Navia Natarajan presents ‘Namayachi Jani’. , Photo Credit: Amarnath A.L
A unique collaboration between a Dhrupad ensemble and a Bharatanatyam dancer, ‘Namayachi Jani – Songs from Stonemill’ was presented in front of a packed house at the Bangalore International Center recently.
Navia Natarajan presents ‘Namayachi Jani’. , Photo Credit: Amarnath A.L
Conceived by Janhvi Phansalkar and presented by Sunad, it was a show full of stark contrasts; ‘Clear’ is the key. One might expect a simple biographical portrayal of the life of the 13th-century Marathi saint-poet Janabai through music and dance. The effort was clearly far more ambitious. And yet, it didn’t seem like a conscious ambition at play, but rather a spontaneous result of an ongoing engagement.
The majestic grandeur of the final presentation was no simple feat; And this is where the (apparent) contradictions begin. Although the stage setting was such that the dancer used most of the space of the scene, it did not unfold as a solo Bharatanatyam show. Navia Natarajan, the choreographer and dancer, came up with a masterful portrayal of Janabai – completely immersed in her love and devotion for Vitthala, through mundane household chores. A love that was so strong that God himself was physically drawn to be with her, to share in the joys and ease the burdens of her daily life.
From ‘Namayachi Jani’. , Photo Credit: Amarnath A.L
Navia skilfully goes through the complexities of Jaani’s interactions with those around her who are not ready to understand such pure love and devotion. We were able to see the simplicity and grandeur of Jani’s evolving relationship with Vitthal, at times guided by her guru Namdev, and at others by Vitthal himself.
Despite Navia’s stellar performance, she has deftly managed to steer clear of the limelight – both literally and figuratively, when needed. This allowed for effective absorption of ideas and thoughts, without ‘distracting’ from the performance. It takes an artist of high maturity to do something like this; And thus, the paradox continues. When one listens to Janabai, he thinks of Abhang. Many of them are featured in this show.
Navia Natarajan with a musical ensemble presenting ‘Namayachi Jani’. , Photo Credit: Amarnath A.L
The project was born when Jhanvi, a talented Dhrupad musician, decided to compose abhangas in the Dhrupad style. She (with her extensive training in dhrupad and khayal, and long exposure to the Varkari tradition) has managed to carve out a new aesthetic for the musical pursuit of abhang. The show featured an engaging sound design. The skilfully composed soft alaps in a variety of ragas, and novel rhythmic arrangements on Pakhawaj mixed with dynamic phrases interspersed, were a delight. The abhangas themselves were set to various ragas, and were again complemented by novel percussive arrangements, done in collaboration with Dnyaneshwar Deshmukh, an established Dhrupad-style Pakhawaj artist, also in the Warkari tradition. were immersed.
Navia Natarajan collaborated with a team of musicians to present ‘Namayachi Jaani’. , Photo Credit: Amarnath A.L
The melodious voices of Janhvi and Dhani Gundecha, another outstanding young dhrupad musician reverberated in the auditorium, effectively carrying the fervor of Janhi’s devotion. The scintillating Pakhawaj soundtrack was provided by Dnyaneshwar along with Hirdesh Chopra. His complement on Nattuvangam was Surya Rao. It was neither a musical nor a dance show. The narrators played an integral role throughout the performance. Listeners can choose to enjoy the simplicity of the narrative of Jani’s story, or dive into the depths of philosophy. The narration was intelligently crafted to develop Jani’s story and philosophy while also presenting a translation of the abhangas. The melodious expressions of Pratibha Panth and Chinthu Param graced the performance.
After establishing clear contradictions, the show also managed to iron out differences. As the Saguna and Nirguna colors of devotion merge into one, the various art forms merge into one common expression. It succeeded in bringing out the simplicity and beauty of complex ideas. There was something for everyone. The audience’s standing ovation was perhaps the final paradox of the evening – the introspective stillness facilitated by the performance finally became more than a spontaneous outward expression of heartfelt appreciation.