Sita kalyanam
y life has been like the sikku pulli kolam”, says Gundurao Narendra . I liked the imagery he placed before me. A sikku kolam is a winding line, seemingly entangled, but not quite, for
“Mhe young lad from Payanoor, who was being interviewed for admission in a prestigious cultural institution, was asked if he could sing. Much to the surprise of the interview panel, he promptly sang the lm song ‘Kaadhal rojave’, instead of a classical composition. Any doubts that assailed him after that were put to rest when he found his name on the list of selected candidates the next day. Thus, Shijith Nambiar entered the portals of Kalakshetra, beginning a journey into the world of Bharatanatyam. He not only found his life’s calling here but also his soulmate, Parvathy Menon. Together they slowly made a mark in the world of dance.
Initiated into arts at a
Tit journeys around the various dots in a sequence best known to the line, but somehow when it is over, a beautiful pattern has been created.
The phrase also to me was a preamble to the artiste’s journey and where it led him. Thanks to his father, who was extremely fond of the arts, Narendra found himself learning young age by his father, Shijith was a regular participant in cultural activities in school and college. Ridiculed for his penchant for dancing, Shijith felt demoralised. It was then that his father brought him to Chennai.
But the going was still not easy. Shijith was initially disheartened by the lack of opportunities for male dancers. Soon his talent and hard work brought him the much-needed recognition. After his training in Kalakshetra, Shijith realised the need to explore the art to nd his own space and dance at the young age of eight. He trained under a few teachers and was 15 years into dance before he reached the portals of Kalakshetra, where he had to unlearn to re-learn all over again. He says, he was fortunate to have been chosen by Yamini Krishnamurthy when he was but a young man to be her dance partner and do the expression. “I began to choreograph compositions for my solo performances. It gave me immense satisfaction and joy.”
An admirer of G. Narendra’s work, Shijith was keen to learn from him. “I was delighted when Narendra invited me to play the role of Kovalan in his production Silapadhikaram. More such memorable experiences came his way when he worked with the Dhananjayans and nattuvangam as well.
Narendra says
Kalakshetra was the place where male dancers had a role to play in several of their home productions. But, once he left the institution, he suddenly found himself lost, if only briey, in the vast world of art. But as luck would have it, the Dhananjayans were touring a production, and Narendra became Rama and here too, he grabbed attention. He calls it a “lucky break”. But there was a lull until he was invited by Uma Ganesan, this time to be the director of the Cleveland Cultural Alliance (CCA), which won him the nickname of ‘Cleveland’ Narendra. But after a few successful productions, he had a fall out out with CCA and once again was on his own.
He recalls the support of Mrs. YGP and Mr. Subramaniam in providing him opportunities. “In an artiste’s journey, many people have a role to play — parents, teachers, and even journalists. Journalists I realised can either make or break you. I had performed the role of Duryodhana and the critic had to only write about my skinny built with ribs showing. This is all you saw in the performance, was my angst.”
He says there were very few male dancers then. People did not look kindly towards the profession and when they found he was a dancer, the remark would be: “That would make you appear eeminate. like a female then. Dancing is for girls.” Narendra says he had to live with this constant stereotyping.
While Kalakshetra was the perfect place which provided ample scope to the male dancer, he often found himself at wits’ end seeking solo opportunities. While there was never any dearth for group productions, being a soloist was a big challenge.
In 2018, Narendra presented four performances but was paid much lesser than the amount he actually spent. That is when he began to rethink spaces. He sought alternative venue such as temples, where he felt comfortable dancing.
Narendra says like most artistes, he too had many ambitions. He wanted to be one of the best dancers but soon was disillusioned because male dancers do not get opportunities as they should. Yet, in that period , there was never a moment when he did not dance. Whether there was a performance in the ong or not, he was in his studio each day practising. Group productions and corporate shows came his way. He also trained several young male dancers, creating opportunities for them too.
Narendra says in all these years never did he stop taking care of his body and diet, because together they contributed to his dance. His passion for cricket kept him going too. He got into acting in a bid to reinvent himself and keep the artiste in him alive.
When he was invited by the Music Academy for an evening slot in 2023 , he felt he had nally got his due. “For me, the icing was when I was voted the Best Dancer of the year.” It is denitely a validation for an artiste who is not really in his prime. He feels, there are miles to go…
Narendra had it all mapped out he thought when he started the journey and the dots represented the eorts he put in at various stages. Yet, it was destiny which drew the nal kolam amidst the sikkal.
Leela Samson.
Even as he performed as a soloist, his career embarked on a new path with Parvathy. Speaking of the many changes that they had to adapt to, Parvathy says, “I was always a part of the Kalakshetra repertory and had never performed as a solo artiste, so I could take to his ideas easily, but for him, after experiencing the freedom that solo performances oer, dancing as a duo was challenging. Over a period of time, we became comfortable sharing the stage.”
Shijith and Parvathy have devised ways to handle choreographic productions together. They have their roles clearly cut out. Ideation, music and lighting are handled by Shijith while Parvathy works on costumes. The two feel their training at Kalakshetra has helped them manage various facets of a performance.
Talking about how they go about choreographing movements, Shijith says, “Earlier, we focused only on synchrony in our movements. But as we evolved as artistes, we realised the need to accommodate each other’s ideas and make it appear seamless.” Recalling anecdotes from their performances, the duo share how once while playing the roles of Radha and Krishna, Parvathy’s bindi fell down, Shijith picked it up and placed on her forehead. The audience thought it was a choreographed act. “At another time, while doing the varnam ‘Swami naan undhan adimai’ my salangai fell o and the bells were splattered all over the stage. We collected them and placed in
Following the Ramanavami utsavam, Sri Varasiddhi Vinayakar temple, Hindu Colony, Nanganallur, has organised Sita kalyanam on April 27 and 28. Thodayamangalam followed by bhajans will be rendered on day one. Unchavritti at 7.30 a.m. on day two will be followed by the celestial wedding. In the evening the idol of Rama will be taken out in a procession at 7 p.m.
Earlier, we focused only on synchrony in our movements. But as we evolved as artistes, we realised the need to accommodate each other’s ideas and make it appear seamless
SHIJITH NAMBIAR
front of the Nataraja idol. This spontaneous move appeared part of the sequence,” says Parvathy.
The two believe in constantly analysing their work and improvising. “You have to keep observing and imbibing. Both are essential to keep up the creative spirit,” says Shijith. ‘Punarjani’, which premiered in Chennai as a solo piece at Kalaavahani’s festival last December, will now be presented by the two in Canada.
According to the couple, they are now at a phase when the pressures of performance have taken a backseat. It’s more about nding contentment and joy in the process and presentation. “We are also focusing on nurturing our creative space ‘Sakhi’. We always wanted such a space, where artistes could engage with each other and the art in a holistic environment. It is also where the new generation of performers can condently embrace creativity”.