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SARVAM SAI
MAYAM
When devotion becomes ecstasy,
it manifests itself into a "Divine Dance".
And when that dance is
about the life events of a "Divine Personality" and when it assumes
a classical dance style and the dance maestro nonetheless than Dr. Sobha
Naidu, portrays the lead role....it is but, tasting the sugar capsule of
joy, blessedness, Inspiration, Devotional fervor and manifestation of
performance Par Excellence.
Sarvam Sai mayam is a new feather on the
creative cap of most celebrated dancer, reather a shining gem of Nirthya
Choodamani. A terrific balanceing act of depicting modern scenes and life
events of Lord of Shirdi in a classical dance mode, repleting every moment
and movement of the dance drama with divine ecstasy and devotinal
explosion.
With this trendsetting classical dance ballet, Dr.Sobha
Naidu aspires to cull a new path to the future chirographers to portray
legendry life episodes of innumerable great personalities in dance
form.
Script : Sri Dr. D. Kameshwar Rao & Smt. Dr. Sobha Naidu, Music : Smt. K. Seshulatha Viswanath, Screenplay & Choreography : "Padmasri" Smt. Dr. Sobha Naidu.
VIJAYOSTU TE
NAARI (TRIUMPH OF THE WOMAN)
This is a ballet in which Sobha Naidu draws a parallel from ancient
mythology to address one of the problems of modern society, viz., inspire
women of present day to strive and stand on their own legs and defend
themselves against men's atrocities.
The play opens with goddess
Parvathi complaining to Lord Shiva about how
 women on earth are being
exploited by men. Shiva reminds her that it was she herself, and not all
the other gods, who killed the most wily and powerful demon, Mahishasura
she could now awaken the womankind of the earth to draw inspiration from
her. A series of scenes follow showing how women on earth are subjected to
injustice. Women, drawing inspiration from the mythological Mahishasura
Mardhini, fight the injustices meted out to them by men. These include
Kanyasulkam (selling small girls to old widowers in the name of marriage),
dowry, bride burning, excessive indulgence of men in alcoholism starving
their families, etc. Sobha's attempt in this ballet is to introduce
contemporary relevance into classical fine arts with themes reflecting
modern society.
Sri. Balantrapu Rajanikanta Rao's script, Sri. Kochherlakota Suryaprakasa Rao's
music and Smt. Dr. Sobha Naidu's choreography enrich the ballet. Besides, Sobha
dons the roles of "Parvathi" in the Sandhya Tandavam scene and as
"Mahishasura Mardhini".
SRI KRISHNA
SARANAM MAMA
Krishna is the most enigmatic among the incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Sobha
Naidu successfully attempts to unravel these enigmas and lay bare
Krishna's message to mankind, which he delivered through the Bhagavad-Gita
(The Song Celestial).
The
ballet opens with scenes depicting Krishna's birth in the prison cell and
his being instantly shifted to Nanda
gokul. Then follow Krishna's childhood pranks, which the Gopis cannot help
liking even if the boy teases them to the limit. Krishna humbles Kaaliya,
the venomous serpent, who pollutes the river Yamuna the colorful Vasanta
Poornima festival and Krishna's dalliance with the Gopis is delightfully
enacted. Krishna slays Kamsa, the tyrant king. Krishna satisfies sage
Narada's curiosity by showing himself as the omnipresent being, present
simultaneously with every one of his eight wedded
wives.
Krishna, the peacemaker, is seen trying
in vain to negotiate a peace between the war mongering Kauravas and the
peace loving Pandavas. Finally, Krishna teaches the Bhagavad-Gita to a
confused and despondent Arjuna and inspires him to jump into action, to do
his duty. to fight for Dharma (righteousness).
Sri. Balantrapu Rajanikanta Rao writes the script.
Sri. Kochherlakota Suryaprakasa Rao provides the
music. Dr. Smt. Sobha Naidu directs the dance while Sri. Parthan
is the art director.
SRIKRISHNA
PARIJATHAM (Devotion dethrones dominance to covet
Lord's heart)
The theme of this ballet is taken from the tenth canto of Bhagavatha.
Satyabhama, the most possessive among Krishna's eight queens, is envious
of Rukmini, his most devoted Consort. The celestial sage Narada creates a
delicate situation for Krishna.
He brings from the
Heaven a single Parijatham flower and presents it to Krishna when he is
with Rukmini. Krishna presents it to Rukmini, only to enrage Satyabhama.
When she comes to know of it, Sage Narada's mischief works. Satyabhama has
a tiff about the flower with Krishna. Krishna pacifies her, promising her
the Parijatham tree itself. Krishna does bring the tree, it is also
planted in Satyabhama's back yard, but did she actually get its flowers?
Was it a conspiracy? Was Krishna a party to it? The ballet reveals all
this in a delightful way, with lovely songs and dances. Vivacious Sobha
plays her most favorite role, Satyabhama in this fascinating
play.
Script: Sri. Balantrapu Rajanikanta Rao, Music : Sri. Dwaram Bhava Narayana
& Sri. Mallik, Choreography: Sri. Dr. Vempati Chinna
Satyam.
VIPRANARAYANA
Vipranarayana was a pious Brahmin, a celibate and worships Lord Sri
Ranganadha of the famous temple in Srirangam with a deep
devotion.
 Charming
courtesan, Devadevi sees him in his garden and, struck by his handsome
figure, challenges that none, including Vipranarayana, can resist her
charms. She contrives to get Vipranarayana's permission to stay in the
Ashram and, through well-calculated moves, manages to wreck his resolve
when he is slightly off guard during a rainy night. From then on
Vipranarayana is her slave.
Devadevi
enjoys her brief romance with Vipranarayana. But her greedy
mother
turns the penniless man out of the house much against Devadevi's
wishes. How Lord Ranganadha intervenes to restore Vipranarayana's sanity
and puts him back on the righteous path has to be seen and enjoyed. Also
how vivacious Sobha Naidu, as Devadevi, breaks the innermost spiritual
fortifications of Vipranarayana to wrap him round her little finger is
another unparalleled portrayal.
Script :
Late Sri. Devulapalli Krishna Sastri, Music : Sri. Balantrapu Rajanikanta Rao,
Choreography : Smt. Dr. Sobha Naidu.
CHANDALIKA (A
Character elevated from Rags to
Redemption)
This Kuchipudi dance ballet is based on Viswakavi Rabindranath Tagore's
Bengali play of the same name. The poignant theme denounces the practice
of untouchability, which became a centuries old scourge and weakened the
Indian Society.
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Chandalika, an
innocent young maiden, wakes up one morning suddenly to find herself being
denied even basic necessities of life, like milk and curd, as milk maids
tell her she is an untouchable. She has the same experience when she
attempts to buy flowers and bangles. Burning with rage, Chandalika asks
her mother, Maya, why she brought her into this world which treats her as
a pariah. The confused mother hopes her daughter would recover from this
strange behavior. A Buddhist monk, Anand, however, treats Chandalika
as a fellow human being and tells her that all these differences are man
made.
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He asks her for water
and unhesitatingly drinks it. Chandalika is happy with the monk's
kindly attitude. She weaves her own fantasy of romance around him.
She asks her mother, who is a sorceress, to ensnare Anand and fetch
him for her. But when the spell bound Anand, writhing in pain, is
brought to her, Chandalika cannot bear to see his agony and asks her
mother to release Anand from her spells. Extricating herself
from the snares of sensual lover, Chandalika begs Anand to initiate
her into Buddhism. This is another totally different role played by
Sobha Naidu. Her total involvement moves the viewers to
tears. |
Script : Sri. Bhujanga Raya Sarma, Music : Sri. Mallik, Choreography : Sri. Dr. Vempati
Chinna Satyam.
BHAMAKALAPAM
Bhamakalapam is the life and soul of Kuchipudi dance. It is written by
Siddhendra Yogi, the founder of the Kuchipudi dance style. A Kuchipudi
dancer is considered to have completed training only if he or she
successfully presents Bhamakalapam donning the complex but highly
interesting role of Satyabhama. The play used to have a prelude concerning
the ornate plait, Jada worn by Satyabhama and
its timeless origin. Bhamakalapam was a lengthy play presented serially
for nine nights in years gone by, but now it is condensed into a two-hour
show. Sobha Naidu revived the Jada Vrittantam also as her sole
contribution as a prelude to this eternal theme.
Satyabhama is much pampered among Krishna's eight wives. The ballet opens
with Satyabhama's entry song in which she boasts of her beauty, wealth and
her place of pre-eminence among Krishna's wives. However, she finds
herself distanced from Krishna over a trivial remark of hers. Now she
cannot bear the separation from her Lord. Pouring her heart out to her
maid, Madhavi, Satyabhama begs her to go and fetch her husband post haste.
The maid pretends she does not know who Satyabhama's husband is. She
teases her to tell her husband's name. An exhilaratingly humorous dialogue
follows, Madhavi coaxing Satyabhama and the latter too shy to tell her
husband's name. She describes her husband, still Madhavi pretends she
can's place the man. She finally agree to go but what about the reward?
Satyabhama agrees to give her all, except the Mungera, (nose stud).
Madhavi make Satyabhama agree to part even with this. At Madhavi's
suggestion, Satyabhama writes the famous Lekha (love letter) to Krishna,
which reads like a written apology. She begs Krishna to return to her.
Showing Madhavi the good omens that greet her, Satyabhama dispatches the
maid. Madhavi brings back Krishna, but Satyabhama does a volte-face,
reverting to be her haughty self. Krishna bows down and there is s happy
end. Madhavi brings up the Harathi (auspicious lamps) and sings the
Mangalam (Benediction). Sobha is at her best in the role of
Satyabhama, which she played hundreds of times.
Script and music: Sri. Siddhendra Yogi (16th century), Choreography: Sri. Dr.
Vempati Chinna Satyam.
KALYANA
SRINIVASAM
This can be called the magnum opus of Sobha Naidu. It has been hailed as a
'sight for the gods'.
The
ballet tells the Sthala Purana (story of the shrine) of Tirumala in
Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh state in South India. It is the seat
of Lord Venkateswara, who is regarded as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and
the refuge for mankind in the Kaliyuga. The hill shrine itself is called
the Bhooloka Vaikuntham, the earthly counterpart of Lord Venkateswara and
Padmavathi or Alivelu Manga.
It
all starts with sage Narada, the trouble-shooter of Lord Vishnu and an
inevitable character in almost every Puranic tale. Narada asks the Sapta
Rishis (seven great sages), who, among the three supreme deities Brahma,
Vishnu and Siva, is competent to receive the Yagna Phalam (the offerings
made during a sacrificial ritual). It is a tough question even for the
sages. Sage Bhriguvu visits all the three deities in their celestial
abodes. The arrogant Sage cannot tolerate when Brahma and Siva, engaged in
their own dalliances with their respective consorts, fail to notice his
arrival. He curses the two suffer for their disregarding a sage and
proceeds to Vaikuntham, the abode of Vishnu.
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When he finds the same
situation here also, with Vishnu and goddess Lakshmi in a romantic
mood, the incensed sage kicks Lord Vishnu on his chest. Lord Vishnu
tries to pacify the sage by pretending to press his legs and in the
process curses him of his vanity. The sage repents for his
folly and return to earth, convinced that Vishnu is the fittest one
to receive the Yagna Phalam. |
But goddess
Lakshmi is furious that the sage insulted her and leaves Vaikuntham in a
huff to live on earth and do penance. Vishnu too is unable to stay
on in Vaikuntham without Lakshmi. He descends to earth in search of her.
The two assume human form as Srinivasa and Padmavathi respectively, each
searching for the other.
The story
takes several interesting turns to conclude in the happy marriage between
Srinivasa and Padmavathi. The Tirumala Shrine on the Seven Hills where
they settle down as Lord Venkateswara and Alamelu Manga or Padmavathi
attracts tens of thousands of devotees daily. The scene of the wedding of
Srinivasa with Padmavathi in which the entire celestial community
participates forms the most spectacular, actually causing the audience to
pay a standing ovation.
Script: Sri. Balanthrapu Rajanikanta Rao, Music: Sri. Kochherlakota Suryaprakasa
Rao, Choreography: Smt. Dr. Sobha Naidu.
MENAKA
VISWAMITRA
This is a fascinating story of romance between the sage Viswamitra and
Menaka, the beautiful Apsara (celestial courtesan).
Sage
Viswamitra is engaged in a severe penance, which threatens to unsettle the
universal balance, even the position of Lord Indra, the ruler of Heaven.
Learning this news from sage Narada, Indra decides to lure Viswamitra away
from his avowed goal. He sends the celestial Apsaras Rambha, Urvasi,
Tilottama and Menaka . The temptresses try for a
considerable time but Viswamitra remains unshaken. Menaka with help from
Manmadha (Cupid) is able to attract Viswamitra's attention. The sage fall
for her. The two live together in the forest to explore what Ananda, real
bliss, is. In their tenth year together, Menaka finds herself pregnant and
in due course delivers a daughter. She remembers she has overstayed on
earth but realises she cannot take a living child to Heaven. So, she
leaves her on earth and returns. Sage Viswamitra too, disappointed that
all his severe austerities have gone a waste, returns to his penance. Sage
Kanwa finds this baby and brings her up as Sakuntala, the girl who is
protected by birds called Sakuntas. Sakuntala grows up to give birth to a
son Bharatha through the king Dushyanta after whom India is named as
Bharatha Varsha.
Script :
Sri. Balantrapu Rajanikanta Rao, Music : Smt. Chella Anantha Lakshmi,
Choreography : Sri. Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam.
KSHEERA
SAAGARA MADHANAM
Ksheera Saagara Madhanam is a tale taken from the Bhagavatha. The
Rakshasas (evil forces) get the upper hand and defeat the righteous
Devatas headed  by Indra. The angels find
themselves subjugated and their wealth and powers gone. Unable to bear
this tragic fate, they approach Lord Vishnu, who advises them to churn the
Ksheera Saagara (the milky ocean), which they cannot do without help. The
Devatas approach the Asuras for help. The latter take it as a challenge.
They are also lured by the prospect of obtaining Nectar, which is an
elixir for immortality. The two groups persuade Vasuki, the great
serpent, to be used as the churning rope. They take the Mandhara hill as
the churning pole and start churning the milky ocean. The first to appear
as the fruit of the churning is Halahala, the deadly poison, which can
destroy the entire universe. Lord Shiva saves the world by swallowing the
poison, holding it in his gullet, which turns blue in color. Hence Shiva
is called Neelakantha or the blue-necked one. Finally, the churning yields
such invaluable gifts as Kamadhenu, Kalpataru, Ucchaisrava, Airavata,
Apsaras, Goddess Lakshmi, the Moon and at last the much awaited Amrit
Kalash, Dhanvantari, the father of medical science, holding it in his
hands. As nectar cannot be allowed to pass into the hands of the evil
Asuras, who will doubtless abuse it for cornering all power on earth, Lord
Vishnu plays a subterfuge. He assumes the form of a beautiful lady,
Mohini, and lures away the attention of the Asuras from the port of Amrit,
while the Devatas consume the entire Amrit to attain immortality. Enraged
by this, the demons try to demolish the temptress Mohini but Lord Vishnu
appears in his Viswaroopa and makes the demons run away.
The late Sri. Devulapalli Krishna Sastry wrote the play and the
music was set by Sri. Balanthrapu Rajanikanta Rao.
Smt. Dr. Sobha Naidu provided the dance direction and also presents
the play with her participation in the role of "Mohini".
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