Ashtanayika – Recitals – the heroines in love

Concept & Presentation by Nrithya Choodamani Priyadarsini Govind

This DVD brings eight scintillating presentations of ‘Ashtanayika’, the heroines classified by ancient Bharatanatyam texts in accordance with the way they respond to love. Here a clutch of the best dancers of our times trained by ‘Padmabhushan’ Kalanidhi Naryanan (‘Maami’, to her students) explores the torment and turbulence experienced by these lovelorn women aided by padams and javalis composed by India’s celebrated composers.

It is a classy and subtle exposition of ‘Shrungara’ that deftly steers clear of crassly depiction of a sensitive emotion.

Truly awesome.

Swadheenapatika
-Javali – Paras – Javali – Dharmapuri Subbarayar
performed by Shobana Bhalchandra

Vasakasajjika
-Javali – Bihak – Adi – Venkatadri Sama Rao
performed by Susheela Ullal

Abhisarika
-Padam – Sahana – Misrachapu – Kshetrayya
performed by Jayanthi Subramaniam. Bragha G Bessell & Ramy Harishankar

Vipralabdha
-Padam – Useni – Misrachapu – Ghanam Krishnaiyer
performed by Indira Kadambi

Khandita
-Padam – Saaveri – Rupaka – Subbarama Iyer
performed by Roja Kannan

Kalahantarita
-Padam – Sankarabharanam – Misrachapu – Karveti Nagar Govindaswamy
performed by Jayanthi Subramaniam

Virahotkhantita
-Padam – Nada namakriya – Trupuda – Kshetrayya
performed by Bragha G Bessell

Proshitapatika
-Padam – Punnaga varali – Trupuda – Kshetrayya
performed by Ramya Harishankar