G. Narendra’s efficiency was themed on Hanuman.
| Picture Credit score: S. Thanthoni
Senior Bharatanatyam dancer G. Narendra adopted a easy idea — to give attention to Hanuman throughout the complete allotted time of 75 minutes. A dhyana sloka ‘Manojavam Maruta tulya vegam’ led to the varnam ‘Pavanam thanda bhuvana mudhale’ (Ritigowla, Adi, lyrics by Professor Raghuraman, tuned by Hariprasad Kaniyal).
One felt one was watching a purana of Hanuman’s adventures. The sancharis had been unhurried, and each episode was painstakingly constructed up with intense focus and well-planned mime. Narendra, one of many first male dancers in his era to attain recognition, has been profitable as a choreographer, utilizing Bharatanatyam to create beautiful up to date works equivalent to Abhyaasa and The Residing Tree.
All Narendra wants is to be impressed, and he actually was motivated that afternoon and gave his greatest in a recital that was heart-warming, descriptive and entertaining in addition to classical in each sense, with some added theatrical thrives.
Narendra savoured each second. An enthralling second was Hanuman as a shiny little one making an attempt to fly. He’s first unsuccessful, after which egged on by his dad and mom, tries once more and succeeds. He appears to be like down, discovering how small others look. His father ensures a secure touchdown, catching him as he descends. The hunched stroll and the rolling on the ground had been uninhibited and endearing.
Whereas on a mission to verify on the residents of Rama’s kingdom, Hanuman slaps a Rama bhakta, who was chanting his title throughout his ablutions, incomes Rama’s ire. This was detailed subsequent, adopted by the well-known episode of the kid Hanuman chasing the Solar mistaking it to be an enormous fruit on a treetop. Hanuman’s go to to Lanka and lifting and bringing the Sanjeevani mountain had been the opposite episodes introduced.
Narendra didn’t simply current tales. The theermanams within the varnam had been executed with straight traces and style, with due respect to the finishes.
The orchestra performed with sensitivity — Sruthi Sagar (flute), Kalaiarasan (violin) and Ramesh Babu (percussion: mathalam, mridangam). Binu Gopal (vocal) and Mahalakshmi Kameswaran (nattuvangam) saved the present along with good rendition of jathis and interpretation of Narendra’s free-flowing ‘manodharma sancharis.’
There was to be a padam and a thillana, however there was no room for anybody however Hanuman.