Reviving dying art forms

GUDIPOODI SRIHARI

`Sridevi Sisters' enthralled the audience with their impressive `Burra Katha' performance.

APPEALING SHOW The three sisters were brilliant.

Hari Katha and Burra Katha are called Samahara Kalalu (complete arts). One is to attract elite audience and the other, masses. But both comprise dance, drama and music of varying appeal. The Department of Culture, Government of A.P., conceived a plan to present a festival with an ambition of reviving the traditional arts and also to encourage talented artistes in these dying art forms.

The Department also aims to help the artistes below poverty line by inviting the talented to perform their folk forms, especially those in Telangana

One of the major attractions of the event was the presentation of Palnati Yuddham (War of Palnadu) in Burra Katha format by the three sisters known as `Sridevi Sisters.'Their father, a Harikatha Bhagavatar, encouraged his daughters to take to this form.

The sisters too proved brilliant in their style of narration of a story and also the rendition of its musical content. Their narration recalled the good old days of Nazer, that swayed the audience Three girls taking to this art and then presenting it with excellent proficiency is a rare feat. Hailing from Ongole, today the sisters are known all over the State. However, with the waning of patronisation, survival becomes a big question.

The sisters deserve more invitations to perform. Such was the appeal of their show.

The second programme was a Hari Katha rendered by Lakshmi Narayana Bhagavatar of Warangal. His theme was on Basara's Gjnana Saraswathi, written by Madhavapeddi Chinavenkata Sastry, basing on the Sthalapuranam of Basara temple.

This was a brilliant piece. Muralidharacharya on violin and Radhakrishna on mridangam gave support and thematic effects.

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