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| Wednesday, 17 November 2004 |
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An infant prodigy and a media blitz
Like Rohan de Saram on cello, who was also called infant prodigy long, long years ago, Harini Amrita Visvanathan too, will be a fine exponent of Bharatha Natyam. Her dance debut (Attangaettam) happened on November 7, at the highly packed hall of New Kathiresan Hall, Bambalapitiya, amidst a large number of musicians, dancers, artistes, politicians, and print and electronic media people. The father of the dancer is the director of Thamil Service of Rupavahini and a fine newscaster. Much publicized, but it was meaningful because the whole programme was meticulously planned and executed. It was a pleasure to have witnessed this performance which was excellent with superb musical accompaniment and elegant compeering by world renowned presenter B.H.Abdul Hameed and TV personality, Kamalini Selvarajan and Irene Bastiampillai. I particularly liked compositions and singing in Thamil lyrics, instead of the Telugu 'Keerthanais'. There was ample innovation in singing and the adaptability to flexible rendition by the dancer. She was never tired performing intricate movements and expressions as a highly professional dancer. Her movements, expressions with quick transitions and at ease, her foot work, her synchronizing with the beat of the 'Thaala' and the relevant pauses as demanded by the pauses and switch of pitch by the singer were remarkable for an eight year old school girl. Marvelous. Although I am not a dance critic, (those days we had fine dance critics of Bharatha Natyam in the persons of V.M.Vaikunthanathan, S. Sivanayagam, Kanesar, Navaliyyor Satchthanantham, C.V.Rajasundaram, E. Ratnam, C. Sathiyendra and a few others - We have in Colombo only Chelvathamby Manickavasagar now). I do not know how a fine dancer, author and columnist Subashini Pathmanathan would say about Harini Amrita Visvanathan's performance at the 'Arangaettam', if she had seen the young dancer on the stage. A bouquet is really due to Harini Amrita's tutor, who is also her aunt (Visvanathan's sister) Vasugi Jegatheeswaran, who runs a dancing school called Kala Mandir. Vasugi doesn't dance now, but since the 1960s, she had been one of the finest dancers of Bharatha Natyam in this country. The father of both Visvanathan and Vasugi, Shanmugampillai was a reputed Mirudangam player in this country. His wife and the mother of these children was herself a fine 'Nattuvanam' (director, composer and singer) performer. They were all trained in Chennai. So, inborn talents run in the family. Visvanathan is one of the unassuming, humble, polite and cultured media personalities I have ever met. Humility and willing to learn is his hallmark. Hence God blesses them with talents. The choreography, costumes, make up, lighting, stage management were all fine for me. The Singers Yadavan Yoganandan and internationally known Arunthathie Sri Ranganathan, and the percussion and the string instrumentalists and the flutist who came from the majority community contributed immensely to the polished performance. The Guru of Vasugi, from Chennai flew here to be the chief guest. Nothing could be true if the praise comes from the horse's mouth. The great teacher, Laksmanan said that the young prodigy danced so well and more than his expectations were met and added that he couldn't expect such talent bestowed by the dancing God, Lord Natarajah. That's it. Bookshop and a book Let me begin with corrected information regarding an item used in this column of November 03. This is in regard to reference to a Chennai bookstore and its owner who was a student at Trinity College, Kandy. A regular reader of this column and a non-Thamil speaking woman who has wide interests in the arts and literature and a spouse of a distinguished scholar, wrote to me indicating that the name of the bookshop is 'The Bookshop' and not 'Landmark' as I said, and that the name of the owner is V.V.Seetharam, and not Rao as I guessed. Thanks to her, and she doesn't want her name mentioned. This is valuable information, because if you happen to look for books, including Lankan books in English, this specialized bookstore in Chennai would be an ideal place to visit. It's housed in Spencer plaza in Thamilnadu capital. The friend mentioned above also asked me once the name of a Thamil little magazine published in Hatton, but I couldn't remember the name then. She is kind enough to inform me the name of the journal now. It's called 'Nandalala'. Incidentally, I haven't had the chance to read the latest issues of this journal for sometime as I was away from the country. To my surprise, last Sunday's 'Thinakutal' carried a review of this journal. The reviewer is Telliwatte Joseph, a prominent writer and critic hailing from Malayaham he is a columnist as well and a storehouse of information, all updated, on literature and the arts in Thamil, wherever it is produced. I shall give the points culled from his review of 'Nandalala', separately below. I must thank once again, my female friend for supplying me a note of a book which I want to share with you. Writes she: "...I read an interesting article in an English newspaper about a 'famous' bookseller in Kabul, whose life has been 'novelized' by a Norwegian journalist. I noted her book in Vijitha Yapa's. Well, the bookseller is furious about what she has written. After living with his family free for several months- she actually asked if she could, and received generous hospitality in that tragic country - she painted a terrible picture of him. Her book became a bestseller, so she receives good royalties, but nothing has gone back to the "history-book on two legs" and his family who so warmly welcomed this stranger into their home". How terrible and unscrupulous this journalist had been! Nandalala The greatest 20th century Thamil poet in India - a national poet at that - Subramania Bharathi used the word 'Nandalala' in one of his songs in attribution to Lord Vishnu. 'Kaakai Chirahinilae Nandalala, Un Katiya Niram Thonuthadi Nandalala' (' Nandalala, my lord, your dark complexion is visible in the wings of a crow' - Lord Vishnu is supposed to be either blue or bluish dark in complexion) is the line from the song. Jesuthaas, a Malayalam singer, has sung this Thamil song beautifully in a film called ' Yealavathu Maithan' (The Seventh Man), the music director of which was the late M.B.Srinivasan. S.Jothikumar, a lawyer, writer and critic from Hatton edits this magazine 'Nandalala'. He was earlier working for the late C.V.Veluppillai, a poet and novelist who wrote in English and later in Thamil. He was also the first parliamentarian representing the Talawakelle seat in the 1947 parliament representing the then Ceylon Indian Congress. 'Nandalala' is published from 133 1/1, Dimbulla Road, Hatton. The 8th and 9th issues of this journal have just been received. It's being published for the last three years. Since I haven't had read this particular issue, I take liberty to share with you what Teliwatte Joseph has said of this issue. Critical essays on Thamilian social and cultural issue, news roundup, interviews, poems and a short story are included in this issue. Thought, action, writing, reading remains the key task of the journal. Interviews with the late K. Ganesh, Ethirajulu (who has translated 24 books from Indian languages into Thamil and this includes nine books by Rahul Saangruthiyaya. His latest translation was a Telugu novel by a Naxalite writer by name G.Kalyanasundaram) and Inqulabah extremist Islamite poet. There is a poem by Kegalle Kailanathan on Rose and another by S. Uthayasooriyan. Serious articles on India's stance and changes towards the Thamilian problem, Sri Pada College of Education, the background of the attack in Kandapola and other news of Malayaham are included in this issue. Teliwatte also mentions a story by an outstanding writer from Malayaham, Thamilchelvan. I have not read this writer before. The story is called ' A Pirambu, A Meesai' (A Cane and A Mustache) Gnanam 'Gnanam' means 'knowledge'. The 54th issue of this standard journal has just come out. It is published from 19/7, Peradeniya Road, Mahanuwara. It is edited by T.Gnanasekeran, a physician who serves in Malayaham for a long time, although he hails from the northern region. A writer of fiction and criticism, Gnanasekeran had written a few outstanding novels which have won him Shitya Mandalaya prizes. This 68 page issue has a characteristically modern art drawing which bespeaks sorrow, agony, loneliness and aridity. The artist's name is Puspa. Why does one spell a beautiful name Pushpa as 'Puspa'? It's the nom de plume of a young male poet Kurunchi Ilanthentral. There are two interviews with heavyweights - Emeritus professor Karthigesu Sivathamby and Lankan-born Australian writer, S. Ponnuthurai, a.k.a 'Espo'. The 16 part interview with Sivathamby an exhaustive one is just concluded. It's a wide ranging insight into Lankan Thamil Literature as far as it concerns this Thamilian intellectual. The other interview is carried over from the previous issue and this too would be a longish one. A controversial but immensely talented writer, author and publisher, 'Espo' speaks in an iconoclastic manner of what he thinks about the 'progressive' writers and similar themes. He also speaks about his own contribution to Thamil literature. Coming from an outcaste family or the depressed class in the north, married in the east, and had served in Africa, and now lives in Australia. He has a Publication called 'Mitra' in Chennai, India. T. Gnanasekeran, himself has done these two interviews. He too is a frequent visitor to Down Under. There are two short stories by Sudharma Maharajan and T. Saaaranga. Six poems by T. Jayaseelan, 'Sitpi', Aahasan, Kalvayal Kumarasamy, Paddananthadigal and Anzar M. Shyam are also included. I liked the poem by Paddanathadigal which is a critique on SLBC's Thamil. Almost all poems are social criticisms. There is also the regular column by Prof. Thurai Manoharan, who seems to be the only academic from Peradeniya who keeps in touch with contemporary Thamil writing in Sri Lanka. I enjoy his column. Sengai Aaliyaan (Dr. K. Gunarasa), who is the Municipal Commissioner in Yalpaanam, continues his series on fiction writing, which is very useful to budding writers. Prof. Sabha Jeyarasa writes about the Language of Literature - an academic introduction. Vaaharai Vaanan thinks about the future of Thamil poetry. S. Sudharsan gives notes on contemporary literary and artistic activities. There are book reviews and readers' feedbacks. 'Gnanam ' tries to maintain its standards. There are latest issues of two or three literary journals have also come this month - for instance, Mallikai, Yatra and Thetithal I shall write about them later. Contact: ksivan19sltnet.lk 2587617 **** Back **** |
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Believe it or not an infant prodigy is born into the family of
Shanmugampillai Visvanathan and his wife. Only eight years old and gold
medalist in all fields of speech and drama, a student at Holy Family
Convent, Bambalapitiya, Harini Amrita is going to put Sri Lanka as a
country blessed with one of the best dancers in the world in time to come.
