BharataNatyam recital by Subhashni Giridhar and her shishyas at Shilparamam Amphitheatre, Madhapur on Saturday 23rd March 2024, at 6.30pm was a treat to the audience
The audience was witness to an exuberant BhartaNatyam recital by veteran danseuse Subhashni Giridhar along with her students, during the evening of dance jointly organised by Shilparamam (Madhapur) and Suguna Nrityalaya.
The performance comprised of various kritis and padams in five different languages. Trained in Thanjavur (Tanjore) style of BharataNatyam, Subhashni presented the program in the traditional Maargam with a little deviation to adapt to the taste of the diverse audience.
The recital commenced with an invocatory piece on Lord Ganesha (Eka dantham and Vakratunda) by the dance Guru and her students, which was followed by 3 Kavuthvams in praise of Lord Ganesha, Lord Karthikeya and Lord Nataraja.by her students.
Gajajnanayutham Ganeshwaram, a Muthuswamy Dikshitar kriti (in ragam Vegavahini), Kali Kavuthvam and a padam – Kalai thooki (in ragam Bhageshri), a song in praise of Lord Nataraja was well performed by the students of Suguna Nrityalaya.
Highlight of the day was Subhashni’s performance of Sri Tyagaraja’s Nagumomu Ganaleni, in ragam Abheri and talam Adi, and she excelled in her abhinaya, giving fine interpretation of the sahitya in dance. (when she potrayed the Sita Devi’s plight,longing to see lotus eyed Sri Rama’s smiling face.). Her expressive eyes showed various rasas in sanchari bhava in showing Sita’s swayamvara and Vanavaas episode.
The abhinaya for the composition was sorrowful to reflect about Sita’s thoughts about Sri Rama. She played it as monologue (ekaharya), in flashback mode. Her depiction of the entire drama was engagingly interwoven with jatis.
The later part of dance she presented was woven with episodes of Sri Krishna lifting the mountain Govardhan and other acts in Brindavan.
The danseuse effortlessly changed roles in this padam from Sri Rama to Sita Devi to Lord Krishna to Garuda to Guha, the boatman,
‘Hari Tum Haro’, Meera bhajan in Darbari Kanada was like a gentle cool breeze. Lord Krishna depicted as the rescuer of Draupadi as Dushasan tried to disrobe her (cheerharan), Narasimha avatar protecting child Prahlada from his evil father Hiranyakashyapu and Gajendra Moksham (rescue of the elephant by Lord Vishnu) was well enacted by her students.
In Chinnanchiru kiliye kannama, a Subramania Bharathi’s composition in Tamil, Subhashni depicted parent’s happiness on the birth of a girl child and motherhood with utmost sensitivity.
The audience got to witness brisk rhythmic footwork accompanied by speedy Jati recitation in Tillana (in raga Hamsanandhi ) as her final act of evening along with her shishyas.
As the audience made way out of the venue the taals of Mridangam and the facial expressions of the artist of the evening Subhashni Giridhar, resonated in their minds.
Subhashni Giridhar is a Chartered Accountant by profession. She trains students only with a view to pass on the rich cultural heritage of BharataNatyam (Tanjore/ Thanjavur style) to the next generation, without making teaching dance, a commercial proposition
