Ravana Mandodari Samvaad and Pakhawaj Dharohar - Dance performance August 11, 2009

Ravana Mandodari Samvaad and Pakhawaj Dharohar. Writer, Director, Choreographer: Rajashree Shirke. Kathakar Paddhati Presentation and Kathak Recital. Ravana Mandodari Samvaad is based on a dialogue between the great demon king Ravana and his wise and spirited wife, Mandodari. It is a dialogue about Ravana's decision to retain Seeta and wage a war against Rama. A devotee of Rama, Mandodari tries her best to persuade Ravana to return Seeta and hopes to avert what she knows will be a bloody and terrible battle, doomed to result in the death of her husband. Caught between her devotion to Rama and her love for her husband, Mandodari's predicament is a difficult one. Ravana, in his arrogance, brands her a coward for pleading with him to stop the war. Thus the war begins. Rama strings his bow and its twang shakes the entire world. Mandodari is torn apart. Finally, as we all know, Rama is victorious and Mandodari's truth prevails. Celebrated as one of the pancha-kanyas in Hindu mythology, Mandodari is a unique woman. She is presented in this recital as an embodiment of woman-power, unusual in her powers of clarity and discernment, her ability to see reason and fight for her convictions against all odds. This presentation is in the Kathakar Paddhati format. It is supposed that in ancient times, kathakars also called granthikas, gathakas, pathakas were appointed in temples to narrate mythological stories through music and dance. The kathakar is therefore variously defined as a storyteller, narrator of drama and a solo performer. This piece has been performed at various festivals, including the Virasat Festival (Lucknow), the Kathak Kendra Mahotsava (Pune), among others.Pakhawaj Dharohar is a unique Kathak presentation, based on the traditional and ancient rhythmic compositions of the oldest Indian classical percussion instrument, the 'pakhawaj'. These compositions known as parans are known for their vibrancy, variety and mastery over rhythmic vocabulary. They have been composed by the late Pt. Babulalji Kathak (of the Maharaj Kudou Singhji gharana and Jaipur gharana) and by his son, the percussion stalwart, Bhavani Shankar.

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