PunarIKSaNa

A review of Kum. Aishwarya and Kum. Amrutha Soundarya’s recent performance

NIRVIKALPA — PRADOSHAM series

The Dharmalingeshwarar temple in Nanganallur, Chennai has a rich and timeless history, and the sanctum is over a thousand years old. What better way to pay obeisance to such a great Lord, on Shani Pradosham day, than to offer one’s prayers in the form of Natyam?

Kum. Aishwarya and Kum. Amrutha Soundarya, disciples of Smt. Sudha Vijayakumar at Nrithya Sudha- presented a Bharathanatyam recital to celebrate and invoke Lord Shiva’s grace, during the auspicious period of Shani Pradosham on 15th September, 2024. The programme was organised by Nirvikalpa- an arts foundation that was begun as an initiative to create more avenues for dancers to thrive in their spheres. Truly a noble effort by the organisers.

The comperer for the evening- Smt. Bhuvaneshwari Ramani, Aishwarya’s mother- took to the stage amidst the loud ringing of temple bells, a divine intervention of sorts, which provided a perfect start to the programme as the idols of Shiva and Parvathi were carried around the temple in procession, respledant as the gathering flocked around the palanquin to catch a glimpse of the divine pair before they were placed within the inner sanctum. It was at this juncture that the programme commenced.

The first item, a Ganesha Stuti in the Ragam Hamsadhwani, brought to life the form of Karpaga Vinayakar. The dancers drew the temple audience in, with their vibrant invocatory piece, showcasing their finesse in both Nritta and Abhinaya. The jugalbandhi with sollukattu and swaras added an interesting touch to the item.

Aishwarya presented the next item- Tha Thai Enraduvar, a classic composition of Gopalakrishna Bharathi in Sindhu Bhairavi ragam. She displayed her firm grasp of Nritta through the lively adavu sequences, and portrayed the majestic form of Chidambaram Nataraja Swamy through her steady poses. Gopalakrishna Bharathi’s bhakti bhava is truly unrivalled, and one truly must immerse themselves into the lyrics to do justice to the song itself.

The next item was a solo by Amrutha Soundarya. She presented the keertanam ‘Sringara Lahari’- in Neelambari Ragam, composed by Lingaraaj Urs. The aspects of Goddess Parvathi were depicted through graceful movements and focussed abhinaya. This item, slower and more lilting than the previous, was a welcome contrast in terms of Bhava.

Aishwarya and Amritha then presented ‘Ranjani Mala’- an interesting composition of Thanjavur Shankara Iyer, in Ragamalika- in praise of Goddess Parvathi. The item began with a jathi- which was a scintillating combination of Chatusra Gathi and Tisra Gathi sollukattus- presented very well by the dancers. Each line of the krithi was accompanied by a chittai swaram in the respective raga. The item was quite demanding in terms of stamina, but was performed with practised ease, by both the dancers. The different poses of Ambal drew repeated applause from the audience, due to their variety and difficulty.

After Ambal, comes Muruga. ‘Saravanabhava enum tirumandiram’- in the ragam Shanmugapriya, a famous composition of Papanasam Sivan, was performed by Aishwarya. She portrayed the story of Muruga’s birth in the form of a short sanchari. Her maturity and smooth flow of abhinaya added much to her presence on stage.

Maharaja Swathi Tirunal’s keerthanam- ‘Nrityati Nrityati’ in the ragam Shankarabharanam, performed by Amritha- was the penultimate piece in the evening’s performance. The major-toned melody of shankarabharanam contrasted beautifully from the minor tones of shanmugapriya, and Swathi Tirunal’s heartfelt lyricism was personified by the dancer with her attention to detail and sharp movements. She stayed true to her nritta, and her stamina was high throughout the item.

The concluding piece, Adishankara Bhagavatpada’s Shivashtakam, was truly a fitting culmination to the evening’s recital. Both Amrutha Soundarya and Aishwarya presented this item, and showcased great coordination even while maintaining their individuality in abhinaya. The programme came to an end with a divine chant of ‘Om Namah Shivaya’- the panchakshara mantram ringing through the temple and showering His divine grace upon anyone within earshot.

Dr. Sahana Selvaganesh- founder of Nirvikalpa- appreciated the dancers and expressed her intention to conduct the Pradosham programmes regularly, to provide much-needed opportunities for dancers to perform in the divine temple atmosphere. Guru Smt. Sudha Vijayakumar, who has carefully moulded her sishyas into experienced and skilled dancers, expressed her thoughts at the end of the programme.

The evening was truly a wonderful experience, for the dancers and audience alike. Here’s to many more successful initiatives, under the auspices of Nirvikalpa!