After rigorous training in Mohiniattam, Kathakali and Bharatanatyam, Dr. Anita Rathnam has devised a new form of dance – Neo Bharatam – which is inspired by all the forms that she learnt and other forms that she has observed. Dr. Rathnam admits that Neo Bharatam is not just a dance form for her and is not just inspired by dance or its traditional forms. “Neo Bharatam is an approach more than a style of dance. It was created as a way to braid my interests in Bharatanatyam, Mohiniattam, Kathakali and the meditative arts like Yoga and Tai Chi,” informs Dr. Anita Ratnam. “It is a personal stamp of performance that can mature with time on a dancer’s body,” she adds.
In Mumbai to present her latest creation using Neo Bharatam – Naachiyar Next – at the NMACC on March 28, Dr. Ratnam quite candidly confesses that she is mesmerised by the 7th century Tamil poet, Andal, on whose works Naachiya Next is based. This is Ratnam’s fifth production based on Andal’s works.
Why Andal? “Andal is an early feminist voice. She belongs to the 7th century of the common era. Centuries before Mira bai of Rajasthan, Lal Ded of Kashmir and Sant Saku bai of Maharashtra, Andal emerged as a bhakta/devotee whose poetic brilliance and legend made her the only Goddess in the entire canon of Bhakti saint poets of India. A Goddess with her own temple and a living tradition,” shares Dr. Rathnam. “Andal is an enigma. We are left wondering how a young teenage girl who lived to be barely 20 years on this earth could imagine such brilliant poetry that represents the best of Indic philosophy and raw passion of a young girl in love with Lord Krishna.”
Andal’s fascination for Krishna is something that fascinates Rathnam as well. She believes that Andal’s dreams are manifested in today’s world. “Today, her ‘dream wedding’ that she describes so vividly is a roadmap for many South Indian brides who follow the rituals that she has written about. Brides are dressed like Andal and the groom is imagined to represent Lord Vishnu/Ranganatha. She is a phenomenon who has caused miracles in many lives. Whoever meditated upon her has experienced amazing transformations. Today, I am sharing her incredible story and words through Naachiyar Next. Hundreds of musicians and dancers have interpreted her verses. My work is part of that continual stream,” tells Dr. Rathnam. “Naachiyar Next includes Andal’s sadness, unfulfilled desire for Krishna, and her final hours before she merges with the object of her passion and becomes a Goddess.”
While Andal’s poetry remains to be the main highlight of the dance drama of Dr. Rathnam, she goes one step ahead to pay her tribute to her favourite poet. She has included Kurathi tradition of Srivilliputhur, near Madurai in Tamil Nadu, which is Andal’s birthplace, in her presentation of Naachiyaar Next. She has also ensured that props like peacock feathers, mirrors, and vibrant, unstitched Sungudi fabrics native to Madurai, are a part of the dance drama. “Andal’s legend is still a living, breathing tradition in her temple,” Dr. Rathnam explains. “We bring elements of this to life on stage, whether it’s the gypsy’s predictions or Andal’s secret act of wearing the sacred Tulsi garland before it was offered to Krishna.”
While Dr. Ratnam was the main performer in her earlier renditions of Andal, this time, Dr. Ratnam has chosen to be only the narrator or the storyteller. “I have played Andal from age seven to 45. No longer can I pretend to be a teenager,” Dr. Rathnam shares. “Already in the 2003 version I had introduced a narrator/sutradhar as Andal’s ‘inner voice’. This new iteration gave me the impulse to expand my role as actor, narrator and Andal’s innermost thoughts and desires. It is an exciting and pivotal role that brings the famous Tamil story to modern audiences.”
Which creation of Andal is your favourite or the most mystifying according to you? “Her 173 poems, which remain a living tradition even today… It is her poetry, endless imagination, and relentless faith – all are deeply mystifying,” Dr. Anita Rathnam concludes.
