Amala Suri Patkar and her students presented ‘Laya, Taal aur Leela’, an evening of shades of Kathak dedicated to artistic legacy of Pandita Rohini Bhate at Rajiv Gandhi Kala Mandir, Ponda.
Trained under Bhate at Nritya Bharati, Pune, Patkar brought that Kathak tradition to Goa. Patkar’s students performed on compositions rooted in the tradition passed down by their guru, showcasing the endurance of the guru-shishya parampara.
The programme opened with the traditional lighting of the lamp by the chief guest Ajay Vaidya and managing director, GHRSSIDC, Gauresh Pilgaonkar, who was the guest of honour.
The opening Nritta section showcased students interplaying ‘thaat’, ‘amad’, ‘todas’, ‘tukdas’, ‘poraus’ and ‘tihais’. A ‘bhajan’ by Meerabai and poems composed by Bhate was presented in ‘abhinaya’. The work culminated in ‘Geetopadesh’, portraying Krishna’s discourse to Arjuna. The concluding presentation, Moksha’s choreography drew upon the philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita and was inspired by the musical work of DJ Whosane from his album ‘Moksha’. The musical accompaniment included Prasas Chari on sitar, Rohit Khandolkar on harmonium, Kaustube Chari on pakhawaj and jori, and Rohit Wankar on flute.
