Labour of Love

Capturing the origin, importance, beauty and grace of Andhra Natyam, is a beautiful documentary, painstakingly created after years of research and produced by Denduluri Foundation

Valuable material, rare contributions and slices of history are often buried in the sands of time due to lack of documentation. Appreciation for music, dance, culture and history are enhanced for both connoisseurs and learners when things are explained in context through visual imagery, music, dance and commentary.

A documentary therefore has the power to appeal both to the intellect and emotion and serve the purpose of educating, entertaining and enriching the viewer. Capturing the origin, importance, beauty and grace of Andhra Natyam and explaining the significance, style and system of dance was a beautiful documentary on “Andhra Natyam” produced by the Denduluri Foundation dedicated to protecting and preserving Indian values and traditions through culture, arts, science and education.

The documentary is a tribute to the doyen of Andhra Natyam Nataraja Ramakrishna and was released on the day the name “Andhra Natyam” was coined by him 45 years ago. Years of painstaking research and visits to the various temples in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana had led the illustrious guru Dr Nataraja Ramakrishna to bring out the different dances together under the umbrella of the unique style called “Andhra Natyam”.

His students, like the eminent dancer and Sangeet Nataka Akademi award winner Kala Krishna and a dedicated band of disciples including Denduluri Padma Mohan and Karanati Navatha, who have produced and featured as dancers in the documentary have put in great effort to make the 27-minute documentary interesting and informative.

The documentary directed by Meer, has beautiful dances shot in picturesque locations and temples around Mahbubnagar, Ghatkesar and a resort in Shamshabad, capturing the various nuances and facets of the dance in an aesthetic and engaging manner. The Aradhana (worship) Asthana (court) and Parijatha form of the dance are explained in the commentary as we are treated to glimpses of each form.

Shooting the court dance in front of an ornately decorated mirror, an evening worship, which captures the dancer in front of the temple along with the setting sun and flowing river as well as the last scene, which has both dancers showing a flourish of mudras and steps depicting the joy they experience through the dance form are but beautiful vignettes that show the talent of the dancers as well as the strength of the beautiful choreography of Kala Krishna.

The brandishing of the braid in the “Jada kottudu” song by a Satyabhama conscious of her beauty and power; and the piece, where she mocks the royalty exhibited by Krishna, who is a mere cowherd are outstanding due to the expressions of the dancer as well as the mellifluous rendering of the songs.

The documentary supervised by eminent film director K Raghavendra Rao, took one-and-a-half years to complete and is a wonderful tribute to the great exponent of Andhra Natyam, Nataraja Ramakrishna. It has the power to motivate many youngsters to take to this form of dancing through a short but sweet narrative. It can tempt many aspiring dancers to wear their anklets with enthusiasm and pride for this beautiful art form.

By:Aruna Ravikumar