The Varnam stands as the central and most elaborate piece in Bharatanatyam, embodying a perfect synthesis of nritta (pure dance) and abhinaya (expressive storytelling). Traditionally composed in a format blending arudhi, sansari, and jathi — usually three or more — the dancers will alternate between rhythmic precision and deep emotional interpretation, portraying the devotee’s yearning for the divine. As the longest and most demanding segment of the repertoire, the Varnam tests a performer’s stamina, artistry, and ability to unify technical mastery with soulful expression.
Explaining the theory of the Varnam, its traditional composition, structural framework, and detailed segmentation, is Vidhya Bhavani Suresh, a Bharatanatyam exponent, musician, and musicologist, in her new YouTube series titled ‘Exploring the Varnam.’
The series, spanning over five episodes, was conceived because Vidhya believes that students do not understand the basic facts behind Varnam compositions and that students aren‘t taught how and why genres of Varnam are different from one another — say pada varnam from daru varnam. She says, “Varnam is also something that is confused by many since it is different in classical music and is very different in Bharatanatyam, although they are two fields that are close to each other. Learners always get confused and that was one of my inspirations for this series as well.” She wants these five episodes to be the “go-to material for students” to theoretically understand the facts behind the compositions.
In the series, she admits to critiquing the growing trend of excessively long jathis in contemporary Varnam performances. She observes that today’s jathis are far lengthier than those performed three decades ago, during her years as a young dancer. According to her, modern performers seem to believe that a prolonged jathi automatically warrants applause, leading them to prioritise endurance over artistry. In doing so, she argues, dancers have begun to overlook the very essence of the Varnam . “We should be taking inspiration from the fact that the muktayi swaram and the swarams are of a certain length. The central swaram today is four avarthanams but the earlier swarams are one or two avarthanams, which was the balance the original composer intended. This time frame is no longer guiding the performances of today.”
Although the pieces remain confined within a time capsule, devoid of feminist ideas or portrayals of the modern woman, she clarifies that she has deliberately refrained from altering them. To her, these works are invaluable fragments of heritage, and her focus lies not in rewriting their narratives, but in deepening the understanding of their theory and preserving their traditional essence.
The first of the five episodes was out yesterday on @vidyabhavanisuresh YouTube channel.
The next four episodes will be released on consecutive Wednesdays.