When classical dance becomes a medium to narrate a story, the performance that is thus presented is no short of theatrical. Such is the case with the Bharatanatyam recital, Simhika: Daughter of the Forest. Indispersed with dialogues, to tell a story, this dialogue-oriented dance choreography, which promises to take the viewers back to into the time of Mahabharata, is conceived and presented by Bharatanatyam exponent and Carnatic vocalist, Padma Shri Geeta Chandran.
Bringing to life the fictional character of Simhika, to portray the unveiling of the many conflicts in its mind through the process of anavarna — a technique in Bharatanatyam abhinaya — Chandran will take to the stage to cast this protagonist as a woman, a wife, a nurturer, and the daughter of the forest. “She becomes a victim of circumstance,” says Chandran, explaining, “It is a dance- dialogue, so the characters are reminiscing and the performance begins with a lament, after which it goes into the flashback. It focuses on issues faced by forest dwellers, their struggles with urban expansion, their vulnerability and their quest for justice.”
In this narrative, which is a tale of vengeance and revenge situated in treta yuga when the Mahabharata took place, the forest takes on multiple roles: sakhi (confidant), sakshi (witness; both as a nurturer and betrayer), and like the audience it also becomes a mute spectator to injustice and patriarchy! Simhika’s transformation, through the rupantara technique, is also a commentary on the contemporary times where we judge people purely on the basis of their physical appearance.
Elucidating about her penchant for mythological characters, Chandran says, “I have always been interested in revisiting characters from stories, mythology and epics. Such characters that are painted as dark because we see usually see mythology as black and white, so to speak… My attempt is to revisit such a character, and try to see the shades of grey in them. It’s an attempt at finding a reason to look into them with a different perspective. I’ve taken up Simikha for that very reason and try to give her a voice.”
Catch It Live
What: Simhika: Daughter of the Forest
Where: Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road
When: August 6
Timing: 7pm
Nearest Metro Station: JLN Stadium on the Violet Line
Author tweets @karansethi042
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