How Annamacharya kirtanas are a treasure trove of emotions

Spending an entire evening watching the abhinaya prowess of seven senior artistes belonging to different dance styles was a delightful experience. Titled ‘Tamrapatra Live’, it was based entirely on Annamacharya’s compositions and curated by Ananda Shankar Jayant. The ambience of the Kalakshetra auditorium heightened the rasanubhava.

Vaibhav Arekar | Photo Credit: SRINATH M

In 2010, musician Sathiraju Venu Madhav set to tune 108 uncomposed kirtanas of Annamacharya in 108 ragas. With a desire to popularise them, Ananda Shankar along with Anupama Kylash launched a year-long online series, which culminated in a full-length performance. Seated on the banks of the river, Krishna, before departing to Dwarka, reminiscences the beautiful moments spent with Radha. ‘Will I see her again,’ he tells himself. The entire scenario and the gamut of emotions came alive in a brilliant presentation by Vaibhav Arekar. One of the highlights of his visualisation was the sequence where the dancer pens his feelings on a lotus leaf and lets it float gently on the water.

Deepika Reddy | Photo Credit: SRINATH M

The focus then shifted to Radha in the song ‘Ati shobiteyam’ (raga Sama) performed by Gopika Varma. The myriad shades of her emotions were portrayed with grace and finesse. The final moment, depicting the seven hills was interesting.

Gopika Varma | Photo Credit: SRINATH M

Describing the bond between Alamelumanga and Venkateshwara in raga Behag was the kirtana ‘Ekkuvatakkuvaleevo’. Deepika Reddy captured those moments of companionship through a vibrant and joyous presentation. The piece ended in a beautiful oonjal sequence. Episodes of Vamana avatar and Amritmanthan were elaborated in her dancing in Kuchipudi style. A nayika’s yearning for her lord after their separation gives dancers immense scope to explore emotions, and Anupama’s exquisite mukhabinaya captured it all. The imagery of a wilting lotus and the comparison between the heartbeat and the sound of a bird’s fluttering wings made for some special moments .

Anupama Kylash | Photo Credit: SRINATH M

Clad in a colourful costume, Sathyanarayana Raju, became the sakhi carrying the message from Alamelumanga to Venkateshwara. His portrayal was so graceful and engrossing that one forgot it was a man dancing.

Sathyanarayana Raju | Photo Credit: SRINATH M

The union of the lord and his consort was shown through an exploration of the six seasons by Ananda Shankar Jayant in the composition ‘Kaalamularunu’ in raga Vasantha. The distinct feature of each season and the changing landscapes were explored by Ananda through a dynamic presentation.

Ananda Shankar Jayant | Photo Credit: SRINATH M

Ending the evening on a philosophical note, Sharmila Biswas focuses on the idea of how every human is a puppet in the hands of the supreme, through an intense portrayal in the composition ‘Aatavaari guditawara’ in raga Kedaragowla.

Sharmila Biswas | Photo Credit: SRINATH M

It was a challenge to curate a dance presentation without nritta, it is here that the experience of the dancers came into play. Together they sustained audience interest with their powerful abhinaya.

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