A Festival That Fails To Celebrate

The second evening of this fest featured the traditional Kuchipudi dance guru Bhagavatula Sethuram, his young disciple Sucharita and another danseuse, Sarita Dilip. All the three performed the regular numbers backed by those usual songs and rhythms that did not stimulate anyone, mainly because there was neither quality nor novelty.

Sucharita, clad in bright (and clichéd) yellow, commenced with "Vatapi Ganapatim" and continued with "Himagiri Tanaya". And Sethuram, in his traditional mode, rendered a Natakuranji Varnam, "Chalamela Ra" that he must have now staged for over 50 times! A Sivastakam by Sucharita depicted the dance of Siva and the Keertana "Raghukulamandu" by Sethuram illustrated the magnanimity of Rama and his love for the old Shabari, including a Tillana. All this comprised the guru-sishya's recital.

Sita Mahalakshmi's vocals, Raghava's nattuvangam and Vinod's percussion provided the musical support. Later in the evening, a dull looking Sarita Dilip came onstage, rendering the ritual Pushpanjali, and a Tarangam, "Jaya Jaya Swami", attributed to Ganesha. Yet another usual and popular number "Koluvai Unnade" about Siva, taken from the 'Shankara Pallaki Seva Prabhandham', and more pieces based on Ramadasa and Annamacharya's poetry followed, before the dancer finished with excerpts from Bhama Kalapam.

What always remains a question is, despite some of these dancers and Gurus performing these numbers repeatedly, they do not seem to get bored, and continue to dig into someone else's creative work, rather than getting inspired and working afresh. A little motivation and ability to research can give them an ocean of themes from our own mythology and from our own poets, if they are not bent on experimenting with contemporary themes.

It's such a waste of time accepting such invitations!