of arts, online dance festivals served as an opportunity to showcase the talent and pursue their passion amidst the crisis. All India Dancer’s Association (AIDA), Nãdãmrutha, and Maarga School of Arts curated dance festivals incorporating upcoming and established artists. Many innovative attempts are also in the line, featuring artists coming together from various locations in a single video. The wide reach of online platforms has created ‘generation next’ artists and rasikas who can create and enjoy performances at their leisure. But the far-reaching implications of the emerging trend should be reviewed and discussed as well. ● PRIYANKA B. is a post-graduate in English

literature and an art enthusiast who enjoys photographing classical dance performances. She currently works as Postal Assistant with Department of Posts, India.

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Staging the

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LIGHTS

â– HAREE FOTOGRAFIE

SREEKANTH

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I

t was not long ago that the profession of lighting was totally in the hands of the so-called technicians ‘lightmen’ or ‘lightwala’.

They had very little knowledge of the principles or even the difference between various art forms. Their role was only to illuminate the venue at its fullest and make sure that it is stable and without interruption. Also, they showed their gimmicks by changing colours, flickering and smoking the stage. Enhancing the aesthetic appeal of performances through illumination was not explored in detail. The light designers of yore neither had a chance nor did they advance deep into their profession.

In early days the ‘lightwalas’ hardly explored the scope of enhancing the aesthetic appeal of performances through illumination.

The history of all art forms shows a gradual development over a period. So is the technology associated with the use of stage lighting and other areas concerning performing arts. Nowadays floodlights have given way to intelligent lights, known as luminaires or light fixtures. Different types of modern LED lights, spotlights along with conventional PAR lights, strips and scoops expand the scope of lighting.

They can do much more than the elemental stationary illumination.

More advanced ways to configure, operate, and effectively utilise them, made the job easier and allowed the light designers to emphasise the artist and the mood required on each instance.

Bridging the gaps To utilise the stage lighting for the effective communication between the performer and the audience, it is also essential to methodically study the advancements in the field over the years. When floodlights were in use, the sole purpose was to illuminate or make everything visible. The word ‘everything’ has a lot of significance here.

In modern times, the light designer has much more to contribute.

Now he has to know his tools and make use of them, in technically and artistically proficient ways, to reveal the subject inline with the theme of the presentation. However, it doesn’t happen with the involvement of the light designer alone. To make this exchange possible, the artists also should have some awareness about the basic concepts and principles of lighting. And at the same time, lighting designer also needs to know the type of art form, the theme, the mood, and the atmosphere that the performer intends to create on stage.

designer who focuses on artistic and expressive light arrangements. He is also the founding director of Cameo Light Academy, T’puram, an institution offering courses on light design.

The communication between the artist and the lighting designer should begin right from the inception stage of the work. Starting from script discussion, the costume selection, colours CONTINUED ON PAGE 33 ►

■ CAMEO LIGHT

SREEKANTH is an ace stage lighting

The improper use of the lights and communication gap between a particular artist and the lighting designer might result in some unwanted outcome. In short, if the lighting turns out to be less effective, the responsibility lies with both the players.

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a blend of

W

TWO PADMINI KRISHNAN

e often say ‘necessity is the mother of invention’, and our journey together performing ‘Nritha Samanvayam’ was one such that myself along with my sister Draupadi embarked years back. Many a time we come across the same question, what is it? Well, a little history before coming to that question.

Myself and Draupadi were trained in different classical artforms right from childhood. Myself furthered studies in Kuchipudi, while she chose

Bharatanatyam, and eventually, we both started to perform solo. However, when we got an opportunity to perform at the ‘Nada Neerajanam’ stage of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, the single-slot required us to come together, and it was then we came up with ‘Nritha Samanvayam’.

The basic idea was to bring both dance forms together on stage without losing their unique characteristics. The response from the audience in the initial stages was mixed, as many people perceived

'Nritha Samanvayam' by Padmini Krishnan and Draupadi Praveen as part of 'Onaghosham 2014' organized by Dept. of Tourism, Govt. of Kerala.

PHOTO: HAREE FOTOGRAFIE

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it to be an entirely new art form. However, we aimed to present them together, sharing the same music and concepts but following the original technique. In effect, the audience gets the opportunity to experience the two different dance streams through a common, shared platform.

‘Neelamana Sisters’, Padmini Krishnan and Draupadi Praveen are known for their Bharatanatyam - Kuchipudi duet performances titled ‘Nritha Samanvayam’, integrating the nuances of both the repertoires.

Bringing them together Combining two diverse dance forms like Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam comes with its own set of challenges. Foremost among this is to retain the authenticity and tradition of both, without one influencing the other. Easy said than done! Having trained and acquainted in both the artforms, we both had to keep ourselves under check, making sure we are not accidentally slipping into the other form.

The place of origin, language, adavus, and mudras being unique to both of these, achieving a communion demanded stringent planning and a careful approach. We started by making a set of guidelines to follow at the time of choreography and performance. Bharatanatyam native to Tamil Nadu follows natyadharmi, whereas Kuchipudi from Andhra Pradesh conforms more to lokadharmi. The gestures in the former follow ‘Abhinaya Darpana’

by Nandikeshvara, whereas the latter takes Bharata Muni’s ‘Natya Shastra’ as the basis.

The dance interpretation of lyrics in Bharatanatyam and the adavus, for instance in thillana, were attended to while permitting the freedom of movement that Kuchipudi demands. The stage space had to be shared, keeping in mind equal emphasis for both items and keeping intact the symmetry of the dance arena. Lord Nataraja, being the presiding deity of Bharatanatyam, the base emotion becomes Veera or valour, whereas in Kuchipudi the underlying sentiment becomes Sringara, attributed to Lord Vishnu. The characters portrayed justified our body language, with the expressionist tendencies of both art forms given due regard.

Considering the audience The audience at different venues possess different

■ HAREE FOTOGRAFIE

The regional and cultural differences have attributed distinct ways in which these art forms got perceived and propagated. For example, even a basic mudra like the one denoting the sun is different for both Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi. The distinction in abhinaya elements also demanded caution while merging the two dance items. The rules for choreography being unique for both, bringing innovation while adhering to the basics was the key.

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sensibilities, and the choreography had to consider the comprehensive capabilities of all. Rasikas include those who don’t have a fair idea regarding classical dance forms, those who learn the dance forms, and the dance connoisseurs. While the former group enjoys synchronisation and stage presence, the latter sections care about the subtler aspects.

One of our early work was the evergreen composition “Bhavayami Raghuramam..”, wherein several characters from Ramayana got depicted back to back. During choreography, we delved deeper taking into account the attitude of the dance forms, prospects of abhinaya, and the aesthetics of movements. Both Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi has its roots in the dance drama tradition. To enliven the legend, we have also choreographed a few dance dramas. ‘Aatmanivedanam’, a re-interpretation of Ramayana through the perspective of Sita and Urmila was one such. Here, apart from Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi, we have also used the possibilities of Tholpavakoothu, an ancient art form widely regarded as the precursor to drama. ‘Swathi Smrithi’ comprising the compositions of Swathi Tirunal and ‘Vasantham’ portraying ten virtues through the different incarnations of Lord Vishnu, and ‘Tamaso ma Jyotirgamaya’ leading from darkness to light were a few others.

Both of us give solo performances but performing together offers great delight and contentment. Besides rejuvenating the audience through something new, we also get an opportunity to share thoughts and beliefs, which is an enriching experience in itself. ‘Nritha Samanvayam’ enjoys the support and blessings from our gurus and wellwishers, and has been instrumental in going ahead with this experimental approach. ● A scene from 'Aatmanivedanam' presented as part of the 2013 edition of 'Parampara Dance Festival' by Soorya India.

PHOTO: HAREE FOTOGRAFIE

Combining two diverse dance forms like Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam comes with its own set of challenges.

PADMINI KRISHNAN is trained in multi-

ple classical art forms and focuses on Kuchipudi for over a decade. She has won several accolades and has performed at many prestigious dance festivals, along with her sister Draupadi Praveen. She is a doctor by profession.

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FROM PAGE 29 ►

on stage, makeup, rehearsals, and until the performance, the lighting designer and performer must effectively collaborate to give the audience the intended experience.

One such instance, in my career, was the lighting done for the drama, ‘Shakuntalam’ by Kavalam Narayana Panicker, which was hugely appreciated.

In one of the instance where Dushyantha imagines Shakuntala, a distinctive treatment enhanced the visual dimension of the scene, making it better conveyed to the audience.

Learning the lighting Light designing institutions, where technicians and designers of light get formally trained, ensuring quality and expertise are indeed a need of the hour. Cameo Light Academy, based in T’puram, works towards achieving this. Here, the focus is to provide practical and theoretical knowledge in stage lighting while uncompromising on quality

and expertise.

Educating the lighting designers alone will not be fruitful unless the artists know how to use the capabilities and knowledge of this group. Dancers and theatre artists should have an idea regarding the basics of lighting such as positioning during a performance, costumes and colours, space and stage management, various terminologies related to lighting and so on.

Keeping this in mind, Cameo Light Academy ventured on a series of workshops titled ‘beAware’, to bridge the gap between artists and light designers.

The response was highly positive, and it was appreciated both by the artistic and technical fraternity alike.

To sum up, the give-and-take between the artists and the light designers help each other to advance in their career and leave a lasting impression on the audience. ●

A dreamy sequence from the drama 'Shakuntalam' directed by Kavalam Narayana Panicker. Light design was done by Cameo Light.

PHOTO: HAREE FOTOGRAFIE

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A hub of birds: In the Little Rann of Kutch, the bird variety ranges from desert birds to water birds. Every year thousands of Lesser Flamingos migrate to their favourite spot from different parts of the world. A variety of birds were there, starting from small plovers to the fastest moving Falcons in the world. In this particular picture, taken in Jan 2019, a group of Lesser Flamingos are about to take off.

EXPOSURE: 1/1000 | F6.7 | ISO 2500 CANON EOS 7D MARK II / TAMRON SP 150-600 F5-6.3 DI VC USD G2

FEATURED

RAHANA HAB EEB

A walk in the clouds: Uttarakhand is a corridor to the mighty Himalayas, and a beautiful hub of Himalayan birds. One gets to see specific varieties of species at each different elevations.

Overall the place is a heavenly paradise of birds from tiny Finches to mighty Himalayan Griffon Vultures. As we climb up the mountains from the lower hill area of Nainital, the clouds will create magic all over the way. It was clicked in March 2020, just before COVID-19 affected the travels.

EXPOSURE: 1/250 | F16.0 | ISO 160 CANON EOS 7D MARK II / TAMRON SP 150-600 F5-6.3 DI VC USD G2

THIS SEGMENT IS FOR SHUTTERBUGS AND FEATURES ONE TALENT IN EACH ISSUE ALONG WITH TWO PHOTOGRAPHS.

R

ahana Habeeb is a freelance conservation wildlife photographer, painter, and a blogger who has been actively pursuing her interests since 2012. Presently a columnist in Kerala Kaumudi daily and Aranyam Magazine of Kerala Forest Department, her writeups on birds and endangered species, reflect her passion towards nature. She also pens regularly in Mathrubhumi Yathra, Manorama Traveller, and a few other publications.

The founder of ‘Green Voyage’, a nature conservation group and ‘Art and Alchemy’, a photography community, Rahana became a Certified Educator of National Geographic Society in 2018.

How did you initiate into photography?

The fascination towards nature attracted me into painting and later on to photography. In 2001, I learnt pencil sketching from a personal tutor, and in 2010, joined Sivan’s Institute to learn photography. My first wildlife trip to Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, under the guidance of renowned photographer Balan Madhavan, became the game-changer and my tryst with nature began since then.

About your area of interest in photography...

As a photographer, my core area is Conservation Wildlife Photography. I try to bring an element of nature conservation in most of my captures. Being in India, which is rich in diverse topography, I also have an interest in landscape photography.

Share the details of your gear in use.

Currently, I am using Canon 7D Mark II and Canon 6D Mark II cameras along with lenses Canon 100-400mm, Tamron 150-600mm, Canon 16-35mm and Canon 35mm.

Web: fb.me/rahana.habeeb

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Playlist

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Readers’ Response ‘Mother and Baby Elephant’ ft. Neha Bhatnagar 02:45 | 2020 Jun 07 Danseuse Nehha Bhatnagar offers her simple humble tribute to the gentlest giants that are elephants. The soundtrack used is ‘Elephant Bath’ from Wild Karnataka OST by Ricky Kej.

Watch it here: bit.ly/ag-nb-elephant

‘Panchasudhi’ ft. Kalamandalam Dhanusha Sanyal 16:52 | 2020 May 28 In this dance video, danseuse Kalamandalam Dhanusha Sanyal explains Sree Narayana Guru’s concept of ‘Panchasudhi’ connected with body, words, mind, senses, and house.

Watch it here: bit.ly/ag-panchasudhi

‘Odi Poyidu Coronave’ ft. Paris Laxmi 04:49 | 2020 May 11 Dancer-actor Paris Laxmi impersonates humans on one side and Coronavirus on the other and presents the fight between the two.

The vocal is by Bhagyalakshmi Guruvayoor.

Watch it here: bit.ly/ag-pl-opc

Various facets of art Reading experiences of different artists from different journos gives a fresh perspective to look into that art next time when we watch.

Praveen Kumar

Artist (Bengaluru, India)

Event Highlights: Bharatanatyam Rangapravesam ft. Gopika Raj Pillai 40.00 | 2020 May 05 Event highlights video of the Bharatanatyam Rangapravesam by Gopika Raj Pillai, disciple of guru Nirmala Nagarajan, a senior faculty at the Kalakshetra Foundation, Chennai.

Watch it here: bit.ly/nm-hl-gopika

“Kantha njanum varam...” ft. Sruthy Jayan 04:51 | 2020 May 02 Dancer-actor Sruthi Jayan presents a young lady who’s disappointed about the absence of Pooram this year because of the pandemic.

The song is by Masala Coffee band.

ADVT.

Watch it here: bit.ly/ag-kantha-sruthy

We do love to hear from you. Please do send in your feedback and comments using the online form available in here: bit.ly/ag_response