A tribute, in dance, to a legendary singer

Natyanjali Australia was conceived in 2008 with a vision to promote Indian classical dancing in Australia. On 1 May they pieced together a delightful evening of entertainment which had contributions from well known choreographers –Shurajit (a well-known TV producer from Jaya TV), Kelucharan Mahapatra (a world-renowned guru of Odissi dance), Hamsa Venkat (a Sydney-based dancer, teacher and choreographer whose work is already known to Sydney audiences) and finally Masako Ono from Japan, who gave a charming Odissi recital and crowned it with a couple of contemporary items choreographed by herself . The highlight of the evening was a choreographed tribute to the late Smt. ML Vasanthakumari on her 81st birth anniversary.

MLV as she is fondly called, is a household name with a huge fan following among Carnatic music lovers – her massive contribution to the artform is ranked alongside that of MS Subbalakshmi as a top notch Carnatic musician. Radhika Shurajit described the event as an earnest attempt to create visual images of MLV’s music – a highly challenging task. Not only was this a novel way of recreating MLV’s renditions as a classical singer, but her role as a playback singer of yore in feature films where she lent her voice for the famous Travancore sisters.

Radhika Shurajit obviously delved into the past, researched the essence of MLV’s melody and gave it shape through talented dancers, dance teachers and their students. Those who participated in the workshop must have worked through demanding schedules indeed for this event’s dance items.

Radhika, the senior most disciple of Dhananjayan, is a famous dancer and choreographer for feature films and produces the popular dance show Taka Dhimi Tha of which Jaya TV has telecast over 400 episodes.

The evening kicked off with Saravanabhava choreographed by Hamsa Venkat, which described the beauty of Lord Muruga, the six headed son of Lord Shiva. The dancers portrayed aspects of Lord Muruga’s life as he preached to his father, his obtaining his favourite weapon, ‘the vel’ (spear) from his mother Parvathi and his slaying of Tarakasura and his marriage to Valli, the gypsy girl. Govinda Pillai, Divya Sriram and Sangeetha Sriram acquitted themselves creditably in their respective roles.

Radhika Shurajit’s bharatanatyam troupe

Radhika Shurajit’s invocation song Aadum Arul Jothi sung by MLV in praise of Nataraja the Lord of Dance and Bharatanatyam, was a pleasing blend of ‘bhava’, ‘ragam’ and ‘talam’, and dancers depicted the various aspects of worship of “the Nataraja”.

Maalai Varum Velai which followed, described the beauty of Lord Muruga, his “vahanam (vehicle)”, the peacock and his consorts Valli and Devanai. MLV’s music conveys the “bhakthi bhava” in her unique “MLV Bhani (style)”.

Aadal Kaaneero was the next item in MLV’s magical voice. It illustrated the collection of anecdotes from the Shiv Purana and the several miracles depicted in dance form by the artistes.

Ayyasami and Kavadi, folk numbers crisply rendered by MLV, were matched by the swift movements of the dancers on stage.

Konjum Puravey and Andhi Mayangudhadi were items that conveyed the ‘shringara rasa’ - the dancers were maidens yearning for their lovers.

Aadatha Manamum was a musical dialogue between the hero and the heroine and MLV’s solo singing replicated this by singing in a lower base to create the mood for adaptation in a Bharatanatyam format.

Baro Krishnayya turned out to be a most appealing item owing to a combination of Sri Purandaradasa’s composition and sung by MLV’s mellifluous voice. Shanti Raman who danced the item showed a professional touch by her rhythmic movements and excellent ‘abhinaya’ .

The last item before the intermission was the Thillana MLV had sung this for the Hindi film Chori Chori under the direction of Shanker Jaikishen. The Bharatanatyam adaptation of this Thillana was attempted for the first time and was marked by precision and beautiful movements. As always, this item brings a sense of climax to the proceedings. To the credit of the choreographer, it must be said that it was a magnificent effort. It contained the variety, the rhythm, the bhava and the abhinaya where appropriate even though it must have been a tough ask of the performers to bring forth their best in most of the items, which were of a short duration (between 3 and 4 minutes).

A divine journey:

Masako Ono’s Odissi recital

Natyanjali Australia deserves commendation for presenting Masako Ono, a dancer with several feathers to her cap. She has trained with Martha Graham Dance School, USA. She is proficient in Western Classical Ballet, Jazz and Hip Hop (which she learnt at K-Broadway Dance Centre, Tokyo) and contemporary martial arts dance forms in Japan and India – of course, in addition to learning and perfecting the Odissi Dance under the guidance of well known Odissi dancers like Protima Bedi and Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra for the last 15 years.

Masako Ono has performed and conducted lecture demonstrations in USA, Canada, Italy, France, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. She has performed for Prime Ministers Shinzo Abe and Junichiro Koizumi in Japan. The Acting Japanese ConsulGeneral in Sydney attended her Sydney performance.

With such impressive credentials, Masako Ono appears to have her feet firmly planted on the ground and her rapport with the Sydney audience was to be appreciated. She commenced her recital with 2 items choreographed by Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra – the Hamsadhwani Pallavi and an Ashtapati from Gita Govinda by Jaideva. Masako appeared quite relaxed throughout - when depicting a blossoming flower or when portraying a despairing Radha pining for Lord Krishna in full knowledge of their physical separation but their spiritual unification. Her ‘abhinaya’ was par excellence despite her natural disadvantage of ‘expressive eyes’ that some of the Indian dancers use to aid their emoting.

Shiva Panchakshari, a ‘stotra’ by Adi Jagadguru Sri Sankaracharya Bhagavatpada, was choreographed by Naba Kishore Mishra. Masako Ono’s item included salutations to Lord Shiva the wearer of “Nagendra” (King of Serpents), “bhasma” (ashsmeared body) and bearer of the “Third Eye”. She appeared very genuine as a worshipper of the Supreme Lord.

The last two items presented by her were her own choreography – the Divinity Within (Kundalini Satvah) and Frozen Grace (Visual Haiku)”. In these numbers she was at pains to demonstrate the “Shakti within” and the cosmic energy of Sri Kundalini which is behind spiritual transformation. Kundalini is described as residing within the human body – coiled like a serpent at the base of the spine. is depicting a butterfly in a freezing cold winter who gathers all her strength to brave the cold and reach higher spaces. The butterfly symbolises the beginning and the end of life. Both these items were brilliantly conceived and performed by the artiste. Whilst the Kundalini Stavah is from an ancient Sanskrit text, the Rudra Yamala Tantra and a prayer to Serpentine Goddess Kundalini, the Haiku is a poem inspired by Zen Buddhism. For the audience it was an ‘evening to remember’ and will linger in the memory for a while.

Malli Iyer

Jayanthi 2010

Sydney’s Carnatic music lovers came together on ANZAC Day (25th April) at Dundas Community Centre to celebrate the anniversary of Swathi Tirunal Maharajah who was the ruler of Travancore State from 1829 to 1846. Swathi Tirunal was a great patron of music who encouraged Hindustani as well as Carnatic music. A great composer, he made over 400 compositions in the Carnatic style of music. He was an ardent devotee of Lord Padmanabha. During his lifetime he learnt 9 Indian languages including Sanskrit, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Oriya, Kannada, Marathi and Telugu. He studied music from his childhood and propogated the art in the Travancore State by honouring visiting musicians, scholars and poets.

Maharajah Swathi Tirunal was a poet, scholar, musician and composer himself. He studied astronomy and established an observatory which is still in operation in Thiruvananthapuram today. He was also responsible for creating a press, a public library, a museum and zoo all of which are today in the hands of State Government authorities. He was one among the benevolent rulers who patronised arts and culture.

Swathi Tirunal Jayanthi is organised by a handful of Keralite families, prominent of whom are Mrs. Prema Ananthakrishnan, Uma and Ramu Ayyar and Jay Raman. The annual get together is attended by the Indian community in large numbers. The function started with a small pooja to Lord Ganesha and followed by group singing of Bhaavayaami Raghuramam which is one of the well known compositions of Swathi Tirunal, a summarised version on the life of Lord Rama. This was followed by small groups singing Swathi Tirunal compositions well past the afternoon. The occasion was noted for the number of cream coloured sarees tied in the special Kerala style. There was an undoubted Kerala flavour even in the lunch that was served to all those present.

Events such as this are essential for the Indian community at large and help them preserve the culture, pass on the traditions to younger members and above all bring in colour and passion within the community.

“Killing machine Kasab deserves death”

Ajmal Amir Kasab is “Satan, a devil” and “a killing machine” and deserves the death penalty, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told the court a day after the Pakistani terrorist was held guilty in the 26/11 terror mayhem in Mumbai.

India’s quest for justice for its most wounding terror attack culminated recently with a special court pronouncing Pakistani Ajmal Amir Kasab guilty on all 86 counts for the 26/11 slaughter, while acquitting the two Indian co-accused - Fahim Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed.

Winding up the year-long trial into the Nov 26-29 terror siege of Mumbai that ended with 166 Indians and foreigners getting killed and 244 injured, Special Judge M.L. Tahaliyani also found the involvement of 20 other Pakistanis.

Among them were Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Hafiz Saeed and Abu Hamza, three of the men who used a complex network of agents and killers to mastermind a terror attack that shocked the world.

Kasab, 23, the lone Pakistani captured alive during the Mumbai carnage, was held guilty under nine Indian laws for murder, waging war on India and a litany of other crimes. He listened attentively with his head bowed while Tahaliyani read out the 1,522-page verdict for almost three hours in a special courtroom in the high-security Arthur Road Jail.

His conviction was based on CCTV footage showing him striding across the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus with an AK47 and a backpack. The prosecution had called 653 witnesses to testify against the LeT operative born to poverty in a village in Pakistan’s Punjab province.

The judge ruled that Kasab was guilty of directly killing seven people and a total of 59 with associate Abu Ismail, who was shot dead after running into a police picket at Girgaun Chowpatty early Nov 27 - shortly after the terror assault began in the heart of India’s financial capital on the night of Nov 26.

Kasab, who faces a possible death sentence, sat through the hearing quietly, witnesses said. When the judge read out the guilty verdict, Kasab listened with his head bowed. Judge Tahaliyani then asked the defence counsel to explain the details to Kasab.

The process of sentencing had begun as this paper went to press.

Indians Ansari, 36, and Ahmed, 25, also showed no emotion as they were absolved of involvement in the attack that derailed relations between New Delhi Islamabad.

Ansari, from Goregaon, and Ahmed, from Madhubani in Bihar, had been charged with conspiracy by preparing maps of the targeted locations in Mumbai and handing them to LeT operatives.

While Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily extolled the trial as a “victory for the judiciary, a victory for the country”, his colleague Home Minister P. Chidambaram said it underlined that India was a “country governed by rule of law”.

“The judgment is itself a message to Pakistan that they should not export terror to India...,” Chidambaram said in New Delhi, adding the acquittal showed the “independence and integrity” of the Indian judicial process.

“The tragic dastardly incident of 26/11 has really disturbed the psyche of the entire nation. The manner in which the trial was held, the manner in which witnesses have been examined, it is one of the outstanding cases,” Moily said. “As far as this case (is concerned)... this is a victory for justice, this is a victory for the country,” the minister told reporters.

He maintained that Ansari and Ahmed were “notorious terrorists” and active members of the LeT.

The judge accepted the 42-page confession Kasab had given after his arrest. Kasab had later sought to deny his involvement, but the judge was not swayed by the half-hearted denials.

Besides various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Kasab faced charges under the Explosives Act, Arms Act, Passport Act, Prevention of Damage to Public Properties Act, Customs Act, Explosive Substances Act, Bombay Police Act, Foreigners Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The 60-hour audacious attack that began on the night of Nov 26, 2008 and went on till the afternoon of Nov 29, 2009 was carried out by 10 Pakistani terrorists, including Kasab.

They targeted sites like the crowded Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station, the iconic Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel, the nearby Hotel Oberoi-Trident, the Cama Hospital and the Chabad House, a Jewish prayer centre, and Leopold Café, a hangout popular with Indians and foreigners.

“We want to see Kasab hanged!” was the dominant sentiment in Mumbai after a Special Court pronounced Kasab guilty of murder in the 26/11 terror attack.

Kasab would get the death sentence.

“I am glad Kasab was found guilty. I will be at peace only after the punishment to Kasab is awarded and implemented,” she said.

Agreed 60-year-old Mohammed Hanif

Peer Mohammed, “Although the judgement is out and the accused (Kasab) has been found guilty, I want to see him hanged

Abad Ponda, an eminent criminal lawyer. Another criminal lawyer, Samsher Garud, said he saw the acquittal of Ansari and Ahmed coming. “There were no eyewitnesses or direct evidence. This was bound to happen”.

“As for Kasab, there has to be a death sentence. We might be setting a wrong precedent otherwise,” added Garud.

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