What it means to be the warrior princess of the Pandya dynasty?

Jyotsna Jaganathan
| Photo Credit: VELANKANNI RAJ B

Having watched innumerable portrayals of goddess Meenakshi, both in solo Bharatanatyam margams and group productions, it was with a lot of trepidation that one sat down for yet another presentation of the warrior goddess — this time by Jyotsana Jagannathan and Brindha Manikavasagan.

However, their refreshing approach focussed on the persona of Meenakshi as a child, young girl, woman, and as an individual in her own right. And so, while the presentation did narrate the familiar story of the daughter of King Malayadwaja Pandya, who ruled the Pandya kingdom, her birth from fire, her conquests in the battlefield, meeting her prospective consort Shiva and her marriage, its focus was on ‘What it means to be Meenakshi’.

Jyotsna Jaganathan‘s portrayal was delicate and graceful, where each idea and expression were explored in depth.
| Photo Credit:
VELANKANNI RAJ B

The beautiful blend of musical phrases and movements kept alive the momentum. The violin took centre stage when they portrayed Bala Meenakshi, a soothing lullaby in Nilambari was used to focus on the mother-daughter bond, and percussion was used to denote valour.

Jyotsana ‘s portrayal was filled with delicate, graceful movements and unhurried pace, where each idea and expression were explored in depth. The depiction of a mother’s indulgent admiration — her doting on the lotus feet of child Meenakshi and the gentle sounds of her anklet bells — was impressive. Equally enjoyable were the visuals of Meenakshi’s martial training backed by swara passages.

Brindha Manickavasagan’s singing was in sync with the mood of each sequence. Srisudarshini’s nattuvangam, Sukanya’s melodious playing on the violin and the restrained and impactful performance of mridangist L. Sriganesh turned the performance into a wholesome one.