The ongoing Bengaluru Habba saw yet another eclectic blend of dance, music, theatre and art on the seventh day.
The Sangeetha Sambhrama commenced with the performance of Vachana Gayana by artists Malasri Kanvi and Kumar Kanvi. The soothing tunes by the duo set the perfect mood for the cultural evening. Following this performance Chintan Vikas and group held the audience captivated with their cultural and folk compositions.
At Samsa, the evening was opened to the melodious Ranga Geethe — The Golden Songs of Kannada Theatre by singers — R Paramashivan, Nagarajachar, Lakshman Dass, Prathibha, Bhagyasri, Sheela Naydu, Rama Bai, Ravindra Sorgavi, Siddarama Kosapura and Sangita Khakandaki. Other members in the troupe included Kallooru Srinivas on Harmonium, Shokesh Kumar on Saxophone, Narasimaiah on Casio, and Ramakrishna on Tabala. The act was put together by Mallikarjuna Mahamane.
Mohiniyattam described as the ‘dance of the enchantress’ was the flavour of the evening at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan where Manjula and group mesmerised the audience with their graceful performance. The danseuse portrayed incredible emotions throughout the act with subtle gestures and footwork. The venue also hosted another Bharatanatyam performance by Praveen Kumar. Choreographer and nattuvanar, Praveen put up a fine presentation of the dance form, leaving the audience in awe of his excellence.
Ranga Sambhrama saw the enacting of ‘Nayee Kathe’ a North Karnataka dialect drama directed by Ravindra Poojari and troupe. A music based act. As the play unfolded the director became the voice of characters and demonstrated the dilemma involved in choosing between pure love and materialistic attitude.
Girish Karnad’s play Hayavanda, directed by Pushan Kripalani was the highlight of the evening at Chowdiah Memorial Hall. The audience were glued to their seats for every minute of the performance that the troupe put up. Hayavadana was inspired by Thomas Mann’s ‘The Transposed Heads’, which in turn was borrowed from a Sanskrit tale Kathasaritsagara.