The nature of the relation that Sita shared with Ram is always thought of a devoted wife and that of a follower. However, at the same time, Sita-Ram, a Bharatanatyam performance by Arshia Mathur brings out Sita’s frustration. “In the confinement of Ravana, Sita, incomparable beauty and an epitome of dedication, self-sacrifice, courage and purity, turns into a picture of grief. In her grief, she tells Hanuman ‘Suno Kapi Ve Raghunath Nahi’, meaning ‘He is not the Ram I knew’. Here she starts her reproof against Ram,” says Mathur.
Mathur has been learning Bharatanatyam under the tutelage of Guru Sindhu Mishra since 2002. And it is Mishra herself who has choreographed each act of the programme. Talking about various aspects of choreography, Mishra says, “Bharatnatyam is one of the strong dance forms, it has very hard footworks and movements in the rhythmic patterns which is known as jathis.
So, the choreography of each item includes jathis in between the steps. The programme will have Tan Varnam that depicts Maa Yashodha narrating the epic Ramayan to the little Krishna. This will be followed by two Padam items, one showcasing the moment when Sita saw Ram for the first time in the beautiful palace of Mithila and another showcasing Sita as an epitome of beauty and courage when she was in the confinement of Ravana in Ashok Vatika.”
Mishra, who has been a part of this artistic field since 1976, has always been one of those people who believed in expressing herself through the art form and not just perform the regular repertoire of any classical dance form. And just like her guru, Mathur too believes in creatively exploring the dance form while retaining the classicism. “Bharatanatyam is an art form, and Sindhu Akka always says that we must use our creativity otherwise it is not an art but just a mere craft.
While an artist must adhere to the basic rules of the art but he or she shouldn’t restrict himself/herself to it,” says Mathur, adding, “Creativity brings out the uniqueness in the art form. However, numerous things have already been tried out, making it difficult for us to be unique. That’s why the poetry we have chosen is very different from the traditionally used poetries, and choreography that has been done is a little different from what people expect from a Bharatanatyam recital.”
And it is through this creative journey that Mathura has been able to break her boundaries. It is with the help of her guru, who made her realise that art is an ocean, one that is full of possibilities and needs to be explored, that she takes on the world without any hesitation.
For Mishra, art is the only aspect of her life. Ask her what she thinks about the role any creative medium should play among the present generation that is so engrossed into technology, she says, “With the on-going rat-race, where people are exploring to earn money, I have read and seen people entering different fields of work to satisfy their creative desire.
There are people who have left their well-earning jobs to be in a creative field. The present generation is very interesting because they are doing so many unusual things. It is interesting to see the youngsters promoting the art form to spread love and unity.”Sita-Ram: March 30, 6 pm onwards at LTG Auditorium, Mandi House.