Instead of a standard retelling of the entire epic, Sri Mudhraalaya's dance-theatre production- 'Sundara Kandam', that was staged at Narada Gana Sabha recently, focused on recapitulating a specific chapter of the Ramayana. The hero of this episode was not the indomitable Rama but the dedicated Hanuman. The production described Hanuman's first tryst with a beautiful Lanka, his meeting with a hopeful Sita and the subsequent encounter with a resolute Ravana. Performed by Dr. Lakshmi Ramaswamy and her students on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of their dance school, the production was well-liked by a packed audience.
Two different students took turns to essay the character of Hanuman. Together, their performance attempted to recreate Hanuman or Sundara's commitment, intelligence and kindness. The little girls of the dance school punctuated the narration of Sundara Kandam with beautifully choreographed sequences that spoke of the hills, trees and the grandeur of Lanka. While their abhinaya was discernibly in the formative stages, the footwork was found lacking for the most part. It was the choreography that lifted the production with carefully thought out fragments depicting combat and nature.
Lakshmi Ramaswamy's depiction of a lugubrious Sita added charm to the recital. One particular part where Sita reminisces about the time she spent with Rama stood out. In this innovative flashback sequence, Lakshmi stood in the foreground of the stage as Sita of Lanka thinking back to the time she spent with her husband while two of her students portrayed Rama and Sita of the forest in the background.
The music, composed by Rajkumar Bharati had his recognizable signature elements. The lyrics, penned for the production in Tamil by Rukmini Ramani, had the clarity that made the story accessible to little children too.
Sets were minimal and they enhanced the role of choreography in the production. For an ensemble comprising young students of Bharatanatyam, Sundara Kandam was a simple, yet comprehensive presentation.
