showing different expression for the same line

[laya2]

Hi

My doubt is when we take a song can we have different expression for the same line.

eg: when we sing alaypayuthey kanna en manam migha alaypayuthey

when we keep repeating these lines, can we also show different expression for the same line, like 1st can we show that we are shy when we think of him, 2nd to feel we are worried when we think of him, 3rd show that we are scared that he is not there etc.

So can we show different expression for the same line.

pls. clarify

thanks.

[laya2]

Hi,

Can somebody clarify pls.

thanks.

[Umesh]

Yes, you can explore the lyrics in different ways, but the general meaning and the stayi bhava should not change. For example, for a line that describes the overwhelming love and desire a nayika has for a God, you may first depict the meaning literally and then go on to show how the nayika tries to sleep, but is disturbed because she has racing thoughts of her Lord and his beautiful music, or how she tries to create a garland, but gets so distracted by her thoughts that at the end, she discovers that she has botched the job! There are an infinite number of possibilities, but make sure what you choose relates to the idea at hand.

Showing shyness, worry, and fear would probably not be appropriate for these particular lyrics because they don't relate clearly to the nayika's trance-like state.

[laya2]

Hi Umesh,

What I don't understand is:

Alai payudhe , kanna , en manam miga Alai Payudhe,
UN Ananda mohana venu ganamathil,

Meaning:

Waves are flowing, Krishna, my mind is flowing like waves,
Hearing the pretty joyful music of your flute

When we say en manam alaypayuthey then we can also express that I feel romantic(shy i only meant being romantic and then feeling shy because of that) when i listen to your flute music or I feel happy. I hope these expressions are fine.

Also could you tell me what are the others ways to express for this line alone. "en manam alaypyuthey UN Ananda mohana venu ganamathil"

thanks.

.

[Umesh]

I will preface this by saying that abhinaya is very personal and several interpretations may be valid. However, I feel the lyrics suggest something different from what you have described. Shyness can feature in sringaram, of course, but Krishna is not courting the nayika in this song. The nayika is not bashful... quite the contrary, actually. Later in the song, she asks if it is right for Krishna to be out on his escapades while she is completely infatuated with him and sad that he is not with her. She has no problem calling him out, and she doesn't seem to fear anything; she is only desperate for his companionship. You must consider the entire story being told, not lines in isolation.

The main idea of the pallavi (and indeed the entire song) is the nayika's complete surrender to Krishna and his permanent occupation of her thoughts. Different depictions of this general idea would be appropriate.

[laya2]

Hi,

I beg to differ on this. The nayika is definitely shy when she says "kaNgaL sorugi oru vidhamAi varugudhE kadhiththa manaththil uruththi padhaththai
enakku theLitthu magizhththa vA
oru thanittha vanatthil aNaitthu
enakku unarchchi koduththu mughizhththa vA"

So I think we can interpret that the nayika here is very romantic and feels shy when she says "kangal sorugi oru vidhamai varugudhe"

Correct me if I am wrong.

Also could you pls. tell me when we choreograph we have to take line by line meaning and choreograph and take the entire song into consideration when we choreograph.

thanks

[rshankar]

This is a rather complicated composition to interpret...we've discussed it earlier, and so many different interpretations became evident...http://rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php? ... eeded.html

[Umesh]

After reviewing the thread Ravi provided, I still fail to see how shyness would be appropriate here. So, laya2, I am afraid we will have to agree to disagree. But what I would do and what you or another dancer chooses to do need not be reconciled. As has been said, there is seldom a single correct interpretation for a song.

I'm not sure I understand your last question...

[natyasri]

i think "shy" should be read as "blushing" her. In the way a girl in love blushes at the thought of her lover, right?

[soumya]

in my opinion, the "alai payuthey" phrase should probably be considered as the race of emotions that arise in the mind when the nayika is completely smitten in love with Krishna. So here, the "waves" are different emotions weaving patterns through the mind of the nayika because love is inexplicable, and produces confusing mix of feelings - hence manam alai payuthey.. and of course, the music emanating from the flute is what brings out these "waves" because the music is iconic of Lord Krishna. It isn't exactly shy, but as natyasri said, maybe something similar to blushing, but again, a plethora of emotions.. like, young love!

[soumya]

another interpretation of the line could also be...
my mind races and weaves patterns like the music that comes out of the flute.. that is, just like how the music flows in different tunes and produces different swara patterns, my heart also produces these trepidations in patterns, swaying to the cadence of the music from the flute.

[soumya]

of course, the above replies of mine are looking at amateur level interpretations.. but like any composition, the song can be interpreted in several ways. like, treating the music as a reminder of Krishna's memories in the mind of the Nayika and the emotions arising from these memories which is definitely going to be an array of emotions like, happiness in the togetherness, shyness in the romantic moments, sadness in the separation, etc... so, heart races with the music could be used to even denote infatuation of the nayika!