Twirling with the times

KOCHI: The Covid-19 outbreak has induced great fear among people around the world. They are fighting hard to eradicate the virus, hoping that the world will be beautiful and peaceful again. Danseuse Paris Laxmi’s new dance video, based on Bhagyalakshmi Guruvayur’s song ‘Odi Poyidu Coronave’, depicts the wrath of the virus and the determination of humanity that is continuing to fight it despite all odds.

“Being a Bharatanatyam dancer, I love expressing myself. I wanted to do a special project after the lockdown was declared. Bhagyalakshmi accompanies me for dance performances and I felt this song had an energy to it. So I asked her to send the recording,” says Laxmi. The song is written by MDM Kalaiselvi Puliyoor Kesigan.

The role of humanity wears a white Kerala saree while the virus wears a black one. “The choreography had to be special. I wanted the audience to relate to the fear they feel. In most traditional art forms, the women are represented in white and the evil characters in black or red. So I wanted to incorporate that in the video too,” adds the dansuese.

The video was shot completely at her home in Vaikom. Umesh P Nair handled the cinematography and editing. “I gave him a clear idea of how I wanted the video to be. The outdoor shoot was challenging, as the weather was unfavourable at times. So we had to be extra careful about the continuity.” 

The video was released by actor Mohanlal through his Facebook page and Laxmi is getting great reviews for her choreography. “It really gave me a great exposure as many people watched it.” Many were in awe of her performance as the virus. 

“I wanted communication between the two characters. So I stressed on expressions more. The human character needed to convey the fear for the virus and people’s helplessness. The character was played with great intensity,” adds Laxmi. The video ends with the human character dancing joyfully, hoping for a better tomorrow.