Navia Natarajan comes up with an abstract theme for her Bharatanatyam performance

Navia Natarajan.
| Photo Credit: SRINATH M

The varied emotions that one undergoes while coming to terms with a personal tragedy was what Navia Natarajan’s ‘ Virodhabhasa- The paradox’, was based on. It was presented at Krishna Gana Sabha’s 2024 Margazhi festival.

Navia explored the contrasting elements through distinct segments — form and formless, creation and destruction , poorna and Shoonya.

Shiva was the focus for Ramya’s visualisation of verses taken from Ravana’s Shiva Thandava Stotram and Adi Shankaracharya’s Nirvana Suktam. The physicality of the form was captured with powerful, vigorous movements, highlighting the jata mudi (locks of hair), the poses of the dancing icon and intense play of the body chakras. The symbolism of him as both the creator and destroyer was depicted through fire and the sounds of the Damaru.

The idea of coming to terms with pain and fear was conveyed through brilliant choreography (Navia) and lighting design (Surya Rao).

Navia Natarajan.
| Photo Credit:
SRIN ATH M

Navya used Akka Mahadevi’s vachana to convey the contrasting moods of intimacy and independence through interesting sancharis – peacock and clouds, and bee and flower.

Abundance and emptiness were expressed through joyous movements and moments of stillness, to experience the inner voice Anaadha-Naad. The sound of the tambura to depict how one should tune to the inner voice, was an interesting idea.

The aesthetic costume design by Kriti Uthapa, music composition and orchestration by M.S. Sukhi, Sanskrit lyrics by Arjun Bharadwaj and Tamil lyrics by Raghuraman and a large team of musicians complemented the concept.

Virodhabhasa is an exciting progression towards new and abstract themes in dance. It came through beautifully in Navia’s intense performance.