{"id":171391705,"date":"2025-11-20T06:30:46","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T11:30:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mediamax.design\/gia\/?post_type=review&p=171391705"},"modified":"2025-11-20T07:35:57","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T12:35:57","slug":"kavyam-the-poetry-within","status":"publish","type":"review","link":"https:\/\/mediamax.design\/gia\/review\/kavyam-the-poetry-within\/","title":{"rendered":"K\u0101vyam: The Poetry Within"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, November 1, 2025<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no doubt that Shijith Nambiar and Parvathy Menon are among the nuanced contemporary interpreters of Bharatan\u0101\u1e6dyam today. Every work of theirs, when examined through the four dimensions of abhinaya\u2014\u0101\u1e45gika, v\u0101cika, \u0101h\u0101rya, and s\u0101ttvika\u2014reveals a deep philosophical grounding that shapes their choreographic choices. Their choreography distills movement and emotion into a refined abstraction, challenging audiences to reconsider long-held notions of how a narrative is constructed and conveyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kavyam – the poetry within, is one such production offered as an ode to Shijit\u2019s father, P Raghavan Nair, a Malayalam scholar whose influence deeply informs Shijiths thought process. Eschewing props entirely, K\u0101vyam<\/em> rests on the disciplined physicality and expressive clarity of its dancers. The evening opened with \u201cAmba K\u0101mak\u1e63\u012b,\u201d rendered in the sonorous voice of T. M. Krishna. Set in vilambita k\u0101la<\/em>, the piece distilled the composition to its purest image\u2014the eyes of the Goddess that see all. Beginning with two dancers chiseling her image with nattuvangam, she is personification of the power and purity in the arts and the eyes that travel from her image and draws back to the image is the desire that she fulfills. A unique personal perspective, Amba Kamakshi set the right tone of revealing the imagery behind the words. Parvathy Menon, as Parvathy, performed with serene grace. A special mention must be made of the costume designed by Mohanapriyan Thavarajah\u2014its gold tri\u015b\u016blam<\/em> motifs set against a deep red fabric added both symbolism and visual richness to the piece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following three pieces\u2014Bhavay\u0101mi Raghur\u0101ma<\/em>, Jagadoddh\u0101ra\u1e47a<\/em>, and \u015aa\u1e45kara \u015ar\u012b Giri<\/em>\u2014each offered memorable interpretive moments. In Bhavay\u0101mi<\/em>, the expansion of the cara\u1e47ams<\/em> into thoughtfully choreographed sa\u1e45c\u0101ris<\/em> allowed the eight dancers to narrate the stories with well timed clarity and conviction. A particularly striking vignette was the story of Ahaly\u0101, portrayed with sensitivity by Simran Sivakumar as Ahalya, alongside Aswathi Suresh as Indra\u2014an interpretation that stood out for its emotive depth and dramatic precision. The lighting design by Sivan Venkitangu further heightened the narrative, illuminating the quiet manipulations of Indra and the subtle, unsettled expressions of Sage Gautama, played with restraint by Lakshmi Priya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Jagadoddh\u0101ra\u1e47a<\/em>, young Krishna\u2014played by Bhadra was a delight to watch. The K\u0101li\u1e45ga Mardana<\/em> episode, in particular, was rendered with a charm and spontaneity that only a child performer can truly bring to the stage. The only visual distraction was a misplaced spotlight that shone directly into the audience\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further iterations of K\u0101vyam<\/em> would do well if Shijith directly introduced each item in his characteristically warm voice, preserving a personal connection with the audience and offering insight into his thought process\u2014something a recorded voice could never replicate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, K\u0101vyam<\/em> distills the creative ingenuity of Shijith Nambiar. Each of the dancers trained under him and Parvathy delivered with remarkable precision and commitment\u2014no small feat, and a testament to the rigor of their guidance. Aswathi Suresh brought both Indra and R\u0101va\u1e47a to life with effortless elan; Simran Sivakumar offered a moving portrayal of Ahaly\u0101; Lakshmi Priya captured the measured dignity of Gautama Rishi and the emotional intensity of \u015a\u016brpa\u1e47akh\u0101; and Vishrithi, Swathi, Limna, Varada, and young Bhadra added depth with their attentive timing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Review by Anita Vallabh<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":171391724,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"review-category":[14],"class_list":["post-171391705","review","type-review","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","review-category-south-asian-performance"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t