mAlaipozhudinilE thro' the efforts of Smt. Radha Viswanathan

[rshankar]

All of us are familiar with the masterpiece of Sri Kalki describing the dream of vaLLi. Here is a wonderful clip of Smt. Radha Viswanathan who was prevailed upon to bring the words to life at the Cleveland Aradhana last year. I am very grateful to cienu for uploading the clip. Despite the limitations of right hemipariesis, Smt. Radha uses her exquisitely mobile face, eyes and left hand to transform into vaLLi - we forget she's in a chair and doesn't use her R upper extremity. The whole clip is a demonstration of the understated vazhuvUr artistry made all the more sublime because the dancer is both the music and the dance.
In the first 20 seconds or so, I think she is adjusting to the song and the tALakaTTu of the singer (Smt. Gayatri Venkataraghavan), after which they are in perfect sync. I think it is amazing that even single handed gestures can convey ideas like mAlai (garland) and the tAli (mangalsUtra) so evocatively. Some places that I found particularly wonderful were the way she shows confusion (for sancalam), and the way she brings to life 'pudidAi tOnriDum uravO'. Of course the best parts for me were - 'nAlu puram nOkki nANi nAn', and 'uvagai UTRu perigiDinum' and 'kaNgaLil kanal ezha vizhittEn' - goosebump moments! Also, the way she shows 'tuLLi' - it is in perfect synch with the way the singer splits the syllables....
I have always felt that it is really sad that there is no surviving video of Smt. Radha and (the late) Smt. Anandi dancing - a true loss. I was hoping that watching this clip would in someway help allay the feelings of regret, but unfortunately, it has only served to flame them further! I am also truly jealous of Sri MKR and his wife for whom Smt. Radha danced this piece in NY during their tour of the US!
EDITED

[arasi]

Through the Dark Glass Brightly--is how I see her here. This dear woman has no limits. Bless her!

[cmlover]

Reminds me of the publication of the pictures of young Radha's dance poses in Kalki DeepavaLi malar (1946?)...
What a bhAvam even with just one hand and just the face!
The audience reaction is spontaneous..

Shankar
it is " kaNgaLil kanal ((pseudo) angry sparks) ezha vizhittEn'
Radha's facial expressions fit just fine...

cienu
Thanks again! This is a collector's item...

[mahavishnu]

What a precious video!

[rshankar]

kanal indeed it is...and I blush for my mistake!

[cienu]

Thank you so much Ravi !
As a sequel to this video, please find below the reactions from the audience which included amongst others Smt Charumathi Ramachandran, Smt Savithri Jagannatha Rao, Smt Gayatri Balagurunathan , Sri Balagurunathan and also a number of aspiring young dance students.
One can see Smt Gayatri wiping her tears away. (She told me later that she keeps this clip on her laptop and plays its everyday.!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cLKugXE ... re=related

[cmlover]

Thanks cienu
for that post production peek. It makes us feel as though we were also there sharing the homely event.
Could you find out from your mother and let us know whether this song was choreographed by vazhuvoor?
I wonder the context in which kalki wrote this song since he did not write very many poems. MKR perhaps can help!
Who set the ragamalikai tune?

[cienu]

Dear CML,
The choreography was indeed done by Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai. Amma is not able to recollect the circumstances or the context under which Kalki composed the poem.
"mAlaipozhudinilE" first appeared in the "Kalki" Deepavali Malar. (possibly in the 1946 Malar which you mention in post # 3)
Apparently Sri Sadasivam liked it so much that he decided that this must be set to tune and choreographed for Radha and Anandhi to dance on stage. (Radha as Murugan and Anandhi as vaLLi ).
This was set to tune melodiously by S.V.Venkataraman, about whom we discussed recently.
Please also find attached a picture of a young Radha taken in the 1940s, a period during which her popularity as a dancer was at its peak.

[vyshak]

Ceinu sir, thank you for the link.

My eye lids refused to battle and I seem to be out of mind after watching the video. Well, it is pointless to write about her expertise in abhinaya and her zeal to out pour emotions regardless of various impediments. All I can say is that I'm captivated and inspired.

Here is the MS version of it. And there is nothing like it ..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cVMQ1I8zXo

[rshankar]

Cienu - a lovely picture - thanks!

[cmlover]

Many thanks cienu for the information.
We are eternally grateful to TS for getting the tune set as I remember the vinyl being played in every teashop in TN in those days.
SVV has done a superlative job.
As I look at the picture I notice that Radha's face has not changed over all these years. If she dons the dance costume her face would remarkably look the same!

[advaitam]

Outstanding does not even begin to describe this! It is really touching to note that Gayatri listens to this everyday. I think she has done full justice to the song, having learnt it very diligently indeed from Smt Radha. Cienu, thank you so much for this wealth of photos, info, music from your family archives. We are forever indebted to you for bringing this out so readily. Incidentally I have also written a short write-up in the Album Reviews section about the latest Charsur release of Smt M.S. and Smt Radha. Radha performed abhinaya for one of the bhajans rendered in that concert with M.S. singing for her, much like the days of yore, when M.S. used to sing for her dance recitals. Though it is only the audio version, it is still a collector's edition.

On a slightly tangential note, Smt M.S.' centenary is fast approaching in 2016.
I wonder what surprises Cienu sir has in store for all of us .....

[rshankar]

Outstanding does not even begin to describe this! It is really touching to note that Gayatri listens to this everyday. I think she has done full justice to the song.

I think it is Smt. Gayatri Balagurunathan, the dancer (daughter of the Late Smt. Krishnaveni Lakshmanan) who watches the clip everyday, and not Smt. Gayatri Venkataraghavan the singer.

[cmlover]

Let us appreciate GV also (our Forum member) for the rendition with a remarkable bhavam.. I wonder why the video has not captured her..

[rshankar]

CML - in the clip I posted in the first post you can see her at the end.

[cmlover]

Thanks Shankar, it is so fleeting that I missed it. It is at 6:46..