Srinidhi Chidambaram is an artiste, who from the time she was hailed as a child prodigy, has consistently maintained the form and grammar of Bharatnatyam, retaining the core classicism of the Vazhuvoor bani as taught by her guru S.K.Rajaratnam Pillai. Srinidhi’s performance for this sabha, re-affirmed the belief that in the hands of a sensitive artiste, the classical form can hold fort in the current scenario to sustain the interest of rasikas.
Choreographed by her guru, with a blend of sollukattus and adavus, which were the highlights of Pushpanjali in raga Chakravaham, the dancer’s interpretation was grace personified. A prayer to Gajanana followed.
Seamless flow
‘Sakhiye inda velaiyil’ the varnam in raga Anandabhairavi addressed to Lord Rajagopalaswamy of Mannargudi is a composition full of grandeur and majesty, where the lyrics, swaras and emotional expression are intertwined so seamlessly that it continues to impress every time a dancer takes it up. The theermanams, danced by Srinidhi, in its original form as taught to her, were not long but full of varied kanakkus and nadais.
The depiction of the heroine’s state of mind, which was shown through simple expressions such as glancing at the bird, the anguish when she tries to persuade her sakhi to go as a messenger, visualisation of the soaring garuda and the strutting of the peacock and description of the lord’s beauty.
These were some highlights of the abhinaya that appealed. On a subjective note, any interjection in these kind of compositions, rich in content, seems to be an unwarranted exercise.
The dancer’s introduction of Pasurams in the pallavi and anupallavi was definitely an intrusion, though the emotions conveyed in them were in tune with that of the varnam. It makes more sense to take up new compositions to convey contemporary thoughts, like the one that followed the varnam.
The piece was about beseeching Lord Rama, the epitome of tolerance and compassion to descend on earth, to end the strife and hatred. ‘Nee Varavendum Rama’, composed by Sujatha Vijayaraghavan, pouring out her anguish at the state of affairs in the country, with a line from Kavingar Vairamuthu’s poem added in the end, was an abhinaya-oriented composition to suit our times. The dancer brought out the nuances with sensitive and subtle expressions.
Her depiction of the various religious practices and the violence in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition carefully refrained from being overdramatic.
The abhinaya for the lines ‘Arakkar Veliye Illai, ullirukirar’ was poignant and the need for peaceful co-existense was comminicated powerfully. The javali ‘Smara sundaranguni ‘ composed by Dharmapuri Subbaraiyar depicting a swadeenapatika, created a light-hearted mood and the dancer’s joyous enthusiasm was infectious. A Kalyana Vasantham thillana ended the show on a vibrant note.
Swamimalai Suresh wielded the cymbals with competence. Radha Badri provided vocal support accompanied by Kalaiarasan on the violin, Vijayaraghavan on the mridangam, G.S.R.Moorthy on the violin and Sujith Malik on the flute.