Gayathri Rajaji’s recent performance as part of Brahma Gana Sabha’s ‘Aadi Natya Vizha’ held at Sivagami Pethachi auditorium was an example of soulful music accompanying a skilful dancer.
Gayathri’s crisp jatis showed her fine grasp on the technique while the bhavam section was dominated by pieces on Krishna.
Beginning with a sloka ‘Kasturi Tilakam’ from Sri Krishna Karnamrutham, Gayathri followed it up with a jathiswaram in Purvikalyani (sankeerna chapu tala). A Thanjavur Quartet piece, it was choreographed by her guru Adyar K. Lakshman. With the length of the margam getting curtailed over the years, jatiswaram finds a place mostly in arangetrams.
The padavarnam ‘Sakhiye Indha Velaiyil’, another composition of the Thanjavur Quartet in Ananda Bhairavi dealt with a yearning heroine pleading to her sakhi (friend) not to be indifferent to her suffering and to bring Rajagopalaswami to her. Despite rising up well to the challenges of this elaborate piece, Gayathri could not make much of an impression.
Next came the padam, ‘Indendu Vachitivira’ in Surutti that depicted a khandita nayika. In this composition of Melattur Kasinathaiyya, choreographed by Bragha Bessel, Gayathri should have captured better the intensity of the nayika’s anger and sarcasm.
The thillana composed by Madurai N. Krishnan and choreographed by Adyar K. Lakshman in Brindavana Saranga and adi tala was an apt conclusion.
Kalakshetra alumnus K. Hari Prasad (vocal) held sway over the audience. Easwar Ramakrishnan (violin), Nellai D. Kannan on the (mridangam) and Aadith Narayan on the (nattuvangam) were a treat to watch.
