Fifth generation classical performer, Aishwarya Harish has got bharatnatyam in her genes. Tutored by her mother since a very young age, Aishwarya grew up dreaming of her own dance stories. Her upcoming performance at NCPA on December 14 is one such dream come true.
Excerpts from an interview:
Why did you select Ramayan as the story for your dance?
Rama is my Ishta Devata. Even as a child, it was always a majestic image of Rama for me and whether I learnt a song or a verse or a dance piece on Him, it excited me. Recently, as a personal spiritual practice, I had started reading the original Valmiki Ramayana along with its translation. As I read, I realised there was so much more to the story. So many unexplored aspects. So much of Rasa in every character. This gave me the idea of exploring it in dance. I had heard that there are so many versions of the Ramayana, and hence started my research. And a plethora of possibilities was thrown open. Though all the versions had the storyline more or less intact, each had a different focus and flavour- for example, if the Valmiki Rmayana looks at Rama as a human par excellence, the Adhyatma Ramayana looked at Him as ultimate God Head, and the Adbhuta Ramayana has a different take on the role of Sita and so on.
What were the parameters you used to select the six stories from Ramayan?
Abhiramam depicts four rare episodes from different Ramayana texts. Since the Ramayana is so entrenched in the Indian psyche, I wanted to maintain a time-line of the story. Therefore, I was sure that although I would follow the sequence of events, the episodes would be the less explored ideas. I was also keen to make the production multilingual bringing out the fact that the story of Rama has touched every soil in its own flavour. Another point was the musicality, which of course depended largely with the language of the text selected… but I was hoping I could bring in a melange of the north and south, which I am happy, has come to shape. And primarily, I did not want to make it didactic or plainly eulogistic, yet maintain the sringara bhakti aspect, as that is what got me into the project in the first place. A key parameter was that it had to be entertaining as well as soul stirring, leaving the spectators at a different plain, much above the mundane.
Also, the vast vocabulary of my style – Bharata Nrityam, comprising of the Marga Karanas of Natyasastra, Deshi Karanas of Sangita Ratnakara and the Adavus of Bharatnatyam, lends itself beautifully to potray padaartha (word to word meaning) and vakyaartha abhinaya (showing an entire concept). I wanted to make it more of a theatrical presentation, without losing the dance element. Hence, the choice of the Baanika style of ekaharya natya ie. mono-acting with quick emotional reactions.
Did you use only Tulsidas Ramayan as the base for your research? If yes, why?
As mentioned, I started with the reading of the Valmiki Ramayana, which got me to explore the other Ramayana texts, in their original form. My mother had already done some research on Tulsi’s works and that was my window to adopt from the Tulsi Ramayana.
The elaborations on the childhood of Rama is already popular through Tulsi’s work- thumak chalat Ramachandra … and so I looked elsewhere for my beginning. In the Adhyatma Ramayana, we learn that just as Krishna revealed himself to Devaki, so did Rama reveal himself to Kausalya, and it speaks of Kausalya’s first conversations with her new born. This appealed to me almost instantly. Likewise, the character of Ravana undergoes a slight change here; It is with full knowledge of confronting the Divine strength of Vishnu, that he abducts Sita as Ravana realises this is his only means to salvation — death at the hands of the Lord. This has also been taken into the production. The Tulsi Ramayana is drenched with Sringara and the Vatika Prasanga that speaks of the meeting of Rama and Sita right up to their Swayamvara is poetically explored in the most beautiful and picturesque way. This is the protion that has been woven into the second act of the production in Khadi boli.
The turning point in the Ramayana is brought about by Shurpanakha, the sister of Ravana, instigating her brother to abduct Sita and avenge her insult. Arunachala Kavi, in his Ramanatakam in Tamil, brings out this characterisation very beautifully, making one feel the angst of the Rakshasi. This has been taken as the third episode in the production.
Taking the story forward, the amazing acts of Hanuman, are very poignantly brought out through the Kannada verses of Saint Purandara Dasa. To this the Sanskrit verses were composed and added to cover the Yuddhakandam and finish in the joyful picture of Rama Pattabhishekam- Rama seated as King of Ayodhya along with his Consort.
How difficult is it to have your mother as your teacher?
Having my mother as my guru has been a very enriching blessing for me. Right from childhood, I was exposed to traditional music and dance, the many forms of literature in the form of stories and the idea of rigour and discipline to pursue and achieve something. Perfection was not to be negotiated and quality was never to be compromised. Through osmosis, much of the dance and its aesthetics was also imbibed. I realise today that this has been such a blessing and definitely the result of good karma in the past life that I get to the loving hug and the watchful stick simultaneously, keeping me grounded and humble. It also of course comes with the challenge of carrying on the legacy intact, the responsibility of persevering for more perfection and the commitment to pass it on with the same rigour that one received it with.
Which is the character in Ramayan that appeals to you most and why?
The character of Rama is what appeals to me the most for He being tremendously majestic, calm yet valiant focused and soft hearted all at once. At the same time, the character of Ravana also appeals to me quite a bit, for he was a victim of his circumstances which is so relatable to all our lives.
What was the most challenging part in composition of Abhiramam?
To make each piece stand on its own even without the storyline. To bring out the beauty in every episode without making it monotonous or ‘just part of an already familiar story’. To musically fit the production together as a single capsule, since the pieces are all composed by different people.
Where does the title of the show come from?
Be it in the vatsalya of Kausalya or the Sringara of Rama and Sita or the sheer gorgeousness of Sita that infuriates Shurpanakha, or the magnificence of the Sundarakanda with its hero as Hanuman, the aspect of ‘Beauty’ is what stands out. The word ‘abhiramam’ itself means beautiful, and when it had the word ‘Rama’ incorporated into it, ‘AbhīRāmam’ seemed so apt to speak of Rama and his story.
