GROUP PRODUCTIONS
DAIVAKAARUNYAM (1987)
An excerpt
from Kalyanasowgandhikam, it is done in Kathakali style, as a solo piece
and shows the timely rescue by the weather gods, of a pregnant deer trapped
between a prowling tiger, forest fire and a hunter. There are no lyrics;
only percussion sounds of Kathakali form the accompaniment.
This particular
piece was taught to Dhananjayan by Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair, the greatest
of Kathakali artistes, when the maestro came to Kalakshetra for 3 months
to train the Kalakshetra Kathakali troupe for the Edinburgh festival in
1966 which unfortunately got cancelled due to the war.
Dhananjayan
was invited to perform this 15-minute piece at the 4th World Wilderness
Congress on September 17, 1987 at Denver, Colorado. Daivakaarunyam was
presented as 'The Plight of the Pregnant Deer'. The Americans felt this
piece had an environmental message to convey, not to cut trees, not to
hurt animals, how animals are protected by God�s grace and how nature retains
its balance in its own way.
Synopsis
It is a story
about a traveller in the wilderness who sees a deer about to give birth
and follows her to her hiding place. All at once, a barrage of misfortunes,
including a hunter with a bow and arrow, a lion, and a forest fire beset
the deer. As the traveller, bewildered, wonders what to do, an equally
bizarre stream of natural happenings like thunder and lightning rescues
the deer from her plight. The traveller wonders at the mysteries of divine
providence as he watches the deer give birth to her fawn and escape in
peace.
�After I
performed this piece in Toronto, a gynaecologist came to see me after the
show and said she almost went on stage to aid the pregnant deer! She wanted
to know how a man could even guess at these labour pains; I told her it�s
the greatness of our art. Anything can be interpreted through this medium
and therein lies the greatness of Indian dance.�
DAIVAKAARUNYAM -
Review |