Poetic dialogue of Shringara, Maya, Viraha and Aikya

CHENNAI: Under the choreography and direction of renowned Bharatanatyam dancer and instructor Leela Samson, Kuchipidi dancer Amrita Lahiri and Carnatic singer Chandana Bala Kalyan are coming to Chennai with a unique production. Mandala is a journey through love, separation, illusion, and dissolution, using poems by saint poets like Kabir, Annamacharya, Kshettraya, and Kanakadasa.

Amrita has been learning Kuchipudi since she was a six-year-old. Chandan Bala comes from a musical family, with her father being a violinist. “I started my musical journey as a Carnatic singer. Later on, I began exploring other genres as well,” says Chandana Bala.

Various classical instruments form the base for any Carnatic music production. But that is not the case in Mandala. “It is quite difficult to perform pieces like this. Mridangam is said to be the pulse of any classical performance. But we don’t have that here. I found a pulse in Chandana Bala’s voice and it requires a lot of abhinayas,” adds Amrita.

Mandala draws its inspiration from the recurring message of all saints, irrespective of time. It is that enjoyment, pain, delight, and struggle are all short-lived, and divine lies within all of us. It is a poetic journey between the singer and the dancer.

When asked about what the audience can expect from the poetic piece, Amrita has three words to describe. “Interactive, poetic and thought-provoking,” she reflects. “It is an experience of being introduced to an imaginary world of a devotee. There will be a lot of voices and dance performances with no instrumentation. Both of us had considerable space to delve deep and explore more,” elucidates Chandana Bala.

Both the artistes applauded the cultural history of Chennai and how the city has embraced the art for many decades. They also expect a lot of attentive eyes on the audience’s side, looking and appreciating the details.

Witness the journey of life through Mandala at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mylapore, on November 18.