Bhava takes centre stage in Anjali Hariharan’s Bharatanatyam performance

Anjali Hariharan, a senior disciple of Anita Guha, presented a bhava-rich recital, at Narada Gana Sabha mini hall recently.

She began her performance, for Natyarangam, with an energetic nritta, set to tune by Venkateshwaran Kuppuswamy. This was followed by a keerthanam ‘Shringara lahari’, composed by Lingaraj extolling goddess Mathangi, in raga Nilambari. The keerthanam describes the goddess as an embodiment of compassion and grace.

The dancer showcased her prowess | Photo Credit: S.R. Raghunathan

A composition by the Thanjavur Quartet ‘Karuna juda’, a varnam in raga Atana, tala Adi, was taken up next. The kriti is about a viraha nayika who expresses her deep longing to unite with the supreme lord of Thanjavur. However, the bhakti rasa, predominant in the piece, added beauty to the depiction.

The choreographer’s expertise was evident in the handling of the sancharis — her interpretation of the ceremonial procession of the deity, wherein Anjali took on multiple roles such as the awestruck devotee, the men carrying the idol and the majestic appearance of the lord . 

Her repertoire included an exclusive set that started with an energetic nritta. | Photo Credit: S.R. Raghunathan

The nritta interludes in the varnam, marked by sparkling footwork that included sutradavu or bhramaris, aptly brought out the dynamic persona of Brahadeeswara.

The multiple dimensions of Meera’s bhakti to Krishna were captured effectively in the bhajan ‘Hari bin savan kyon aaye’ in raga Madhuvanthi, Misra Chapu tala, set to tune by Prof. V.V. Subrahmanyam. Meera dreams about dancing with Krishna, as she experiences the beautiful showers of savan, when the cuckoo sings and the peacock dances joyously. Suddenly she realises that Krishna is not with her. It is in this moment that she laments: ‘Without you Hari, all this beauty is incomplete’.

Anjali’s portrayal of devotion and unwavering love of Meera for Krishna reflected a high degree of spiritual and emotional refinement. The thillana by Lalgudi Jayaraman in raga Mohanakalyani, and tala Adi, was performed with precision and grace.

The recital concluded with ‘Hariharathmajam‘ that had the intended calming effect.

Anitha Guha’s choreography, crafted specially for Anjali, was in tune with the lyrical and emotional content of the songs. The orchestra, with Jayashree Ramanathan (nattuvangam), Hariprasad Kaniyal (vocals), Ramshankar Babu (mridangam), Anantha Raman (violin) and Sujit Naik(flute) added value to the performance.