Geeta Chandran acting at Krishna Gana Sabha
| Photograph Credit score: RAGU R
Geeta Chandran’s recital titled ‘My rainbow is blue’ was a transparent indication that it might be a night dedicated to Krishna. Geeta’s examine of the varied rituals at Vrindavan, and the songs linked to every providing, interlaced with the feelings and colors she skilled as a devotee shaped the broad inspiration for this solo present.
Engaged on the Krishna-Vishnu narrative, Geeta explored the shape and attributes of Krishna in ‘Govinda Vandana’, primarily based on the textual content Atharva Vediya Gopala-Thapani Upanishad-Poorva Vibhaga. The swish hand actions mirroring the circulate of water regularly remodeled into the type of Adisesha; it was fascinating to look at the actions acquire momentum to depict Mahavishnu. Krishna and his leelas and the Vishwaroopa darshan have been touched upon briefly.
Exploring rasa
Rasas are related to colors, and it’s believed the blue-black Krishna encompasses inside him the myriad colors of all residing beings. Utilizing the ‘Govardhana giridhari leela’, Geeta explored rasa responses from completely different viewpoints. The expression of adbhutha laced with intense vatsalya bhava as Devaki watches Krishna, and Shringara rasa because the gopis dance the raas, have been some moments that lingered. The raudra rasa of Indra, the shantha rasa of the sages, the jealousy of the gopas, and the compassion felt by his fellow Brijvasis have been additionally explored by way of sancharis and narrative segments. Transferring from one highlight, the place Krishna was visualised holding aloft the Govardhana mountain, to a different with all of the rasa explorations was an attention-grabbing concept that communicated ideas with readability.
Geeta’s delicate portrayal introduced alive the feelings of Biraha — the ache and pangs of separation — in Meerabai’s composition ‘Kahan gayo nehra lagaye’. The lady questions her Lord for abandoning her in darkness, and makes a passionate plea to be guided to the sunshine of everlasting bliss.
Nevertheless, one felt that given the huge expertise of her inventive journey, Geeta may have averted the oft-repeated narrative and approached the theme with deeper perception for heightened rasanubhava.
The musical ensemble must be recommended for its exemplary contribution. Ok. Venkateshwaran has a melodious voice, and he was ably supported on the mridangam by Manohar Balachandra, on the ghatam by Varun Rajasekharan, and on the violin by G. Raghavendra Prasad. Wielding the cymbals and rendering crisp jathis was veteran percussionist N. Ramamoorthy Sriganesh. The lighting design was by Charles and compering by Rajiv Chandran.