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Bharatanatyam with a flight of imagination and confluence of mediums
By Siddhi Jain
New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS) “Antariksha Sanchar” is a unique fantasy production with six classical Bharatanatyam performers, led by veteran danseuse Jayalakshmi Eshwar, dancing to the beat of electronic music. It’s a riveting tale of airplane flights and the “irrational world of dreams and rational world of (Indian maths genius) Ramanujan”, its creator says.
Its title translating to “transmissions in space”, the multimedia dance production was conceptualised in 2010 by Eshwar — who is married to an Indian Air Force pilot — as a tale of ‘vimaanas’ or airplanes.
“The 2010 version was purely dance, no animation or DJ music. It was based on what mythology said could fly — Hanumaan, ‘Pushpaka Vimana’ and ‘Vaimanika Shastra’, a Sanskrit text on aerospace technology,” the Bharatnatyam exponent, who has been performing since 1970, told IANS.
“Then my son Avinash came in with the animation,” she added.
What started then was nothing short of an “experiment in transmedia cultural experience”, as design strategist and Eshwar’s son Avinash Kumar put it.
“The production is a combination of music, dance, visuals and video games,” explained Kumar, who also designed a video game titled “Antariksha Sanchar” to popularise south Indian culture.
A visual spectacle on stage, the production features seven trained classical dancers, who, through poised ‘abhinaya’, demonstrate the story of young Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887-1920), whose contribution to mathematics is profound.
Why him?
“Ramanujan said he saw his mathematics pursuits in dreams,” Kumar said, adding that the production combines the irrational world of dreams and the rational world of maths and Ramanujan.
The production, which is a mix of many mediums, also has a gripping storyline.
The 90-minute staging has the characters of Ramanujan and a classical dancer, Sita, as its protagonists. As it evolves, the storyline shows the math prodigy meeting mendicants and priests, who tell him that he is destined to build a ‘vimaana’.
With the almost-psychedelic digital animation taking the viewers through a soujourn of south Indian aesthetic culture, the dancers show Ramanujan entering his ‘swapna lok’ (world of dreams), to retrieve the formula to build a ‘vimaana’.
The production, complete with music and animations, took about a year-and-a-half to complete, Eshwar said.
The novel additions, however, did not bother the exponent, who comes from an “orthodox” dancing background.
“I had performed “Awakening” and “Akhanda Laya”, which were productions with similar music. I realised fusing electronic music with our own Sanskrit lyrics does wonders for a young audience,” she said.
A 35-minute preview of “Antariksha Sanchar” was recently staged at the Triveni Kala Sangam, and was presented by Red Bull music. It will be staged at Mumbai’s Royal Opera House on November 22, and Delhi’s Kamani Auditorium on December 5.
(Siddhi Jain can be contacted at [email protected])
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.
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