Staging ‘Usha Parinayam’ within the Kuchipudi-Yakshagana fashion

From ‘Usha Parinayam’
| Photograph Credit score: Particular Association

The viewers that crammed the Okay. T. Mohammed Smaraka Theatre in Thrissur sat spellbound for 2 hours, watching the animated efficiency of 12 dancers who staged ‘Usha Parinayam’ within the Kuchipudi Yakshagana fashion. Apparently, a lot of them didn’t realise that they have been standing testimony to a historic scenario because the artwork kind was being offered exterior the celebrated village in Andhra Pradesh for the primary time. Additionally the dancers have been all women, as in opposition to the normal performers who have been all male Brahmins.

“This is the result of efforts made under the guidance of guru Pasumarthi Rattiah Sharma, who is keen to popularise this century-old dance drama, which is on the verge of extinction owing to non-availability of dancers in the land of its origin,” stated Sreelakshmi Govardhanan, Kuchipudi dancer and director of the Thrissur-based ‘Avantika’.

From ‘Usha Parinayam’ in Yakshagana fashion
| Photograph Credit score:
Particular Association

The leitmotif of the play is the union of Usha, the daughter of the mighty Asura king Banasura and Anirudha, the grandson of Krishna. It entails two elements: First, Banasura successful boon from Shiva and the second, the solemnisation of the Usha-Anirudha marriage.

The entire present was an indication of the confluence of nritta, nrithya, natya and dialogue.

Praiseworthy was the function of suthradhara performed by guru Sharma himself, attired within the conventional costume. He introduced the entry of Banasura whose pravesa dharuva spoke for the valour of the character. Usha’s entry and her dance together with maids have been spectacular too.

Maybe the hero of the present was guru Sharma himself whose intermittent explanations and energetic nattuvangam will stay etched on the thoughts of the viewers.

Meenakshi Ayswarya (Banasura), Souparnika Nambiar (Usha), Karthika Madhavi (Chitralekha) and Kavya Harish (Anirudha) have been the principle dancers. Musicians included Adarsh (vocal), Murali Sangeeth (violin) and Sreerag (mridangam).