Shinjan Nrityalaya, Kolkata meticulously organised a three-day Odissi Festival at the Rabindranath Tagore Centre, ICCR, Kolkata. The programme showcased the various aspects of the performing arts of Odisha presenting young, seasoned and established dancers side by side with some of the best in the country. Acclaimed dancer and SNA awardee Aloka Kanungo, surprised this time by presenting Odisha’s “Ravan Chhaya” — shadow puppetry by the Ravan Chhaya Natya Samsad, Odisha, at the Sculpture Court. Ravan Chhaya literally means the shadow of Ravana and is the story of Lord Rama, who, being divine does not cast a shadow. The exciting performance was under Guru Khageswar Pradhan, the director of the Samsad.
The festival presented 24 solos and two group performances and a couple of duets. Afternoon sessions were at the Sculpture Court but it were the evening performances at the Satyajit Ray Auditorium that drew the maximum crowd.
The only Odissi singer Nimakanta Routray began his recital with “Jibunahin Sajani Kunja Banaku Eka” in Ek taal set to raga Kirwani . This was followed by the soulful Ek Taal-based Ashtapadi, “Nindatichandan Mindukiran Manu Bindati Swedamdhiram” from the fourth canto of Jayadeva’s “Geeta Govind”. With co-singers Anuja Tarini Mishra, Sangitanjali Nanda and Bijoyalaxmi Routray and able support of Dibakar Parida on the mardal and Soumya Ranjan Joshi on the flute, he delighted with the “Ja” Champu Jhosabarare Jatharthare Jana Mu Toharare”. At Kanungo’s festival one invariably gets to listen mellifluous Odissi songs. The Natyangi “Batachada Suhata Nagara” and Bhabanga “Pranasanginire Kalimukhi Laje Sadhili” were captivating numbers.
Neat portrayal
Rajashri Praharaj, a brilliant dancer lived up to expectations with her “Durgastuti” and so did Sonali Mohapatra, both being Ustad Bismillah Khan awardees. There was a healthy representation of young dancers – both performers and teachers – especially those who performed in the afternoon sessions but some of the best seniors performed on the final evening. Swaralipi Roy, a disciple of Kanungo, opened the evening with Nritta followed by Moumita Dutta’s mediocre Yog Pallavi. Kumkum Mohanty’s disciple Lucky Pragyan Mohanty’s stylised abhinaya describing Lord Krishna in the popular song “Ki Shobha Go Kunje” was a neat portrayal soaked with grace and rhythmic control. An erstwhile gotipua, Lucky has wonderful agility and a perfect “tribhangi”.
It was a pleasure watching some fine male dancers during the festival. The duet “Panchabhuta” by Aniket Pallav Nayak and Biswa Bhushan Champatiray was woven with power and grace. Guru Niranjan Rout’s refreshing choreography in raga-tala malika was presented by the dancers with brilliance and intensity. “Jibanam Sarbabhutanam” (jal) and “Raktabarnam Mahabhutam” (agni) had aggressive dancing with spell-binding intensity, holding hands facing in reverse direction .
Bangalore-based renowned Odissi dancer Sharmila Mukherjee’s widely performed “Kaikeyi” acquires a new dimension of expression of the much disliked character from the Ramayana, everytime she performs it. Based on a poem by Amrita Sen projecting the human qualities and not-so-grey shades of the Queen Kaikeyi, the multi-layered performance, choreographed by Sharmila weaving Odissi with abhinaya, was successful in co-relating narrative, gestures, rhythms and dance. Scripted by Pandit Nityananda Misra, and set to music by Bijay Jena, with rhythm by Dhaneswar Swain, it portrayed a repenting Kaikeyi reflecting on the past. Sharmila vividly etched the incidents from the epic – opening with the repairing of the chariot of King Dasarath whose charioteer she was till banishing Rama to exile. She played Manthara convincingly as well. The costumes were carefully chosen to reflect the setting of the specific episodes. It was a rewarding piece by an artiste of high calibre.
The festival concluded with a riveting Khamaj Pallavi, by Odisha Dance Academy that blended smoothly into an intense Odia abhinaya “Nari”, conceptualised and choreographed by Padma Shri Aruna Mohanty.The significant qualities which epitomise Sita, Kunti, Draupadi and Nirbhaya were presented with exactitude with the progression of the narrative, music, songs and the rhythms by the confident, strong dancers, doing justice to the imaginative choreography of the meaningful production. “Nari” subtly moved to the ritualistic “Moksha” to close the festival.