Vaibhav Arekar
| Photo Credit: M. Srinath

In the Varkari worship tradition of Maharashtra, it is customary to open with a description or varnan of Vittala’s form. In his solo production titled ‘Nama Mhane’, Vaibhav Arekar adheres to this convention by commencing with an alarippu, the opening piece in the Bharatanatyam margam, the subtext of which is layered by an abhang ‘Sundar te dhyaan’. The Mumbai-based dancer-choreographer recently presented this at Anubhuti Dance Festival in Chennai, organised and curated by dancer Divya Nayar. 

Known for creating art that is thoughtful and deep, Vaibhav draws inspiration from various sources — Van Gogh and his paintings, contemporary dance legends such as Martha Graham and Pina Bausch, Bharatanayam stalwarts C.V. Chandrasekhar and the Dhananjayans. As a performer and choreographer, he takes on a variety of themes, and one defining characteristic of his work is getting into the mind of the character he portrays. Whether it is ‘Venugaan’, which explores Krishna’s struggles with life’s dilemmas, or ‘Shrimant Yogi’ that details Chhatrapati Shivaji’s conquests and coronation, Vaibhav lights up the stage with his imagination and creativity. It often liberates the art form from its own constraints, leading to unexpected and beautiful discoveries.    

Vaibhav with dancers of Sankhya Dance Company
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Vaibhav confesses he never chose Bharatanatyam. “The art form chose me. I do not come from an artistic background, but I always wanted to dance.” After obtaining his Master’s from Nalanda Nrithya Kala Mahavidyalaya established by his mentor Kanak Rele, Vaibhav worked as a faculty there for close to a decade before turning a full-time performer. “Active teaching takes away energy from performance. I wished to explore the possibility of making performances and riyaaz a major part of my living.” This was when he decided to take up mentoring. “Dancers who have graduated from institutions with a degree in Bharatanatyam needed internships to plug the gap between theory and practical application and my dance company Sankhya offered that space. I mentor around 15 full-time dancers and we explore movement, experiences and new ways of looking at the world.”  

From one of Vaibhav’s group works
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

When it comes to thought process, Vaibhav says Malavika Sarukkai’s thematic work was a major influence. He also looks up to Leela Samson’s Spanda for group work. “By selecting full-time dancers for Sankhya, I focussed on choreography. These dancers are constantly practicing, and can immediately transfer an idea onto the body.” 

He also points out that financial sustenance is hard for dance companies as no grants and monetary support are available. “This is why internship works — the dancers can leave and find jobs outside the company when they wish to.”  

Vaibhav’s approach to dance was shaped by his training and collaboration with Marathi playwright Chetan Datar. Theatrical elements are interwoven into his productions. Sometimes, he seems to delve into the traditional relationship among dance, theatre and music as described in the Natyashastra, and, at other times, like modern dancers, allows the audience to interpret the connection. For instance, in ‘Nama Mhane’, he goes into textual nuances to portray how saint Namdev humanises Vittala, getting exasperated when he does not consume the naivedya offered. Vaibhav’s performance seemed to demystify spirituality, making it a more personal expression. In the piece on Chokhamela, the saint who faced humiliation because of his caste, Vaibhav showed the inclusive philosophy of Namdev, who complains to Vittala and buries Chokhamela (who dies when the wall he was constructing collapses) outside the Vittala temple at Pandharpur where he was not allowed entry. Vaibhav depicted such poignant moments with rare sensitivity. Despite the theatricality, the raw emotion was palpable. 

Vaibhav presented ‘Nama Mhane’ at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Chennai
| Photo Credit:
M. Srinath

Music not just plays an important role in Vaibhav’s presentations, it shows what a fierce collaborator he is. In ‘Nama Mhane’, singer Sudha Raghuraman and musicians Satish Krishnamurthy and Kailshwaran K are a part of the visual and emotional landscape of the production. Vaibhav understands storytelling cannot be impactful without creating a suitable  atmosphere. This is where Sushant Jadhav steps in — his contribution in terms of artistic direction and lighting lends a distinct touch to many of Vaibhav’s works. 

“I realised in theatre every new play has a new structure, a new way of execution. I was used to repetition in Bharatanatyam, and wondered how to change this,” says Vaibhav. Although he finds much relevance in the structure of a margam, his choreographic works are structured based on what the themes demand. “Incorporating an alarippu and thillana in ‘Nama Mhane’ was important. But it doesn’t happen all the time. I allow my works to take their own natural course. Since we are dealing with an art form that is constantly evolving, there are no pressures to set boundaries.” 

As a soloist, Vaibhav comes across as a thinking artiste. But what does it take to make an ensemble fall in line with his thought process and technique? “Every member is part of the creative process from start to the stage. I tell them to not look at me but to look beyond the narrative and emotion to discover themselves,” says Vaibhav.

Emraan Hashmi in a still from ‘Ground Zero’

Bollywood actor Emraan Hashmi on Monday (April 28) said that terrorism has no religion and that he hopes the Indian government takes ‘payback’ for the tragic Pahalgam terror attack. The actor said this while promoting his recent release, Ground Zero, in which he plays a Border Security Force officer leading an operation to eliminate a terrorist in the aftermath of the 2001 Indian Parliament attack.

In an interview with actor Vishal Malhotra on the latter’s YouTube channel, Hashmi spoke about his experience spending time with the BSF while researching for Ground Zero. “While conversing with them, what they told me was that this peaceful situation — that we’ve been witnessing for the last 15 years — is on a slow simmer. Until we are there on the border, it will be at a specific boiling point. They have foiled so many terrorist attacks that we don’t come to know about.”

Also read | Pahalgam terror attack: a tribute to the victims

Vishal then veered the conversation towards the Pahalgam attack, stating how many civilians were brutally killed. Emraan said that while questions are being raised on the security arrangements for tourists at the Baisaran meadow where the attack took place, it isn’t easy to cover the entire meadow. “I am sure the security agencies have a detailed lowdown of this (attack). Our intelligence agencies are good, and yeah, the question does arise if there should have been some security there, but it was a huge meadow. How many officers or jawans could have been deployed there? It was a tourist hotspot. It seems like a very well-planned attack because it was at the heart of that tourist attraction, and there were no pathways nearby. They just fled. It’s a cowardly attack,” said Hashmi.

“I just hope we set this right and we take payback,” added Emraan before speaking about his experience shooting in Kashmir for Ground Zero. Then, when Vishal stated that religion shouldn’t be brought into this topic, Hashmi said, “Terrorism never has a religion. They (terrorists) have a very warped ideology. Our religion never teaches such things. We should all stand united in this situation.”

A heinous terrorist attack aimed at civilians, the Pahalgam tragedy has sent shockwaves across the country. At least 26 people, including two foreign tourists, were killed by a group of terrorists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22. Many Indian celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, Mohanlal, Kamal Haasan, Chiranjeevi, Sanjay Dutt, and Vicky Kaushal, amongst others condemned the attack.

Emraan’s Ground Zero is an action thriller inspired by true events. Directed by Tejas Prabha Vijay Deoskar, the film is set in Kashmir in the aftermath of the 2001 Indian Parliament attack and has the actor portray real-life Kirti Chakra awardee Narendra Nath Dhar Dubey. Sai Tamhankar, Zoya Hussain, Mukesh Tiwari, Deepak Parmesh, Lalit Prabhakar, Rockey Raina and Rahul Vohra are part of the cast. The film is produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Excel Movies.

The Hindu’s review of Ground Zero called it a ‘conflicting watch’ and said this about Emraan’s performance: “In a film full of sudden attacks, the biggest curveball lobbed at the audience is this: Emraan Hashmi as a moral warrior. The actor, once known for playing smirking playboys and crooks, is a sharp, solid presence in Ground Zero, but perhaps his delicate underplaying was better suited for a less aggressive time.”

One of Bindhi Rajagopal’s works on show at the Durbar Hall Art Gallery. 
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Shades of mossy green, dominate artist Bindhi Rajagopal’s latest show, The Grounded Guardians: A Meditation on Mangrove Roots, on at the Durbar Hall Art Gallery. The latest show is an ode to mangroves which form a green wall around the city where it meets the backwaters. Mangroves hold the earth, they prevent natural calamities and they nurture life like a mother would, hence, Bindhi says, she has used them as a recurring motif in the works. 

“This is my first solo show in a long time. First came the 2018 floods, then COVID-19… one thing after the other kept happening. The works on show are those that I worked on over this period. These are not all, just some,” she adds, laughing.  

 
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Intertwining mangrove roots border some of the works, footprints forming the background for a couple of her latest works. The past impacts the future as much as the present. Bindhi seems to suggest that we have to be careful about what we leave behind for future generations. 

“I attended a workshop by a scientist on the role mangroves play in preserving ecology, and that got me curious about them. The idea embedded itself in my mind,” Bindhi explains why she chose mangroves.

Some of the works have a woman with cats, while others have fish and algae-like life forms, all of which seem to draw sustenance from each other. The paintings reveal symbiotic relationship with nature and all its creatures, mankind included. “I am trying to say through my works how our actions impact all creation, and how we should be responsible.”  

Bindhi Rajagopal
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Bindhi, an alumnus of RLV College of Music and Fine Arts, has been practising her craft for close to three decades. She held her first show in 1992 followed by one in 1998. Over the years she has been part of solo and group shows in Kerala and abroad and has also curated art shows. She has been an art teacher in a school and later, an assistant professor of visual arts in a college. 

She uses visual metaphors and symbolism to get her point across. For instance, one of her paintings done during COVID-19 is actually three – a triptych, which shows three women on three different canvases. All three wear masks, and despite being together they cannot inhabit the same space. The isolation is unmissable. “Isn’t that how we felt during the pandemic? My daughters felt it intensely, not being able to step out or meet friends. That was all of us. The painting is the three of us or it could be anybody!” 

The artist is preoccupied with the past, present and future, and how one impacts the other. The works on show bear testimony to it. 

The show on at Durbar Hall Art Gallery concludes on April 30.