CHENNAI: We’ve all grown up reading fun tales of Tenali Raman — a poet, a scholar, a thinker and a special advisor in the court of king Krishnadevaraya. The pandit with a clean shaven head and tiny pony tail has captured the hearts of many children and adults with his clever solutions to complex problems. In a comedy dance musical with live orchestra titled ‘Thuru Thuru Tenali Raman’ composed by music director R Athulkumar and produced by dancer Himaja, the iconic character charmed the audience with his appearance by taking us on a nostalgic journey. The one-hour performance was interspersed with seven stories accompanied by a dance performance by the students of Bharatham Academy of Fine Arts on Thursday at Vani Mahal.
“Religious subjects have always had good response among audience. Of late, we need to have interesting topics to get people’s attention for dance dramas. We chose Tenali Raman so that even the common people can understand. It’s a musical drama without lyrics. Every part of music must express and be in sync with the dance movements. Coordinating to different sounds was a challenge. It’s a six-month effort,” said Himaja. The group had already performed this drama during Margazhi last year. The present version had a few twists and modification.
The hall witnessed a mixed bag with kids and adults enjoying the act. Children were even clicking selfies with Tenali Raman masks at the ticket counter. Every story had an orchestra performance in the beginning, following which, nine disciples of Himaja mesmerised us with a dance performance. The artists enacted the tale in their natya with music in the background and a voice over. At the end of every story echoed a music Thuru Thuru Tenali Raman. All the seven stories were relevant, easy to understand and had simple moral endings. The artiste who played Tenali Raman stole the show with his mischievous attitude and hand-eye coordination.
“Music is usually treated as a secondary element to dance in dramas. We wanted to give it equal importance. Having an orchestra without lyrics requires greater effort. Each situation has a different sound — a thief stealing, the king punishing someone, and Tenali proving his wit. Even if you slip a bit there’s no going back. It’s more like performing a south Indian classic symphony. Every mood is enhanced. There’s a transition in every tempo. The whole drama is conversational with just music,” said Athul who wants to take forward these stories to future generations.