Musical words visually depicted

"HER VOICE" was actually "His" voice. It was scripted by Rajiv Chandran and it was a male voice very clearly heard. Danseuse Geetha Chandran and puppeteer Anurupa Roy became mere puppets in this presentation dominated by words.

"Her Voice" was presented in Chennai by Arangham Trust and the International Women's Association. "Kritya" "Kritya" "Kritya" the narrator screamed as Draupadi who is said to have been the cause of Kurukshetra war, was depicted in the medium of puppetry and contemporary Bharatanatyam. While the puppets loomed large, the dance did not take off to give effect to the words that came on relentlessly, politically correct in their pronouncements. Rajiv Chandran also drew plenty of attention to himself when he walked on to the stage several times to grab the microphone from Geetha Chandran to take on the questions from the audience before she completed an answer.

Draupadi is the protagonist who shares her agony of the war with the audience. She had demanded that the blood of Dusyasana be smeared on her hair before she tied it up as a mark of revenge for the humiliation she suffered. In the aftermath of the bloody war, she isdistraught by the death of her son Abhimanyu and the secret killing of her five sons by Aswathama. While lamenting her losses she realises revenge killing only breeds hatred and decides to let Aswathama go since he is also the son of a mother.

"Go show this in New York and to President Bush," said a member of the audience after the show, "I was touched by the whole thing," said another member. "It was too wordy", said one more. "It is wordy because I love words," said Rajiv Chandran.

Yes it was touching in parts. The life size puppet, dressed up as Draupadi and manipulated by two puppeteers, was full of expression. Nuances of emotion were conveyed in contrast to Geetha Chandran who was stiff and formal through the performance. While showing the Navarasas (which included the new Attahasam) she missed the timing and hence was unable to bring out the exact moods.

The puppets had a dramatic presence and life. The huge white face with cradling hands that formed the backdrop seemed like the mother earth. The larger than life puppets to depict the evil Kauravas were animated. The blood and gore of death with red cloth signifying the blood of Dusyasana gave the touch of melodrama accentuating the fragility of the Draupadi puppet. The most touching moment came when the little boy puppet carried by the puppeteers was led out from her lap to show a little play of motherly affection. A sub-stratum of energy and power flowed from the puppets to the dancer through unspoken words and gesture. The iconic and the abstract mingling beautifully.

The music could not be entirely classical as it would restrain the puppeteers nor could it be totally modern as it would not hurt a classical Bharathanatyam dancer. Music scored by Shyam Bannerji was of a judicious blend and just right for the context. Words took on the role of music. "Her Voice" was created for WISCOMP (Women in Security, Conflict, Management and Peace). Today with war looming large over the world, the work is most relevant. If the dance could be made a little more animated, it would provide a chilling reminder that war only begets revenge. The lights effects worked like a painting in the making and was largely responsible for the success of the programme.

V. R. DEVIKA

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