Bonded by the saree

IT WAS a heady mix of Russian folk dance and our own Bharatnatyam at the Russian Cultural Centre on Saturday to celebrate the fascination for silk. And Indian silk, at that.

The function to unveil the book titled `Encyclopaedia of Saree' by Indian author Arti D. Alexander turned out to be an opportunity for the Russians, living in the city, to show their attraction for the evergreen dress.

Russian women joined the models co-ordinated by Institute of Design, and sashayed down the ramp draped in resplendent silk. And surprisingly, even a few Russian models seemed to be at home in the silk of Kancheepuram and Benares, compared with the amateur models.

Consul-General of Russia in Chennai Anatoly P. Krikunov who released the `Encyclopaedia of Saree' said the book had been officially released in Moscow in the presence of the author and Russian dignitaries some time earlier.

``For a long time, the Russian women have been fascinated by silk. When the author (Arti Alexander) was settling down in Moscow, a few Russian officials approached the Indian Embassy there with the idea of the book,'' Krikunov said, explaining why it was written.

But, surprisingly the Saturday event focussed very little on the book itself.

The highlight of the day was the Russia dance performance by Tanya of Kalakshetra, who had the audience rivetted to the stage with her swirl-a-minute routine. Unarvugal, a city-based modern theatre group, evoked applause with their unique mime presentation.

By Karthik Subramanian

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