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EFFECTIVE PRESENTATION
      
Ramayana, the story of Rama is the most popular epic taken for elaborate presentation. Be it a school drama or a movie or a small screen megaserial or a dance production on the stage, the story of Rama is always the audience’s preferred choice. He who proved His valour by killing the demoness Tataka is worshipped as a role model for a perfect man. He further lifted and broke Siva’s bow, which great kings like Ravana failed. He went to the forest just to maintain His father's promise and ruled Ayodhya only after completing his 14 years of exile. Though He is known for His perfection in every area of His life, today one man has dared to question Rama. He was right in every move but was He right in treating His beloved Seeta the way He did?

The programme titled ‘Seetayanam’ staged recently at Bharat Kalachar, YGP Auditorium, Chennai, was the outcome of the questions that arose in the mind of the young dancer Zakir Hussain. Contrary to the Ramayana, in the Seetayanam Zakir questioned Rama if He was right in asking Seeta to perform Agnipravesa. Just because of a washerman's remarks, was He right in sending Seeta to the forest once again for no fault of hers? Zakir’s performance lucidly mirrored his years of fruitful training and experience under his able guru, Chitra Visweswaran. The presentation was quite simple with very little or no complications, yet conveyed the untold pathos of Seeta. Had Seeta been to the courts of the present day for justice, no doubt Zakir could be her loyal advocate!

    
The lyrics were compiled from Kamba Ramayanam and every chosen lyric was as sharp as a knife. But for the music of Gajendran, who also sang the songs and handled the nattuvangam, Zakir could not have conveyed his inner feelings and sympathy for Seeta. The tuning definitely added colour to the already effective presentation of Zakir. Mridangam wizard Haribabu proved his worth with his reverberant farans. Kalaiarasan’s violin and Srinivasan’s flute were added highlights.

Lakshmi V N
   

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   Posted on 20th March 2001