artograph

A NEWNMEDIA™ PUBLICATION

2019 JAN | VOL 01 | ISS 01

A BIMONTHLY, BILINGUAL E-NEWSLETTER FOCUSING ON ARTS | PUBLISHED BY NEWNMEDIA™ FROM KERALA, INDIA | 2019 JAN VOLUME 01 ISSUE 01 | PAGES: 16 | HTTP://ARTOGRAPH.NEWNMEDIA.IN/

P08

Steps of
artistry
Young dancers delighted the
audience with their recitals
in the Soorya Parampara
Dance Festival.

P03
Concert
for a cause
The concert of T.M. Krishna
presented at the University
Senate Hall last month was
unorthodox in many fronts and
at the same time ecstatic.

P12 P14 P15

Enchanting Dancing and Taking to
notes beyond masses
Interview with Karthik Prateeksha Kashi writes about ‘IDA Dance Fest 2018’ has turned
K.P., winner of the 7th ‘MS the decision to take dance as her out to be a gripping celebration
Subbulakshmi Awards 2018: career over the job of a software of the Indian classical dances for
Voice of the Year’ title engineer. the dance lovers in Malabar.
 2019 JAN | VOL 01 | ISS 01

EDITORIAL | 02

A humble beginning
Artograph serves as a platform to feature arts, artists and
their creative expressions.

Art should never try to be popular.

COVER
DAKSHINA VAIDYANATHAN The public should try to make itself artistic.
(PHOTO: HAREE FOTOGRAFIE) - Oscar Wilde
Dakshina Vaidyanathan during her

W
Bharatanatyaym performance at Soorya hen it comes to writings on dance, music or art in general, the
Parampara Dance Festival 2018.
available space is very minimal. It is even more so in Kerala,
CONTRIBUTORS though a culturally bustling state. Many events go unmarked, and
TEXTS
ACHUTHSANKAR S. NAIR
the artists hardly get the attention they truly deserve. ‘Artograph’
AJITH NAMBOOTHIRI | BIVIN LAL tries to address this and provides a platform where these could get
BALAKRISHNAN KOYYAL
PRATEEKSHA KASHI a fair representation.
SREEDEVI N. NAMBOOTHIRI

PHOTOS
Intended as a bimonthly e-newsletter, Artograph will be made
ANJALI REDDY | BIVIN LAL available in PDF format. While the majority of articles featuring in
SREENATH NARAYANAN
SUBHASH KUMARAPURAM each issue will be in English, it will also carry one or two pieces in
Malayalam as well. As of now, there's no plan to bring the newslet-
EDITORIAL TEAM
CHIEF EDITOR
ter in print format. However, the newsletter takes a similar approach
HAREESH N. NAMPOOTHIRI followed in mainstream print media. This strategy will make sure
MEMBERS that the pieces are concise and to the point. The layout also will be
BIVIN LAL | MEERA SREENARAYANAN
NAVYA VINOD | VANI SANKAR | SRUTHI MOHAN given due consideration, featuring photographs of artistic value,
LEAD PHOTOGRAPHY and we are keen to make an impression in its wholeness.
HAREE FOTOGRAFIE
The newsletter, at this point, is a non-monitory venture and is
DESIGN & LAYOUT
NEWNMEDIA™ managed by a team providing voluntary assistance. The content
and photographs are also contributed by like-minds. The point
being, it’s all priceless and without them it wouldn’t have been
possible!
We wish that the newsletter thrive long and steady, and for that, we
need the wholehearted support of all art enthusiasts. Do like and
follow the official Facebook page. Also, subscribe to the newslet-
ter to get it via email. Don’t forget to share and more importantly,
FACEBOOK
fb.me/artograph.official
to provide feedback. We hope that you will enjoy the ‘Artograph‘
experience.
SHARED UNDER
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 LICENSE Hareesh N. Nampoothiri

THE ORIGINAL RIGHTS OF THE TEXTS AND THE SUBSCRIBE FEEDBACK CONTACT
PHOTOGRAPHS RESERVED TO RESPECTIVE OWNERS. bit.ly/ag_subscribe bit.ly/ag_response [email protected]
THE CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE IS VALID ONLY FOR
THE NEWSLETTER IN ITS EXACT FORM.
WEBSITE
A NEWNMEDIA™ PUBLICATION artograph.newnmedia.in
 artograph
2019 JAN | VOL 01 | ISS 01

03 | OPINION
■ SUBHASH KUMARAPURAM

Concert for a cause

The concert of T.M. Krishna presented at the University Senate Hall last month
was unorthodox in many fronts and at the same time ecstatic.
ACHUTHSANKAR S. NAIR

I f music cannot melt differences, it is no music

at all. T.M. Krishna’s concert in the University
Senate Hall at Thiruvananthapuram on 15th of
‘Poromboke Paadal’, one of his recently trending
number. That a poem on a social theme can fit
into a Carnatic concert was proved easily.
Dec’18 was a case in point. He poured out music Trivandrum N. Sampath sure did get a special
that would have, at least for a moment, trans- treat of sitting beside the artist. He was given a
formed his detractors. chance not to follow the artist, but to comple-
Krishna began his concert with a virutham ment and supplement him in patches, during
followed by a piece that he recreated from a the unorthodox alaps. Arun Prakash and Udupi
yesteryear Malayalam film song “Kanivolum Sreedhar excelled on the mridangam and the
kamaneeya hridayam...”, composed by khatam respectively.
V. Dakshinamoorthy. It flew effort- Krishna concluded his concert
lessly in Sankarabharanam and got befittingly with a Dikshitar ‘Nottu
decorated with a swara prasthara Sahithyam’, that represented the
at “Yesu misiha than thiruvullam...”. East-West confluence in music, the
This one piece was enough for right choice for an artist who is trying
Krishna to announce his stance to integrate religions and cultures
and arguments towards inter-re- through music.
ligious singing. He later followed
up with an Arabic song on Allah in The concert was organized jointly by
Ananda Bhairavi. ‘Kerala University Teachers Organiza-
tion’ and UNISTER, as a fundraiser program
Kalyani filled the air when he sang Swathi’s towards the flood-relief activities. A brief function
famous composition “Pankajalochana...”, a piece preceded the concert, and Krishna spoke
that his own guru must have sung innumera- showing equal brilliance as an orator. He was at
ble times. The alaap, niraval and swaras were ease adding intellectual sangathis in the speech
unorthodox, nevertheless blissful. Maybe, some which clearly announced his progressive and
might have felt that he couldn’t deliver it in full, integrative views on music, culture and politics. ●
but expectations run unreasonably high for a top
Achuthsankar S. Nair, presently heads the Dept. of
artist like Krishna. Computational Biology and Bioinformatics in Uni-
versity of Kerala. He is a renowned teacher, musician
The minor pieces that he sang afterwards were and a cultural activist; who writes regularly on
lifting. He obliged the audience request on science, culture, arts and history.
artograph
2019 JAN | VOL 01 | ISS 01

OPINION | 04

ഭാവനാപൂർണം സർപ്പതത്വം
“നാഥർമുടി മേലിരുക്കും നാഗ പാമ്പേ...” എന്ന പാമ്പാട്ടി സിദ്ധർ കൃതിയെ
ആധാരമാക്കി മേതിൽ ദേവിക വിഭാവനം ചെയ്ത ‘സർപ്പതത്വം’ ഡ�ോക്യുമെന്ററി
സർപ്പാരാധനയുടെ മറ്റൊരു തലത്തിലേക്ക് പ്രേക്ഷകരെ ക�ൊണ്ടുപ�ോവുന്നു.
അജിത്ത് നമ്പൂതിരി

അ ടങ്ങാത്തൊരു കടൽ, അണയാത്തൊരു

തീനാളം, ഒന്നിലുമ�ൊതുങ്ങാത്ത സങ്കൽ
പ്പനപാടവം, നാട്യത്തോടുള്ള ഒടുങ്ങാത്തഭിനി
‘സർപ്പതത്വം’ അന്വേഷിച്ചുക�ൊണ്ട് മേതിൽ ദേവിക
നടത്തുന്ന സഞ്ചാരമായാണ് ഡ�ോക്യുമെന്ററി
ആരംഭിക്കുന്നത്. ആരാധന എന്നതിനപ്പുറം
വേശം - ഇവയെല്ലാം കൂടി ഒരുമിച്ചു രൂപമാർന്നു ആത്മീയമായ�ൊരു യാത്ര. പിന്നീടെപ്പോഴ�ോ
പകർന്നാടിയാൽ, അതു മേതിൽ ദേവിക! ഒരു പുന്നാഗവരാളി രാഗത്തിന്റെ അതിനിഗൂഢമായ
നാഗല�ോകം പ�ോലെ നിഗൂഢ സ�ൌന്ദര്യം ഒരനുഭൂതി വലയത്തിലേക്ക് നാമറിയാതെ സ്വയം
നിറഞ്ഞ സൂര്യയുടെ ‘ഗണേശ’മെന്ന തിയേറ്ററിൽ, എറിയപ്പെടുന്നു.
മേതിൽ ദേവിക ആശയരൂപം നൽകി തുടർന്ന് അവധൂതനായ പാമ്പാട്ടി സിദ്ധരുടെ
സംവിധാനം ചെയ്ത ‘സർപ്പതത്വം’ ഡ�ോക്യുമെന്ററി “നാഥർമുടി മേലിരുക്കും നാഗ പാമ്പേ...” എന്ന
കാണാനിരുന്നപ്പോൾ, പ�ൊടുന്നനെ നാഗല�ോ പാട്ടിലൂടെ നാഗശരീരിയായി നർത്തകി പ്രത്യ
കത്തെത്തിയ�ൊരു പ്രതീതിയായിരുന്നു. നാട്യ ക്ഷപ്പെടുന്നു. അടിമുടി സർപ്പതത്വം ആവേശിച്ച
മാണ�ോ അതിന്റെ തത്വമാണ�ോ ഒരു മണിക്കൂ ഒരാൾരൂപമായി ദേവിക പകർന്നാടുന്നു.
റ�ോളം പിടിച്ചിരുത്തിയതെന്നു മാത്രമായിരുന്നു
കണ്ടുകഴിഞ്ഞപ്പോൾ ബാക്കിയായ സംശയം. “കണ്ണെ സെവിയാകക്കൊണ്ടായ് ആട് പാമ്പേ...”
- കണ്ണിനെ ചെവിയാക്കി ആട് പാമ്പേ, എന്ന
നൃത്തത്തിൽ പലപ്പോഴും നാഗകന്യകയായും, അർത്ഥത്തിലുള്ള ഈ വരികളിലെത്തുമ്പോൾ
ശിവന്റെ ആഭരണം എന്ന നിലയിലുമ�ൊക്കെ കാതുകളില്ലെങ്കിലും, പകരം കണ്ണുകളെ അതീവജാ
നാഗത്തെ അവതരിപ്പിച്ചു കാണാറുണ്ട്. പക്ഷെ, ഗ്രത്താക്കി ആടുന്ന പാമ്പിനെ നർത്തകി തന്റെ
‘സർപ്പതത്വം’ എന്ന ഈ ഡ�ോക്യുമെന്ററി ശരിക്കും കണ്ണുകളിൽ ആവിഷ്കരിച്ചപ്പോൾ, അതിന്നുവരെ
ഭാരതീയമായ സർപ്പാരാധനയുടെ, സർപ്പസങ്ക അനുഭവിച്ചിട്ടില്ലാത്ത ഒരനുഭൂതിയായി തറഞ്ഞു
ല്പത്തിന്റെ മൂലാധാരത്തിൽ നിന്നാരംഭിച്ച് സഹ കയറി. സർപ്പതത്വത്തിന്റെ തലങ്ങൾ നമ്മുടെ
സ്രാരത്തിലെത്തി ആധാരത്തിലേക്കു തന്നെ തിരി സാധാരണ സങ്കല്പങ്ങൾക്കപ്പുറത്തേക്കു സഞ്ചരി
ച്ചടങ്ങുന്നൊരു അനുഭവമായിരുന്നു. ക്കുന്നതുമിവിടെയാണ്. ഉണർന്നാടിയ പാമ്പ് തിരി

‘സർപ്പതത്വ’ത്തിന്റെ ആദ്യ പ്രദർശനവേളയിൽ

പ്രശസ്ത ഭരതനാട്യ നർത്തകനും നൃത്താധ്യാപകനുമായ
വി.പി. ധനഞ്ജയൻ സംസാരിക്കുന്നു.
■ HAREE FOTOGRAFIE
 artograph
2019 JAN | VOL 01 | ISS 01

05 | OPINION
ച്ചടങ്ങി സമാധിയാവസ്ഥയിലാകുന്നതുവരെയുള്ള ക്കപ്പെട്ട സംഗീതം സർപ്പതത്വത്തിന്റെ ഗൂഢമായ
അഭിനയം വെറും അഭിനയമായിരുന്നില്ല, അതു അനുഭവങ്ങളിലൂടെ കൂട്ടിക്കൊണ്ടുപ�ോയി. ആ പാട്ടു
തികച്ചും ‘അഭി-നയം’ തന്നെയായിരുന്നു. പാടിയ അപർണ്ണ ശർമ്മ ത�ോടിയുടെയും പുന്നാഗ
സർപ്പക്കളമടക്കം നാഗാരാധനയുടെ പല സങ്കേ വരാളിയുടെയും നാഗാനുഭൂതികളിൽ മയങ്ങിപ്പോ
തങ്ങളും ഈ ഡ�ോക്യുമെന്ററിയിൽ ദൃശ്യമാവുന്നു. യിരുന്നുവെന്നു തീർച്ച. എത്ര തീവ്രമായിട്ടാണ്
അപ്പോഴെല്ലാം അവയെ നാം കണ്ടുമുട്ടുന്നത് ഒരു സർപ്പസങ്കല്പത്തെ ദേവിക ഉള്ളകത്തു ക�ൊണ്ടുനട
സാധാരണ ഡ�ോക്യുമെന്ററിയിൽ നിന്നും വ്യത്യ ക്കുന്നതെന്ന് ചിത്രം കണ്ടിറങ്ങിയ ഓര�ോരുത്തരും
സ്തമായാണ്. അത്തരം അനുഭവങ്ങളെ അതിന്റെ തിരിച്ചറിഞ്ഞിരിക്കാൻ തന്നെയാണ് സാധ്യത.
സാംസ്കാരികപരിസരങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നല്ലാതെ നാട്യ മേതിൽ ദേവികയ�ോട�ൊപ്പം സംവിധാനത്തിൽ
ത്തിന്റെ അവിഭാജ്യഘടമാക്കിത്തന്നെ അവതരി പങ്കാളിയായ രാജേഷ് കടമ്പ, ക്യാമറ ചലിപ്പിച്ച
പ്പിച്ചു എന്നതിലാണ് ഒരു സംവിധായികയുടെ വിപിൻ ചന്ദ്രൻ, എഡിറ്റിംഗ് നിർവഹിച്ച ആൽബി
ഹൃദയസ്പർശം അനുഭവിക്കാൻ സാധിക്കുന്നത്. നടരാജ് തുടങ്ങിയവരും അഭിനന്ദനമർ‌ഹിക്കുന്നു.
മൂലാധാരത്തിൽ തുടങ്ങി മൂലാധാരത്തിൽ തന്നെ കൂട്ടത്തിൽ, ഇത്തരമ�ൊരു ഡ�ോക്യുമെന്ററിയായി
ഒടുങ്ങുന്ന ഉണർവ്വിന്റെയും ഉണ്മയുടെയും അവ ഇതു തയ്യാറാക്കാൻ ദേവികയ്ക്ക് പിന്തുണ നൽകി,
സ്ഥാഭേദങ്ങളിലൂടെ കടന്നുപ�ോയ നേരമത്രയും സഹനിർമ്മാതാവായി ഒപ്പം നിന്ന മുകേഷിന്റെ
ആ സങ്കല്പത്തിന്റെ മായികതയിൽ നിന്ന് ഒരു പങ്കാളിത്തവും വിസ്മരിക്കുന്നില്ല.
നിമിഷം പ�ോലും മനസ്സിന് മാറി നിൽക്കാൻ ല�ോസ് ഏഞ്ചൽ‌സിലെ വാലി പ്ലാസ തിയേറ്ററിൽ
കഴിഞ്ഞില്ല. കലയുടെ ലക്ഷ്യവും അത് കഴിഞ്ഞ സെപ്റ്റംബറിൽ പ്രദർശിപ്പിച്ച് ഇതി
തന്നെയാണല്ലോ, അലയുന്ന മനസിനെ ന�ോടകം അന്താരാഷ്ട്ര തലത്തിൽ തന്നെ ശ്രദ്ധ
ഏകാഗ്രമാക്കുക, ആനന്ദമയമാക്കുക. നേടിയ ഡ�ോക്യുമെന്ററിയുടെ ഇന്ത്യയിലെ ആദ്യ
പകുതിയ�ോളം നാട്യവും പിന്നീട് സർപ്പതത്വ പ്രദർശനമായിരുന്നു ഡിസംബർ 16-ന് തിരു
ത്തിന്റെ പലരും കേൾക്കാത്ത അറിവുകളുടെ വനന്തപുരത്ത് അരങ്ങേറിയത്. കേവലമ�ൊരു
വിശദീകരണങ്ങളും ചേരുന്നതായിരുന്നു ഡ�ോക്യു ഡ�ോക്യുമെന്ററി പ്രദർശനം എന്നതിനപ്പുറം,
മെന്ററി. സർപ്പതത്വമെന്തെന്നുള്ള ഒരു നമ്മുടെ നർത്തകരുടെ നൃത്തഭാവനകൾ ഈ
സാധാരണക്കാരന്റെ ച�ോദ്യത്തിനുള്ള മേതിൽ രൂപത്തിൽ വരും തലമുറയ്ക്കായി സൂക്ഷിക്കേ
ദേവികയുടെ മറുപടിയായാണ് വിശദീകരണ ണ്ടതിന്റെ ആവശ്യകതയും, അത്തരത്തിലുള്ള
ഭാഗങ്ങൾ ചിത്രീകരിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നത്. വിവരണം സാധ്യതയും കൂടി ചൂണ്ടിക്കാട്ടുന്നതായി ഈയ�ൊരു
എന്നതിനപ്പുറം സർപ്പതത്വം തേടിയുള്ള സംരംഭം. ●
കർണാടക സംഗീതജ്ഞൻ എന്ന നിലയിലും,
യാത്രാനുഭവം പങ്കുവെയ്‌ക്കലായിരുന്നു ഇയാൻ സംഗീതവുമായും മറ്റ് കലാരൂപങ്ങളുമായും ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട
സേത്തുമായി ചേർന്നുള്ള ആ വർത്തമാനമത്രയും. വിവിധ ടെലിവിഷൻ പരിപാടികളുടെ അവതാ‍രകനായും
കലാസ്വാദകർക്ക് സുപരിചിതനായ വ്യക്തിയാണ്
മേതിൽ ദേവികയുടെ മേൽന�ോട്ടത്തിൽ നിർവഹി അജിത്ത് നമ്പൂതിരി.

ADVT
artograph
2019 JAN | VOL 01 | ISS 01

OPINION | 06

Mark of
elegance
The ‘Mohiniyattam Festival’ organized by

■ HAREE FOTOGRAFIE
Soorya India as part of their annual event
featured senior Mohiniyattam exponents.
HAREESH N. NAMPOOTHIRI

T he ‘Mohiniyattam Festival’ in-between kalasams underlin- Gopika Varma (top), Smitha Rajan,
Pallavi Krishnan (clockwise), during the
of Soorya India used to be ing her choreography skills. An ‘Mohiniyattam Festival 2018‘ organized
of lesser stature in comparison ashtapadi and a thillana in raga by Soorya India.
with their other dance events. Bageshri formed the rest of the
brought it back to her dance
However, they changed it for recital.
in no time as she progressed
good in this season, and the
Delightful abhinaya with Swathi Thirunal’s “Sankara
rasikas had the opportunity
Gopika Varma has been doing srigiri...”, with a lot of brisk dance
to watch a few of the leading
‘Dasyam’ for quite some time, sequences.
Mohiniyattam exponents, vary-
ing in style and approach. and she hardly fails in making The next piece, nine rasas
it enjoyable. It was no different explored over different tales
Pallavi Krishnan, on the opening
this time with the essence of of Vishnu was well imagined.
day of the festival, began
Bhakti taking bounds through Though a bit lengthy for a piece
her recital with a cholkettu
different narratives. Though relying solely on abhinaya, she
in ragas Kedara Gowla and
she barely explores the dance came impressively in a few of
Hameer Kalyan. She presented
aspects, Gopika makes up for it them. The dance interpretation
it with elan and then moved
through her abhinaya. The dis- of the song from ‘Banayudham’
on to ‘Sivangi’, the main piece,
tinction, for instance between Kathakali portraying playful
narrating the familiar story of
‘bharthru dasyam’ and ‘mathru Usha and Chitralekha and
Parvati’s union with Shiva. The
dasyam’, was clearly visible. Swathi Thirunal’s “Paripalayam...”
danseuse kept it engaging, with
The musicians also need a
special mention here, for crea-
ting those evocative moments
as and when required. The use
of flute as a single instrument
other than the percussions, it
worked well for the recital.
A different approach
Though it was the hairstyle
that caught the attention of the
audience at first, Smitha Rajan
 artograph
2019 JAN | VOL 01 | ISS 01

07 | OPINION
the Ganesha Sthuti - Cholkettu woman who falls in love with
piece in raga Reethigowla, she Sree Rama. Neena employed
has shown admirable fluency a different approach, keeping it
and danced beautifully to the simple, making one feel for the
chollus. The next two pieces character, as she falls taking
highlighted the unique style she an arrow from Rama, but not
has developed over the years, the flowery one she yearned.
focusing on the subtleties and Thillana in raga Behag was the
intricacies of the repertoire. final piece. The music ensemble
For instance, in “Narasimham- lead by Madhavan Namboothiri
amava...”, a not so often seen provided ample support to the
Swathi Thirunal composition in danseuse.
raga Arabhi, the essence was The festival took place during
Sunanda Nair and Neena Prasad (right), brought in without much elab- the first week of Dec’18
during their presentations at ‘Mohiniyat-
tam Festival 2018‘. oration. at Ganesham. ●
“Mathe Ganga tharangini...”, a
that followed, were somewhat
varnam penned by guru Kala-
hit-and-miss. She concluded on
mandalam Sugandhi and set
a high note with ‘Sthree Shakti’,
to music by Changanassery
extolling goddess Durga, the
Madhavan Namboothiri in
one who obliterated demon
raga Kambhoji and Misra
Mahisha.
Chapu tala had all the essen-
Of different moods tials to showcase the talent of
the danseuse. Abhinaya was
Sunanda Nair chose to present
the key, and one cannot miss
Swathi Thirunal’s “Paripahi
the coolness Shiva felt as the
ganadhipa...” and she was
Ganges flow over his head or
seen at ease. She then moved
the humbleness of the river
on to ‘Ashtarasa’, focusing on
goddess when saint Jahnu
eight different moods through
releases her.
a variety of contexts, based
on verses from Natyasastra. The dancer’s interpreta-
She was able to bring out the tion of Jayadeva’s ashtapadi
essence of each rasa, and on “Kuru yadu Nandana...”
the whole, it was a good watch. was so absorbing that the
The story of Savithri and her rasikas had no choice but to
encounter with Yama was the immerse in the sensuality
theme of her next piece. The of Radha. The in-between
sthayi being not very consis- dance sequences placed
tent, the portrayal couldn’t for the repeating “Nijaga-
impress much. An item based dhasa...” verse absorbed
on ‘Madhurashtakam’ was the the blissful state of the
concluding piece. heroine.
Performance par excellence Mohiniyattam adapta-
■ HAREE FOTOGRAFIE

tion of ‘Thadaka Enna

Neena Prasad’s recital here for
Dravida Rajakumari’, a
Soorya, after a long gap of two
well-known poem by
decades, brought variety and
Vayalar Ramavarma
virtuosity together. Right from
depicts Thadaka, as a
artograph
2019 JAN | VOL 01 | ISS 01

COVER STORY | 08

Steps of
artistry
Young dancers delighted the audience with
their performances in the annual Parampara
Dance Festival organized by Soorya India as
part of their 111-day long Soorya Festival.
HAREESH N. NAMPOOTHIRI

T he banquet of the 2018 edition of ‘Parampara Dance

Festival’ was loaded with Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi,
Kathak and Odissi. The ten-day long festival got to a start
with the Bharatanatyam recital by Dakshina Vaidyanathan,
presenting Kalidasa’s famous verse “Manikyaveena Upa-
lalayanthi...” followed by “Sringaralahari...”, a work of Mysore
Lingaraja Urs in raga Neelambari.
Dakshina was composed and with the right amount of
sringara made it a captivating one, and was even more
so in the Reethigowla varnam “Sami unnaiye nan....” that
followed. She could ably reflect the emotions of the
nayika, especially during the charana portions “Niye tan
en prananadhan...”, where her abhinaya took an expo-
nential leap. The dance segments set to Karaikudi
Sivakumar’s crisp jathis came alive through the dancer’s
elegant footwork.
In the padam “Varattum sami varattum...”, who is sure
about Lord Muruga’s relation with the other woman but ■ HAREE FOTOGRAFIE
not able to reciprocate the way she wants; the danseuse
could ably portray her conflicting emotions. What happens
behind the doors of the shrine of Tirupati, once the priest
and the devotees leave the place during the night? An
interesting take on the nightlife of Lord Venkateswara and
Goddess Alamelu, based on Annamacharya keerthana in
Poorvi Kalyani, appended with dance phrases in thillana
format towards the end was the concluding piece.
Effective roleplay
Prateeksha Kashi seemed a little out of her elements, and
the general grandeur of her Kuchipudi was somewhat
missing. Presenting female characters of contrasting
moods, she was able to make it worthy in its wholeness.
Prateeksha did well in the opening Devi Sthuthi, touching
 artograph
2019 JAN | VOL 01 | ISS 01

09 | COVER STORY
upon goddess Mahalakshmi, presented “Sakalaganadhipa...”, opening to her Bharatanatyam
and then taking the role of the extolling the virtues of Ganesha, with “Kapalini, dayanidhi, uma-
court danseuse, in the shabdam Hanuman and Krishna. She was pathy...”, a Siva sthuti composed
telling the tale of Mohini, able to bring a distinctive feel by Lalitha Sivakumar in raga
followed by Satyabhama in even to the oft-seen traditional Palini and Adi tala. In the varnam
‘Sakunalu’ daravu. sabdam narrating the story of “Amma anandadayani...”, a Bala-
In the latter portion of the Mandodari. muralikrishna composition in
recital, she presented ‘Chitran- Sreelakshmy’s recital here was Gambheera Nattai, Divyaa un-
gada’, a thematic presentation, also noted for her contemporary folded the legend of Kollur
sketching the life of the warrior approach which she brought in Mookambika temple connected
princess who fell in love without meddling the classical with Adi Shankara. She excelled
with Arjuna. The way it was aspects. ‘Soorpanakha’ was in abhinaya and dance alike
conceived, relying on the unique one such attempt in which she making it enjoyable.
aspects of Kuchipudi deserves explored the character from a Tyagaraja’s “Ksheerasagara
praise. However, the elaborate woman’s viewpoint, raising the sayana...” came next and Divyaa
approach of telling the whole question of why women can’t made it worthy of a portrayal,
life of Chitrangada couldn’t hold have desires. Exquisite abhinaya making her heroine ask the
interest after a while. It might brought Soorpanakha to life and lord, why are you not hearing
have been better if she focused the theatrics including vachika me, mentioning Gajendra and
more on the emotive aspects of made sure that the emotions Panchali, instances where
the character touching upon a were aptly conveyed. he appeared for their rescue
few of the significant events in “Sakhi he kesi” rendered in raga hearing the prayers. Divyaa
her life. Hindola, with the vocal having Unni concluded her recital with
supported by a flute alone, Kadanakuthuhalam thillana, yet
Exploring new vistas
gave it a distinctive flair. And another popular composition of
Kuchipudi of Sreelakshmy Gov- M. Balamuralikrishna.
once again Sreelakshmy was
ardhanan is often applauded for
topnotch presenting Radha Bringing generations
adhering to the true tradition of
speaking to her Sakhi, recalling together
the repertoire. The spontaneity
her first meeting with Krishna
of the dance form was visible The Odissi recital by Abhaya
and sharing her sentiments
right from the start, as she Lakshmi was titled ‘Nrithyad-
towards him.
hara’ in which the danseuse
Shweta Prachande (page 08), Prateek- Captivating narratives
sha Kashi, Sreelakshmy Govardhanan, brought together different
and Divyaa Unni (left to right), during Divyaa Unni had an impressive schools in Odissi dance by
Parampara Dance Festival 2018.
artograph
2019 JAN | VOL 01 | ISS 01

COVER STORY | 10
performing the choreography works of legendary Odissi dancers
Pankaj Charan Das, Deba Prasad Das, Kelucharan Mohapatra
and then moving on to a more recent work of her guru Sharmila
Mukerjee and finally that of herself. Each piece was unique in its
own, and together it worked out very well.
The opening mangalacharan in rag Khamaj highlighted the nua-
nces of Kelucharan school, and it was in praise of Rama. Dance
is one area Abhaya excels and the pallavi in Shankarabharanam
following Pankaj Charan Das school underlined this aspect.
Banamali Dasa poem “Kealo sajani...”, choreographed in Deba
Prasad Das style, Abhaya Lakshmi was able to vividly express the
thoughts of a gopi seeing Krishna for the first time. After presen-
ting ‘Greeshma Gita’ a choreography work of Sharmila Mukerjee
based on Kalidasa’s ‘Ritusamhara’, Abhaya concluded with
‘Meenakshi’, a self-choreographed item.
Lively to the core
It was vibrant, spontaneous and joyful; in no other way, one could
describe the Kuchipudi recital of T. Reddi Lakshmi. Swathi keer-
thana “Sree ramanavibho...”, was an apt choice to begin with,
bringing in all these aspects.
The presence of her guru V. Jayarama Rao as the nattuvanar,
delivering jathis and conversing in ‘Bhama Kalapam’ was surely
inspiring for the danseuse. It is not common to see multiple
daravus from a single dance drama these days, but here Lakshmi
presented three of them, and she did all exceptionally well.
“Aaj aaye shaam mohan...”, a Swathi Thirunal bhajan in Shudh
Sarang was the next piece. She chose to detail only in the crucial
points while she portrayed Panchali being humiliated in the court
of Kauravas. It indeed helped to make it non-monotonous and kept
the interest level high. Lakshmi once again came out good pre-
senting the heroine in Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar’s javali “Sarasamu
ladedanduku...”, who wonders whether it is the right time to be pas-
sionate. The last piece was a swarajathi in raga Vasantha and Adi
tala, in which she also danced skillfully on the brim of the brass
plate.
Not so noteworthy
A good concept but didn’t go quite well in execution, Deepti Gupta’s
Kathak recital created mixed feelings. ‘Tridhara’ she called it, and
it was about three women in Krishna’s life, Rukmini, Radha and
Meera in Bandandhara, Premdhara and Bhakthidhara respectively.
Deepti excelled in the dance aspects, her technique and precision
being splendid. However, for the theme to make a real impact, she
should’ve worked more on her abhinaya, making one feel that dis-
tinction between the three. The intros preceding each item are to
help the audience familiarise, but if not done well would backfire
as was the case here. She ended with a tarana in rag Kalavati.
 artograph
2019 JAN | VOL 01 | ISS 01

11 | COVER STORY
Spellbound throughout karacharya’s verses sung in ragamalika / talamalika marked the
beginning of her Bharatanatyam recital.
Shweta Prachande performed
Bharatanatyam with impec- Lavanya moved on to the main piece, Kumaranasan’s celebrated
cable authority over the form, poetry ‘Chinthavishtayaya Sita’ arranged in the form of a varnam.
packed with energy, right “Parisodhichariyendayo, nripan?”, asks Sita in angst and erupts
from the opening “Om Sara- into a series of agonies and at the end returns to the mother Earth.
vanabhava...”, and managed to Lines carefully picked and rearranged, the item was beautifully
keep it that way till the end. imagined. Sita being sent to the forest and she recalling the test of
fire were presented as sancharis. Throughout, Lavanya quite ably
The main piece was the Tanjore
reflected the character’s emotions in all eloquence.
quartet varnam in Anand-
abhairavi, “Sakhiye, intha Lavanya Ananth continued with the Kshet-
velayil...”. The dance sequences rayya padam “Nanne penladu...”, in which she
were superbly presented, com- presented Sree Krishna being approached
pletely utilising the stage space, by gopis in three different ages, and at the
and launching herself in all end he leaves the scene taking hand of a
directions executing the plans fourth one!
in style, never missing a beat! She seemed quite adventurous for the
The team of musicians who day and even ventured a dance inter-
have accompanied Shweta also pretation of the yesteryear film song
deserve to be applauded for “Priyathama, priyathama...” (Vayalar /
their excellent assistance. G. Devarajan), featuring Shakuntala as
“Vagaladi bodhanalaku...”, Tiru- the heroine who wonders how to put
pati Narayana Swamy javali her emotions into words. While she
in raga Behag and Jayadeva managed it well, whether it took the
ashtapadi “Priye charuseele...”, repertoire any forward was doubtful.
in raga Mukhari were items that Lavanya finished with a thillana in
showcased Shweta’s grasp over Behag, which used lyrics from
abhinaya. Adorned with stylistic Jayadeva’s ‘Gita Govinda’.
postures, she presented her The orchestra led by Kaniyal
roles with involvement. Hariprasad, who also compo-
Her dance caught the attention sed the music for non-tradi-
once again, as she did the tional items, was topnotch. The
Lalgudi G. Jayaraman thillana way the team conducted the
in Desh. She followed it with a concert was commendable.
Kshetrayya writing on goddess The final day had Bharata-
Devi sung in Kurinji and made natyam recital by Utthara
her recital end in a blissful tran- Unni. She hardly matched the
quillity. grandeur of the other per-
Novelty being the key formers and ended up giving
a meagre show.
Lavanya Ananth brought in a
few surprises in her repertoire The festival took place on
this year. An invocation piece the first ten days of Nov
■ HAREE FOTOGRAFIE

on goddess Ambika, using San- 2018 at Ganesham, the

black-box theater of
T. Reddi Lakshmi (right), Abhaya Lakshmi, Soorya. ●
Deepti Gupta, Lavanya Ananth and
Utthara Unni (page 10, top to bottom),
during Parampara Dance Festival 2018.
artograph
2019 JAN | VOL 01 | ISS 01

ART COLLOQUY | 12

Enchanting notes
Meet Karthik K.P., a young Carnatic vocalist from Ernakulam,
who has received the 7th ‘MS Subbulakshmi Awards 2018: Voice of the Year’
title, a prestigious award constituted jointly by The Hindu and Saregama.
SREEDEVI N. NAMPOOTHIRI

A fter an early morning concert during the

Chirappu celebration by the S.D.V. Manage-
ment at the Mullakkal Devi Temple in Alappuzha,
Carnatic singer?
My father is a musician and it certainly has influ-
enced me from early childhood. Also, I had the
Karthik was more than pleased to talk about his fortune of having accomplished mentors who
music and himself as a musician. encouraged me to take classical music seriously.
Karthik began his learning under his father My teachers and colleagues, during my school

Karthik K.P. during his Carnatic vocal concert presented as part

of the Chirappu celebration by the S.D.V. Management at the
Mullakkal Devi Temple in Alappuzha.

■ HAREE FOTOGRAFIE

Parameswaran Moozhikkulam, a renowned and college days, were also very encouraging. I
flautist and later continued under veteran used to win prizes in Classical music, and it truly
gurus like Kalanjoor D. Viswanathan, A.D. Reju helped me to keep the enthusiasm level high.
Narayanan, V.R. Dileep Kumar and Mavelikkara But, in academics, you took Ayurveda and not
P. Subramaniam. Currently, he is honing his skills music...
under the tutelage of Chennai C.R. Vaidyana-
than. An Ayurvedic doctor by profession, he has In my view, academic qualification in music is not
received the ‘Agnivesha Award’ constituted by a must to be a performer. It may not be rewarding
Kottakkal Ayurveda College, conferred to the always to be a full-time musician. It will be more
promising youngsters in the field of Ayurveda. secure to have a regular income job. My idea is to
give the same priority to both in life and try to do
What are the factors that influenced you to be a my best in both the fields.
 artograph
2019 JAN | VOL 01 | ISS 01

13 | ART COLLOQUY
Karthik is a musician and also a doctor, any plans but also instrumentalists - is one habit I have
to bring both the areas together? developed over the years. It gives the moti-
Music therapy is surely one domain that interests vation to experiment and improve own music.
me. Classical music is not very popular, and that Bringing elements, for instance, the nuances of
itself makes it challenging, to use it in treatment. nadaswaram while singing a particular raga, is
And in practice, it tends to be more effective something which I try to do. Being critical about
among children, like for those experiencing my strengths and weakness - as in my case, often
Autism or ADHD, rather than adults. I realize that it pointed out by my guru - is also necessary. Since
needs to be a teamwork and I hope like-minded I’m trying to be proficient in both Ayurveda and
people will come together and the studies will Carnatic, I realise that I should be doing smart
eventually find the momentum to take it forward. work rather than hard work, and use the available
time in a fruitful way.
A performer learns from every stage, your experi-
ences... Any words to those who are Carnatic aspirants?

One thing I have learnt is to enjoy performing. The world of Carnatic music is broad and
Then only I will be capable of making the audi- boundless, and if one has only a peripheral view,
ence relish. Another aspect I have learnt it may not work very well. Those who learn
is to treat everyone equal on stage. All Carnatic should do it for themselves and
are artists, and there is no hierarchy. at the same time for music as well.
It is essential to be innovative, but Though finance may be a concern
it is equally important to keep the initially, there are many government
framework intact. When I used to schemes to help those who are
perform during my school/college keen to take it seriously. Popularity
days in Youth Festivals and other should not be a primary concern,
competitions, I often considered be genuine and try not to adulter-
that the complexity and the briskness ate the music to become popular.
in singing the swaras etc. are what While the modern-day opportunities
matters. Later I realized, it is much more than like music reality shows and other compe-
that. Giving the audience the essence of a raga is titions certainly help to get a start, one should not
the key. That’s where I started looking for vintage take up music with the primary objective of par-
music by maestros. ticipating in such shows. ●

You have learnt your initial music lessons in Kerala Presently working as a Medical Officer in Ayurveda,
and now are getting trained in Chennai. As a Sreedevi N. Nampoothiri is keen to be a Mohini-
yattam danseuse and is learning under guru Neena
student of music, how different you think it is? Prasad.

I had multiple gurus in Kerala, including my father, ADVT

and I would say, I have learnt something unique
from each one. Coming to Chennai, my focus
changed to fine-tuning my skills and choosing a
school that I’m comfortable with. Chennai is like a
vast library of different schools of music and one
has the opportunity to familiarize them and pick
up the best one. Also, one may take elements
from multiple schools and incorporate in her/his
own music.
One has to find ways to improve own music, how
do you manage that?
Listening to other musicians - not only vocalists
artograph
2019 JAN | VOL 01 | ISS 01

INSIGHT | 14

M
Dancing
artha Graham once said; “Great dancers are
not great because of their technique, they are
great because of their passion!”. This has always

and beyond
made me feel strong and kept me going. Dance
was always my passion, but pledging my life
to that, especially in the modern day scenario,
wasn’t an easy choice to make.
Dancing as a career comes with its I still remember those days while I was working in
own set of challenges. The decision is SAP, with my mind doing all the permutations and
combinations as I stare at the computer screen,
hard to take, and you never know how trying to find answers for certain questions that
it will go unless you try it. seemed to jam the nerve circuit. And one fine
day, it seemed like I was making ‘the’ decision
PRATEEKSHA KASHI of my life, whether to take up dancing full-time
immediately or should I wait further. Being a
computer science engineer, I tried to take a
logical approach to find a solution. But it was the
gut feeling that came to my rescue at the end,
giving me that answer, to go for it, without waiting
any further! However, there were questions of
survival and success, which remained at large.
Little did I know then, that the answers would
unfold themselves, once I completely dive into
the fascinating world of Kuchipudi. No wonder
why people say it’s necessary to get your hands
dirty to uncover the intricacies involved!
Understanding dance
Dance is not just moving your body synchronised
to complex rhythmic patterns and showing facial
expressions to convey the meaning of the text. I
always felt it as a journey through the dark and
light patches leading to immense learning; an
adventure that subjects you to sudden sharp
turns exposing a whole new dimension to life; a
continuum of discovery and rediscovery of who
you are and who you grow to become. Dance is
a mirror, which at every point of time, reflects the
person within you.
A good dancer need not be a professional, but a
professional dancer has to be good at it. Dancing
as a profession has a lot of niceties associated
with it. For anyone who wishes to take dance as
her/his career, it is critical to know whether they
are ready for that role. Starting with the love and
■ ANJALI REDDY

fondness for dance, s/he should be able to go

through an intense training under the guidance
of an able guru. Later on, s/he needs to develop
self-confidence and persuasion to grow. Not to
 artograph
2019 JAN | VOL 01 | ISS 01

15 | GENERAL
appealing chord of the seriously watching crowd.

Taking to The other attractions of the day were the Kuch-

ipudi recital by Sreelakshmy Govardhanan and

masses
Mayurbhanj Chhau performed by Ankit Pahadia.
While Sreelakshmy came alive with her graceful
movements, exquisite footwork and abhinaya,
Ankit took the audience by surprise with his highly
‘IDA Dance Fest 2018’ has turned out dramatic and energetic movements. Mayurbanj
to be a gripping celebration of Indian Chhau, having roots in the tribal rituals, draws
classical dances catching the attention inspiration from martial arts as well as classical
of the dance enthusiasts in Malabar. dance forms.
The second day of the festival began with the
BALAKRISHNAN KOYYAL Bharatanatyam recital by Deepesh Hoskere,
disciple of G. Ratheesh Babu. He danced with

T he ‘IDA Dance Fest’, started last year, has

drawn the attention of the dance-loving spirit
of Kannur. Classical dance events being a rarity
beautiful and dynamic movements. Anuradha
Singh, a renowned Kathak dance exponent
from Bhopal, mesmerised the audience with her
in the northern side of Kerala, Shaijaa Bineesh, a mastery over the form. The signature leaps and
dancer herself, has worked hard along with her twirls, performed effortlessly, were greeted with
team to make it a reality. The second edition was rounds of spontaneous applause.
no different and the participating artists have
The Odissi recital by Puspita Mishra was an expo-
made it a memorable one.
sition of the attractive features of the classical
The festival featured Bharatanatyam in three dance genre from Odisha. The performance
different repertories, representing variety, rich- showcased the choreographic skills of Puspita,
ness and liveliness. The event got to a start with which was marked by energetic nritta sequences.
the Bharatanatyam recital by Meera Sreenarayan Puspita’s recital, blending the rhythmic grace and
and she held the audience in thrall with her agile symphony was highly acclaimed by the audience.
footwork and compelling abhinaya. Later on the
The Mohiniyattam presentation by Rachita Ravi
day, Ashnadev and Ramya Suvi performed a
was a fitting conclusion to the two-day festival.
duet in Bharatanatyam. With a perfect grip over
The festival was held on 9th and 10th
intricate choreographic patterns and relevant
of Nov 2018, under the aegis of
expressional nuances, the two touched an
India Dance Allianz, Kannur. ●
Balakrishnan Koyyal is the former director of AIR, Meera Sreenarayanan during
Kochi and also is an eminent folklorist, writer and her Bharatanatyam recital at
photographer. ‘IDA Dance Fest 2018‘.

miss the knowledge of practical aspects of managing financials,

travel and making the connections. The experience of participat-
ing in competitions and dance festivals, it also could prove helpful.
You decided to be a professional dancer, spent years committed
for the cause, and then you realize it’s just the beginning! Being a
successful professional dancer is a different story altogether. Will
■ SREENATH NARAYANAN

share more on those lines in the next issue; stay tuned! ●

Prateeksha Kashi is a noted Kuchipudi danseuse and a film actor. She has
learned the repertoire under her mother, guru Vyjayanthi Kashi, and is a
recipient of SNA Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar.
 artograph
2019 JAN | VOL 01 | ISS 01

GENERAL | 16

ശാകുന്തളത്തിന�ൊരു
പുതുഭാഷ്യം
കാളിദാസന്റെ വിഖ്യാതമായ
‘അഭിജ്ഞാനശാകുന്തള’ത്തെ
പിൻ‌പറ്റി, സമകാലിക വിഷയങ്ങള്‍
ചര്‍ച്ച ചെയ്യുന്നു 'ശാകുന്തളം - ഒരു
■ BIVIN LAL

നായാട്ടുകഥ'.
ബിവിൻ ലാൽ

മ ഹാകവി കാളിദാസന്റെ 'അഭിജ്ഞാന

ശാകുന്തള'ത്തെ അധികരിച്ച്, ല�ോകധർമ്മി
അരങ്ങിലെത്തിച്ച 'ശാകുന്തളം - ഒരു നായാട്ടുകഥ'
ദുഷ്യന്തനായി പ്രിയരാജ് ഗ�ോവിന്ദരാജും ശകുന്തളയായി ദിവ്യ
ഗ�ോപിനാഥും അരങ്ങിൽ.

എന്ന മലയാള നാടകം പ്രേക്ഷകർക്കു പകര്‍ന്നു ഭർതൃഗൃഹത്തിലേയ്ക്ക് പ�ോകുന്ന പുത്രി ശകുന്തളയ്ക്ക്

നൽകിയത് വേറിട്ടൊരു ദൃശ്യ-ശ്രവ്യാനുഭവം. കണ്വമഹർഷി നൽകുന്ന ഉപദേശങ്ങളെ വർത്ത
മാനകാലയുക്തിയിൽ വിമർശനാത്മകമായാണ്
കണ്വന്റെ വളർത്തുപുത്രിയായ ശകുന്തളയുടെ അവതരിപ്പിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നത്. ഇന്ന് കേരളത്തിൽ
ദുഷ്യന്തനുമായുള്ള ബന്ധത്തിന്റെ കഥ പറയുന്ന ഏറെ പറഞ്ഞു കേൾക്കുന്ന കുലസ്ത്രീ സങ്കല്പത്തെ
തിനപ്പുറം കാലികപ്രാധാന്യമുള്ള വിഷയങ്ങൾ കൂടി ചർച്ച ചെയ്യുന്നതിന�ൊപ്പം, അതിലെ നിരർത്ഥക
ഉൾപ്പെടുത്താനായതാണ് നാടകത്തെ ശ്രദ്ധേയ തയും സ്ത്രീവിരുദ്ധതയും നാടകം തുറന്നുകാട്ടുന്നു.
മാക്കിയത്. തൃപ്പൂണിത്തറ ജെ.ടി. പാക്കിൽ 2018
നവംബർ 25-ന് ഈ നാടകത്തിന്റെ ആദ്യ ആശയപരമായി മാത്രമല്ല, കലാപരമായും
പ്രദർശനം നടന്നു. നാടകം ഔന്നിത്യം പുലർത്തുന്നു. ശകുന്തളയായി
രംഗത്ത് എത്തിയ ദിവ്യ ഗ�ോപിനാഥ്, ദുഷ്യന്തനെ
മൂലകഥയെ അതേ തനിമയ�ോടെ നിലനിർത്തി, അവതരിപ്പിച്ച പ്രിയരാജ് ഗ�ോവിന്ദരാജ്, സേനാ
അതിന�ോടിഴ ചേരുന്ന രീതിയിൽ സ്ത്രീപക്ഷ രാഷ്ട്രീ ധിപതിയായി സുധീർ ബാബു ശങ്കുണ്ണി എന്നിവ
യവും പാരിസ്ഥിതിക പ്രശ്നങ്ങളും ചർച്ച ചെയ്യപ്പെടും രുടെ അഭിനയമികവ് എടുത്തു പറയേണ്ടതുണ്ട്.
വിധമാണ് നാടകത്തിന്റെ രംഗഭാഷ ഒരുക്കി ഇവർക്കൊപ്പം സന്തോഷ് കീഴാറ്റൂര്‍, രമ്യ സുധി,
യിരിക്കുന്നത്. ല�ോകധര്‍മ്മിയുടെ ഡയറക്ടറും കലാമണ്ഡലം ആര്‍ച്ച, റ�ോസ് ഷെറിന്‍ അന്‍സാരി
നാടകരചയിതാവും സംവിധായകനുമായ ചന്ദ്ര തുടങ്ങി പതിനഞ്ചോളം പേർ ഈ നാടകത്തിൽ
ദാസനാണ് ‘ശാകുന്തളം - ഒരു നായാട്ടു കഥ’യുടെ വിവിധ വേഷങ്ങളിലെത്തുന്നു.
പ്രധാനശില്പി.
ബിജിബാൽ ഈണമിട്ട ഗാനങ്ങൾ, നടീനടന്മാർ
കാളിദാസന്റെ ശകുന്തളയിൽ നിന്നും ഈ നാടക തത്സമയം രംഗത്ത് പാടി അഭിനയിക്കുന്നു എന്ന
ത്തിലെ ശകുന്തളയിലേക്കുള്ള ദൂരം വലുതാണ്, സവിശേഷതയ�ോട�ൊപ്പം; രംഗസംവിധാനം,
വ്യക്തവുമാണ്. പുരുഷന്റെ ഇംഗിതങ്ങൾക്കു വിധേ പശ്ചാത്തല സംഗീതം എന്നിവയിലുമുണ്ട് വേറിട്ട
യയായി ഒടുവിൽ തിരസ്കരിക്കപ്പെട്ട് അപമാനിത മികവ്. ഇവർക്കൊപ്പം ഇതര സാങ്കേതിക മേഖല
യായി മടങ്ങുന്ന ശകുന്തളയാണ് കാളിദാസന്റേ കളിൽ പ്രവർത്തിച്ചവരുടെ മികവും ഈയ�ൊരു
തെങ്കിൽ; താൻ നേരിട്ട വഞ്ചന തിരിച്ചറിഞ്ഞ്, നാടകാവതരണത്തിന്റെ വിജയത്തിൽ പ്രധാന
പുരുഷാധിപത്യത്തിന് അടിയറവെക്കാത്ത വ്യക്തി പങ്കുവഹിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്. ●
ത്വത്തിലേക്കുയർന്ന്, ദുഷ്യന്തനെ തിരസ്കരിച്ച്
സ്വയം പ്രകൃതിയിൽ അലിഞ്ഞു ചേരുന്ന ആത്മാഭി മജീഷ്യൻ, മാച്ച്‌സ്റ്റിക്ക് കലാകാരൻ, ഫ�ോട്ടോഗ്രാഫർ
എന്നീ നിലകളിൽ അറിയപ്പെടുന്ന, നല്ലൊരു കലാസ്വാ
മാനബ�ോധമുള്ള ശകുന്തളയെയാണ് ഈ നാടക ദകൻ കൂടിയായ ബിവിൻ ലാൽ, ഡി.പി.ഐ. വകുപ്പിൽ
ത്തിൽ കാണാനാവുക. ജ�ോലി ചെയ്യുന്നു.