Satyanarayanaraju’s ‘Rama Katha’ puts together best scenes from the epic

Satyanarayanaraju’s solo act ‘Rama Katha’
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Satyanarayanaraju’s ‘Rama Katha’, ideated by Usha R K and conceptualised and visualised by the dancer, continues to sustain interest 12 years after it was premiered. 

‘Wake up Lord, fulfill your role as the protector of the universe’ pleads Tyagaraja in his kriti ‘Melukovaiyya’. The dancer portrayed the significance of Rama in our lives in this introductory song, designed as an invocatory piece. The narration then began with Kausalya’s vatsalya bhava as visualised in the melodious Tulsidas bhajan ‘Thumak chalat Ramachandra’ and ending with a thillana. All the pieces were choreographed to tell the story of Rama.

Satyanarayanaraju’s abhinaya skills helps him communicate emotions with ease. He portrayed different characters with great impact. There were no exaggerated or overdramatised moments. Particularly in the scene, where Kaikeyi asks for two boons as promised by Dasaratha. Satyanarayanaraju handled sensitively the emotions.

Another standout scene was that of the Jatayu as it transforms from a gentle bird, crouched in devotion to Rama, to one that soars into the sky to confront and fight Ravana. As the Lanka king chops its wings, it falls down and gets into a crouched position again. The dancer’s body language and nuanced abhinaya not only made this scene but also those of Manthara, Hanuman and Guha engrossing The manner in which the props were handled added an extra dimension. Entering the stage with a bow and arrow, and then placing it on top of a figure of Hanuman to indicate reverence and prayer was a nice idea. Also, using marigold strands for decoration during the coronation ceremony and then destroying the same strands to depict Manthara’s anger was imaginative too.

The musical support was excellent. The rapport between the dancer and the vocalist was such that Satyanarayanaraju’s expressions resonated in D.S. Srivathsa’s voice. Raghunandan Ramakrishna on the flute and Vidyashankar on the mridangam enhanced the experience.