Jab Se Tere Nayana and Sonal Mansingh? The fact is Sonal was breathing a new life into the song when she used it to portray one of the navrasas in true Odissi tradition at the Chowdiah Hall on Saturday. While classical Odissi remained as it should be, she unfolded each rasa to the tune of some hand-picked film songs. It was a spring of surprises at Sabras, organised by the Bangalore International Centre. Two diverse genres in the best artistic expression. Where the dividing line between classical and contemporary was invisible.
Sonal explained each recital with flawless diction. Her energy inimitable. Sabras, she said, is “navrasas or nine rasas which also means new or the contemporary”. Each one a situation from the Ramayana. Beginning with Mangalacharan, paying obeisance to god, the gurus and the audience, she moved onto yesteryears’ Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram...
As she enacted out shringara which was the chemistry between Ram and Sita to the tunes of Jab Se Tere Naina, the audience broke out into a huge applause. Next came veeram or the heroism of Ram as he lifted the bow to the score Tere Mehfil Mein.
Karuna or pathos, spoke the story of Ahalya and Ram with Waqt ne kiya. Any guesses for what went with the Hasyam ? Well, it was Ek Chatur Naar. Athbutham concentrated on the building of Ram Sethu set to Aye Bhai Zara Dekhe Chalo.
Raudram depicted Ravanamardane with Maar Diya Jaay. Couldn’t ask for a better picturisation. Bhayam or fear recollected Rama’s only fear, which is about his fear of wrong-doing, had Ghum Naam Hai Koi in the background. Bibathsam came with Jaa Re Ja O Harjayi and then concluding it with Shantam when an air of meditaton prevailed.
The evening did not lack any hasya. But with some serious thought though when Sonal asked the audience to switch off their mobiles which kept singing at regular intervals. “Well, Ram would have send an SMS to Ravana saying ‘Let go of Sita or else...(!!!),” she said. The message didn’t go well though because the gadgets went on buzzing.
As for anything crass, she says, “nothing is wrong per se, it is the interpretation and the content that makes anything vulgar.” When asked whether Bollywood has watched her perform to their songs, she says “it would be good, if they did”.
“Sabras was playing in my mind for 15 years,” she says after the recital. And how do the mudras go with filmsongs? “It comes naturally. It is there in nature, in the birds and even as you talk.”
For the girl who ran away from home and waited in front of her guru’s locked house to turn in to the thinker-dancer that she is, the audience could have done better if they had kept their calls waiting. It is not everyday that you get to see a Sonal performing.
