Shobana mesmerises

PUNE: Bharatnatyam exponent Shobana glided on to the stage on Wednesday and hearts skipped a beat or two. As the danseuse began her performance, unleashing moves and various avatars, rapture and exhilaration sprung forth from her being and filled the evening air. It was Day Five of the Times Pune Festival and Shobana was stunning.
It was a voyage into mythology in all its glory.Shobana’s costume, a shimmering blue, complimented her ethereal beauty, as she commenced her magic with a pure ‘nritta’ , an obeisance to Goddess Kali of Dakshineswar. "Her rendition was deep with emotions of love and devotion for the Goddess . If you watched closely, it had the power of evoking similar feelings within you," said Amit Thorat, a member of the audience.
"It is always good to see a full house," said Shobana, as she continued her performance. As the evening moved into night, the lights that shone on Shobana turned brighter.
She then slipped into a 40-minute-long rendition dedicated to Goddess Kali of Dakshineswar and time stood still. It was an energetic but graceful combination of body and limb movements, ‘abhinaya’ and expressions. The stage burst with a life of its own as Shobana became Kali, in all of her glory and avatars — the beautiful, the terrible and the compassionate. "In this ode to Kali, the devotee asks the Goddess if she is the fierce one, the beautiful one, the compassionate one or Maya herself ? The performance also shows Kali as the epitome of the five elements of nature — earth, water, air, fire and space," said Shobana.
It was her vivacity that the crowd succumbed to, as their applause seemed to reverberate incessantly through the amphitheatre. "I know I should be taking breaks in my performances , but there is something about the Maharashtrian audience that makes me want to go on and on," said Shobana, adding, "Same goes for the Malayali’s present here."
Up next was the rendition called ‘Ahilyam Moksham’ , based on the story of Ahalya, the wife of Gautama Maharishi, and how she was seduced by Lord Indra through trickery . "Each performance was wonderful. It was like witnessing mythology and all its characters in full flesh and blood through just one person ," said Ashish Gajera, a professional photographer.
The performance gradually moved on to another piece — the ‘Seeta Swayambaram’ , where Shobana, along with one of her students, Vidya Rama Chandran, delivered a colourful performance. Strutting around as a haughty Ravan, and gradually slipping into the chivalrous role of Lord Ram, Shobana not only portrayed her dancing prowess, but also her acting skills. And the audience could not agree more. "It was wonderful how she skilfully displayed the actor in her. Her grace, beauty and oomph have made the evening unforgettable ," said Mini A K.
Then Shobana presented a rendition on a ‘Marathi Padam’ penned by the ruler from yore, Raja Serfoji. It portrayed a young maiden in conversation with the God of Love, as she falls in love with Lord Shiva, who is immersed in meditation. " Shobana’s beauty is like that of a sculpture from ancient India , complete and unblemished ," said Kalyani Satbhai.
"I will now present ‘Thillana’ which is a fast-paced performance tracing the life of Lord Krishna," Shobana said. The flute, mrudung and violin became louder for the piece and the auditorium echoed with an ‘abhang’ , sung in the praise of Lord Krishna. Shobana danced on the stage like Krishna himself — tracing his journey as a toddler, a teenaged boy and then a young man immersed in his ‘Raas Leela’ of unconditional love. "Shobana ably slips into different roles during her performances , which is testimony to the fact that she was born to perform. As a dancer, she executes the role of Kali and Krishna with uncanny finesse, which speaks volumes of her talent," said event manager Saurabh Suyavanshi, adding, "She is scintillating."
(Pune Marriott Hotel and Convention Centre is the hospitality partner for Pune Times Festival)