Alapparungkarunai:

Tagore's poetry brought to exquisite life

It was an exquisite performance by the Kokuvil Kalabhavanam, all the more beautiful because of the altruistic gesture of the dancers. Alapparungkarunai, the beautiful Tamil Ballet of Tagore's 'Sanyasi' and collected poems, organized by the Alumni of the Faculty of Medicine was performed in aid of the Faculty of Medicine Student Hostel.

I attended the event expecting to enjoy a musical/dance performance. To my surprise I found a well choreographed play, with the music, songs and Targore's poetry, artfully blended and performed to perfection by a group of ten or more singers.

The story unfolded in the facial expressions, feet and hand movements of the dancers, with the music and words giving additional clarity. All the dancers were beautiful and the costumes absolutely eye catching.

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Alone and in groups each of the dancers told a story, bringing to life the character portrayed and holding the audience spellbound.

The character of the Hermit, was marvellously done, especially, when his soul emerges in the form of a beautiful girl and expresses his thoughts before, during and after he saw the light.

The girl who symbolically represented the desire the hermit was trying to avoid was the divinity that he later embraced.

Tagore's message is not to renounce life and be a recluse but find divinity in the bondage and active life. Please re-read Tagore and his poems.

It has been a long time since I did. I have never seen a play enacted in this manner in a long time.

I was compelled to write this review to rejoice in the fact that cultural events are taking place in Jaffna, and also to acknowledge that such events are the best therapeutic performance for the people, as it is a clear manifestation of the fact that Tamil culture has kept growing despite the years of war and displacement and is richer for the soul searing experience the Northern people have undergone.

(This review by Dr. N. Ethirveerasingam is on the performance staged in Jaffna)