Love You, Odetta !

The past week went with a bit of variety. In one of the weekdays I was lucky enough to leave office early (6.00 p.m !) and I thought of going to another kutchery in order to increase my music experience. We went to the Naradha Gana Sabha and this show was a different one. We got a chance to taste a new art form, The Mohiniattam. At first I was a bit hesitant to go because, I knew nothing about the dance and that too the name sounded a bit strange. I was so ignorant that I did not knew the difference between Kathakali and Mohiniattom. My thought was some green faced hard robed dancer with demoniac expressions would come on stage, and I supposed that would not entertain me much. But in a curiosity, I accepted for the show and we entered for a 30 rupees ticket inside the theatre. Not bad for a 30, we got a nice comfortable push back seat and a nice view on the stage. The crowd was also not much, leaving a serene atmosphere, bringing a perfect ambience for the show.

The show started with a rich french music (!) and the lighting effects was fantanstic. I felt that I am in a different country as the dance show was based on a western love story and the experience so novel. Odetta was the Heroine of the story and she was like a heroin to a prince, the hero of the story. They both love each other. As a typical cinematic mother, The Queen arranges a "Swayamvara" for her son. The prince then to marry them and tells his mom about his love and leaves his nation sacrificing all his wealth and power to join Odetta. This is a normal short story but what haunted me was the presentation. Special thanks to the lighting and special effects person. I was astonished at the different semblances thay were able to create with just the lights, clothes and some smoke. The jungle, the seaside and when odetta was longing for beloved in solitude the lighting just reflected the mood without any taint. The dance was also very gracious and it had its own richness of Kerala. To me it looked like a perfect blend of charm of Bharatham and exuberance of Kalari. The performers were great in the expressions especially the prince and Odetta.

The danseuses were awesome but the only dis-satisfying thing was their lack of
sync. When compared to some western performances, I believe this show lagged in the precision of sync in void of which the show would have been a perfect harmony.

There were visitors for this from even Japan and Dubai, and I was proud when she said that she loved the tradition and the richness of indian music and that she is going to be in Chennai until the end of the season. Inspired by the performance, later I came to know some history of the mohiniattam. One verison says that When Amirtha was churned from the Parkadal (Sea of Milk) the asuras where denied for them. The gift of immortality was reserved for the Devas, as the asuras where immoral. When Dhanvanthri, the doctor of the Gods was taking the Amirtha to the Devas, it was snatched from him by the asuras by force. Unable to attack them, the devas all went to Lord Vishnu, the almighty. Vishnu then incarnated into a beautiful damsel and went to the Asuras. She amazed them all with a dance of Mohiniattam and got the Amirtha back to Devas.

No wonder in the Asuras getting mesmerized to such a sensuous and a charismatic dance form and that too by Lord Vishnu himself...!