BENGALURU: BEING AN UNABASHED LOVER
Krishna-Radha love story is a common theme in classical dance. How different or special is Geeta Govinda and its ashtapadis?
Geeta Govinda is special because you see Radha as the most empowered lady love. Krishna is the effervescent and eloquent feminist. Here, lovers don’t hesitate or shy away from displaying love’s longings and pangs of separation.
Which is your favourite part of the story (or the ahstapadi) you love performing?
Priye Charusheele is my favourite. Radha is upset and angry with Krishna. In this ashtapadi, Krishna cajoles and flatters her, displaying his own love, longing and passion for her.
Your piece Kuru Yadu Nandana shows the long awaited union of Radha and Krishna. Could you tell me more?
Kuru Yadu Nandana is a beautiful and evocative piece. Here, Radha is the most unabashedly expressive lover and I am presenting it in a manner befitting her character in the portrayal of the song.
Beyond Literature
Krishna-Radha love story is a common theme in classical dance. How different or special is Geeta Govinda and its ashtapadis?
Krishna and Radha’s dalliance in essence transcends pragmatic interpretations and are beautifully delineated in texts such as Jayadeva’s Geeta Govinda. Krishna is the paramatma or ultimate soul with whom the jeevatma or the ordinary soul wants union.
But Radha is the chosen one and in their love play or leela, the cosmic dance of love unfolds beautifully. Jayadeva intersperses bhakti, erotica, profound poetry and human emotions in his ashtapadis dedicated to the Dark Lord.
Which is your favourite part of the story (or the ahstapadi) you love performing? Why?
I would like to bring to people’s notice that Astapadis were first performed in Kathak by my Guru and mother – Dr Maya Rao in the 1950s. They were never part of the Kathak repertoire until then. In her choreography and teaching of this ashtapadi to me lies the beauty of bhaav or abhinaya in Kathak – subtle yet potent. I love the metaphors Jayadeva draws from nature to portray human longing and emotions, beauty in the poetry.
Your piece, Lalita Lavanga shows Radha’s longing in the spring – the season of love, could you tell me more about your performance and the theme?
The advent of spring brings the promise of finding love. The expectations are so high that it provides the perfect premise for heightened emotions of the lovers – the nayika in particular. Dr Maya Rao’s choreographic interpretations move away from the literal and lingers more on the associated meanings and anomalies.
Through my training and learning through osmosis, I absorbed the Abhinaya aspect from my mother and this ashtapadi embodies her artistry where poetry of the text and the movement vocabulary become one much like the union of Radha and Krishna. The music too was composed by her long-time collaborator- the celebrated composer- Anil Biswas. I will be using a multimedia backdrop of paintings to recreate the old world romance.
Stirring in Radha’s imagination
Krishna-Radha love story is a common theme in classical dance. How different or special is Geeta Govinda and its ashtapadis?
Geeta Govinda has naturally assumed the format of a musical and its real beauty lies in its musicality. Sweet, soft and soothing lyrics set to melodious ragas and talas, with rich metaphors and rhythmic alliteration, touch the heart and soul of connoisseurs. Imaginative descriptions of the landscape and aesthetic panorama as stimulants (Uddipana bibhav) in impacting sentiments and mood, in developing the theme is a unique feature of Geeta Govinda.
Which is your favourite part of the story (or the ahstapadi) you love performing?
Ashtapadi, Yahi Madhava depicting Radha’s anguish on Krishna’s infidelity is my favourite to perform on stage.
Your piece Ramate Yamuna shows Radha imagining Krishna in love-play with other gopis, could you tell me more about your performance and the theme?
I will be presenting the 15th ashtapadi, Ramate Yamuna Pulina Vane. Searching for her beloved amongst the quivering trees and vines along the banks of the Yamuna river, Radha imagines Krishna dallying in love play with other gopis on the sand dunes near the bank of river Yamuna. She wonders and asks why she has been waiting for Krishna, while he is busy with other women.
The dance piece is beautifully choreographed by my guru, Padmashri Aruna Mohanty. In the piece, the subtlety and the spontaneity of emotions, while in depicting a suspicious Radha imagining the flirtatious Krishna in his love play with other beautiful village maidens is effectively brought out.
Dancing to intimacy
Which is your favourite part of the ahstapadi that you love performing? Why?
My favourite part in the ashtapadi, Priye Charusheele which I’m presenting, is where Krishna asks Radha to place her feet on his head. This shows his complete surrender to this love for Radha, which is transcendental and beyond.
Your piece Priye Charusheele shows a repentant Krishna pleading to win back angry Radha. Could you tell me more about your performance and the theme?
I am lucky that I got my favourite ashtapadi to perform for Kavyarasa. I have decided to try a different angle by starting off the dance as Jayadeva himself. I have never seen anyone do this before. I am hoping the audience will like it.
Then the part where Krishna places Radha’s feet on his head gives me goosebumps even as I dance to it.
This scene is so intimate that I have only a vocalist (Karthik Hebbar) to accompany me so that the feelings of Radha and Krishna being together is accentuated. It’s the first time I’m performing with only one accompanying musician.
Being a Sakhi to Radha
Krishna-Radha love story is a common theme in classical dance. How different or special is Geeta Govinda and its ashtapadis?
Although many elements in Geeta Govinda are codified doctrines of love, but their imagery, tone, colour and rhythm of Jayadev interweaves levels of physical & metaphysical associations and the cosmic energy of Krishna’s love with Radha is condensed in religious ecstasy and the last ashtapadi, Kuru Yadu Nandana stimulates the procreation of this entire Universe.
Which is your favourite part of the story (or the ahstapadi)? Why?
Every ashtapadi is a masterpiece in itself. But the one I love the most is the last ashtapadi, Kuru Yadu Nandana. The erotic mysticism of Geeta Govinda has inspired many creative ventures by painters, spiritual followers, gurus and dancers.
Your piece Radhika Krishna shows the Sakhi describing Radha’s pain of separation to Krishna. Could you tell more about your performance and the theme?
In Geeta Govinda, Madhavi (or the Sakhi) plays a major role in bringing Radha to Krishna together and that is why I’ve chosen this ashtapadi (Radhika Krishna) because the role of sutradhar (the narrator or the one who holds the thread) is what I am enacting, learning and practising over a few years now. This gives me a great joy.