Date:17/02/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/fr/2006/02/17/stories/2006021701060300.htm

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Stealing hearts with an impressive performance

JAYA NARAYANAN PISHAROTY

Rajasree Warrier won the audience's heart with her montage on love.

She is a well-known artiste. A familiar face on television, Rajasree Warrier stole the hearts of the Thrissur audience with her montage on love.

Starting the programme with a Pushpanjali in Raga Arabhi, she presented a self-choreographed Sivasakthi Stuthi. Rajasree combined the natural fluidity of her movements with the fierce power of Sakthi, thus bodying forth Subramania Bharati's verses.

The varnam in raga Kapi depicted Vipralambha Sringara Bhava. The Nayika suffers viraha to such an extent that even the cool breeze stings her like venomous serpents.

Both the Kshetrajna Padam set to raga Sahana and the Purandara Dasa kriti set to Ragamalika explored the nuances of the gopikas' love for Lord Krishna. In the padam, the villagers scoff at Radha for abandoning her chores and running off to Krishna, unmindful of her modesty and reputation.

The kriti shows the gopikas describing the adolescent pranks of Krishna. They wonder why Yashoda considers her son a little boy. The recital ended with Thillana in Raga Poornachandrika.

Expressive

Rajasree's face is expressive and mobile; the fleeting bhavabhinaya lent a dramatic quality to her performance. Her handwork was remarkable for its precision and beauty.

Kavalam Sajeev (vocal), Sreekumar (violin) and Vypeen Sathish (mridangom) gave able musical support. Chitra Visveswaran's disciple, Anirudh Vasudev did the nattuvangam.

The recital was organised in connection with a reception accorded to Nalini Chandran, recipient of the national Derozio Award for her contribution to education and human enrichment.