The Kamani auditorium in Delhi is packed to the brim with viewers. There is hushed silence as the 33-member Gandharva choir starts with a shlok from the Rig Veda. Composed by Pandit Madhup Mudgal, the powerful piece reverberates through the hall. The vocals dominate the piece, while musical instruments serve as embellishments to fine-tune the final act. Up next is an abstract composition consisting of sargam and beautiful rhythmic patterns that appear rather challenging. The choir, however, doesn’t miss a beat—a clear reflection of their artistic discipline.
Soon the evening is enveloped by the strains of traditional dhrupad, tarana and Carnatic varnam, besides folk melodies. It is a momentous occasion—a performance by the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, which recently turned 85, at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA)’s debut Legacy Series. “I believe Gandharva and KNMA share certain common values, the foremost being love and respect for the arts,” shares Madhup, principal at the Mahavidyala, Hindustani classical vocalist, and composer and conductor of the Gandharva choir.
Aayal Ho Rituraj, a composition that celebrates the arrival of spring with all its splendour of beauty and colour, gets the audience in an upbeat mood. It is followed by Charishnu composed in Raga Jog, one of the more popular raags that has been frequently seen in cinema. The almost-peppy composition injects the audience with greater energy and enthusiasm. “It’s so perfect… what melodies, what coordination; I have never witnessed something of this magnitude before,” gushes Smriti Katyal, a young college student.
A series of other compositions later, the atmosphere is enlivened with a qawwali set in Raga Bhairavi. The first half of the verse is in Persian, while the second in Awadhi. This melange of cultures keeps viewers engaged, with many clapping loudly to the vibrant taal. The conductor has a surprise in store. From the qawwali, the choir effortlessly changes gears and dives into Hau Saiba—a Konkani folk song from Goa, reminiscent of the Ge Ge Ge Sahiba from the popular 1973 film Bobby.
Complementing the spectacular musical showcase, is an Odissi presentation by Vidushi Madhavi Mudgal, one of India’s senior-most Odissi exponents, teacher and choreographer. Beginning with ‘Ranga Stuti’ which has verses from Abhinaya Darpan, a compendium on the grammar of Indian dance, the nine members of the ensemble, seek blessings for a fulfilling journey with the audience.
The high point is the use of lamps—a prop that elevates the act instantly. It is almost rhythmic, how the girls move in a circle, finally coming together in a cluster. The next piece, ‘Kha Champu’, is inspired from a poem written by the 18th-century Oriya poet Kavi Surya Baladeva Ratha, excerpted from his work, Kishore Chandranan Champu. The show comes to a close with ‘Sphuran’, a transcreation of musical impulse and motifs into dance movement and form.
“Each piece has its own challenges and possibilities. It’s how the progression of the presentation should be, that is an important consideration.
I also enjoy using space as a tool. It’s about how to enliven it; it’s not just about moving the hands or the body. It is all about how the totality of the possibility of space can be presented—that’s my challenge,” says Madhavi, adding, “Our performance is all about vistaar, which means elaboration and extending the boundaries.” The audience will certainly agree.