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An Evocative Performance (BH:D175)

January 25, 2012


I have a tendency to tear up easily. Very frequently what I am reading (fiction or nonfiction) or watching (movies,theater, news clips, documentaries) manage to fill my eyes and lump up my throat. Dance had never had that effect till yesterday evening. Amma and I were back at Nishangandhi Arts Fest. Padmashree Guru Kalamandalam Kshemaavathi's Mohiniyattam recital. 

Before the performance began a couple of little white boys played on the stage entertaining a reasonably good audience. I spent that time wracking my brain double-checking if the foreigner, clad in 'mundu' and khadi kurta, sitting in the front row was the world renowned Dr. Hans Rosling. The resemblance was striking but the age wasn't matching up. 

At the beginning, the audience was asked to stand in silence for a few seconds in honor of the legendary orator and scholar, Dr. Sukumar Azhikode,who had passed away in the morning leaving an everlasting emptiness in the Kerala cultural scene. Guru Kshemaavathi was then introduced. I did a quick calculation to figure out that she was 64 years old. Later during the show, Amma told me that she would need assistance to get up from the floor if she attempts some of the steps the peerless guru pulled off on stage. Except for the time that she walked in for the different numbers, there was no sign of aging on Kshemaavathi. The dance became her tonic.

The first item was the traditional invocation. Goddess Saraswati was chosen for the evening. It was a delight to watch the dancer switch seamlessly between the devotee and the deity. 

It was the second item that blew me away. The Mohiniyattam adaptation of a Sugathakumari poem, "Randu Kaalpadangal" (two feet). The poet tries to identify the the two feet that have been planted in her heart. She knows they are Sita's feet from the Ramayana.But which Sita? Is it the little girl Sita who ran to her mother asking who Rama was when she heard that name for the first time? No. Is it the coy bride Sita who treads softly towards Rama to marry him after he breaks Shiva's bow? No. Are they the feet that Sita pulls away from Ravana as he bows to her in Asokavana asking her to marry him? No. Are they the ones walking towards the fire with tremendous heartbreak to prove her chastity after the war? No. Are they the ones that Rama can only watch from a distance as they move with profound determination towards her mother Earth ultimately? Yes,indeed those are the feet that the poet has planted in her heart. May my hands never burn when I touch those feet for blessings, the poet pleads.

While watching other traditional dance forms, I am at a tremendous disadvantage because of the unfamiliar language of the songs. Even when it is Mohiniyattam set to Malayalam songs, it is usually the old Sanskritized Malayalam that is used. This was the first time I had witnessed a modern, simple Malayalam poem adapted to a traditional dance form. A deeply moving poem elevated to further greatness by the splendid 'Abhinaya' of the master performer. It was a visceral experience of single-performer theater. Combination of song and dance at its best. Guru Kshemaavathi portrayed the range of emotions from the curiosity of the girl child to the modest, self-conscious bride, to the chaste wife, then the wronged wife and finally the determined woman with that gifted panache that comes with the confluence of natural talent and nurturing experience. 

The next item was a revelation of the importance of good poetry to create an impacting performance. After the stirring simplicity of Sugathakumari's lyrics, this was a magnificent let down. The dance was about the legend of the 'Manjula Aal" in Guruvayoor. Those who have been to that famous temple must have noticed this Peepal tree. The story goes that a devout girl, Manjula, used to make floral garlands of the Guruvayurappan idol every day. One day she couldn't make it to the temple before it was closed. Heartbroken, she sits weeping in the temple when Poonthanam Namboothiri comes along. He advises her to put the garland on the Peepal tree. She does so and goes home. Next morning, when the head priest removes the previous day's garlands from the idol, he finds that a yellow one miraculously reappears no matter how many times he takes it off. Poonthanam hears about the miracle and sends for Manjula. Only when she offers her worship and the garland is taken off, it stops reappearing. 

Though I am skeptically biased against such tales made up for religious marketing, I am sure that the theme wasn't the only reason this dance didn't leave an impression on me. The lyrics sounded forced with use of uncommon words and there was plenty of repetition. My thoughts went astray and I wished every single tree in the city had some Manjula story cooked up for it to save it from road widening and development. 

We left before the final item. Amma is excited about the dance tonight by film actors, Lakshmi Gopalaswami and Vineeth. I am sure it will be a packed audience. 

Promos have started appearing for the Malayalam version of 'Who wants to be a millionaire' that'll make its debut on Asianet channel anchored by actor Suresh Gopi. I wonder if the questions will be along the lines of : What color sari did Ranjini Haridas wear during the last episode of Star Singer? A: red B:blue C: she hates wearing saris D: silk!It is surprising that this mallu avatar took so long after Star TV gobbled up Asianet. While on the media topic, it is worth noting that the Reliance group now pretty much owns the TV-18 network that runs plenty of newschannels. So along with political party affiliated channels, we also have corporate guided media. India is not a single totalitarian state like China, it is a conglomeration of several totalitarian empires, political, corporate, religious, social, regional and so on. And Salman Rushdie was under the impression that it was a democracy!

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