The cultural heritage of Ganjam in Odisha finds new expression in Malaysia

“Take the art and dance of Ganjam to the international stage,” were the words of distinguished scholar and artist Dinanath Pathi, who became the guiding force for guru Gajendra Panda and dancer-choreographer Datuk Ramli Ibrahim. Inspired by Dinanath, who is also their mentor, the duo deeply explored the indigenous art forms of Ganjam district (Odisha) and adapted them for the contemporary stage. After the success of three productions, both the actors have come together again for ‘Radhe Radhe – Sweet Surrender’.A Malay-Indian dance performance by Malaysia-based Sutra Dance Theatre, which premiered recently in Kuala Lumpur.

“Our guru Debprasad Das believed in the concept of ‘Tridhara’ – an organic creative flow of an indigenous thread that connects three aspects – classical, tribal and folk traditions. Both he and Dinanath believed that their inclusion within the framework of the contemporary Odissi repertory would ensure their continuity as a whole,” says Ramli. Inspired by his thoughts, this presentation takes reference and influence from the folk form Radha Prem LeelaAndIt is envisioned to bring together music, dance and visual arts.

A rich musical score, an engaging dance vocabulary and a captivating drama of lighting and beautiful design, skillfully woven with a story, has always been the hallmark of Ramli’s productions and ‘Radhe Radhe’ lives up to this.

Pattachitra paintings from Odisha were used as video projections to enhance the appeal of the production. , Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

divided into two sections

The production is designed in two parts. The first idea is to focus on highlighting the personalities of Radha and Krishna through traditional Odissi performances of mangalacharan, sthira, abhinaya and pallavi. Sthir’s choreography introduces the two main characters of Leela, Vasakadasajika – Chandravali dressing up to meet Krishna and Khandita – Radha’s jealous rage. The characters that form part of the leela in Kalavati Raga Pallavi are judiciously introduced in this pure dance piece.

Video projection of images on the screen as a background often creates a disturbance in the dance scene. But here, the popular Pattachitra (palm leaves) painting of Odisha was commissioned to go along with the description and was done by artist Bibhu Patnaik. Except in a few places where the use of scenery disturbed the large group dance formations, paintings enriched the visual language and narration. For example, in one scene, the painting’s animated depiction of rising river water and swaying trees set behind a shadowy tableau of dancers brings it to life. The interdisciplinary dialogue reached its peak when the animated Raas figures in the painting merged with the vibrant Raas of the gopas and gopis on the stage, reaching a peak of dynamic movement.

The traditional Radha Prem Leela of Putabagada village in Ganjam district, which depicts the divine love between Krishna and Radha, was the source of inspiration for the second part of the show. The story was simple – Radha gets a glimpse of Krishna, falls in love and agrees to meet him in Vrindavan. She adorns herself and waits, but Krishna is stopped by another Gopi – Chandravali. Radha gets angry and his apology makes no difference. He assumes various guises – that of a flower seller, a bird seller and a yogi. It is only when he says that he will leave the world if she does not accept him, that Radha agrees and the two are happily united.

Tao Mei Mei as Lalita and Adhikar Raj as Balakrishna present ‘Radhe Radhe – Madhur Samarpan’. , Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

interesting illustration

The story was interestingly choreographed, with clear communication and each sequence moving quickly. The change of shades of Radha’s emotions – from love and anger to compassion – was vividly portrayed by Geethika Sri with excellent reactions from Harenthiran as Krishna. The dances of Nitya Kuthaiya as the flower seller and Vanitha Vasanth Nathan as the bird seller were lively. Jyotsna Manivasakam as Chandravali, Tao Mei Mei as Lalita and Adhikar Raj as Balakrishna were also impressive.

The second part touched great heights due to the excellent music and rhythm composition of Guru Gopal Chandra Panda, Guru Gajendra Kumar Panda, Sachitananda Das and Sangeeta Panda. The raw, rustic flavor of the ragas and the way the musical presentation was adapted to match the classical idiom added to the overall charm. Sangeeta Panda and Satya Brata Katha were accompanied on vocals by Jabahar Mishra on flute, Rabi Pradhan on sitar, and Ram Chandra Behera on Mardal and Gajendra Panda on Shabd Ukkuta and Manjira.

Lighting designer, Shivaraj Natarajan, says, “I believe in using light as my color palette to achieve the desired tone and ambiance on stage.” His sensitive play of lights enhanced the mood of each segment. The co-artistic direction and choreography was by Ramli Ibrahim and Guru Gajendra Panda.