Geeta Chandran pays tribute to Gandhiji in ‘Gandhi: Warp and Weft’ - Dr. Sunil Kothari

On the occasion of the143rd birth anniversary of Gandhiji, Geeta Chandran presented her new choreographic work ‘Gandhi: Warp and Weft’ at Chinmayananda Auditorium on the eve of Gandhi Jayanti. A full house attended the performance and was in for an unusual presentation in dance. Geeta used classical Bharatanatyam vocabulary, free dance movements and also attempted abstract concepts imaginatively.

Dividing the presentation into six segments she began with Rama stuti rendered melodiously with hastabhinaya and expressions appropriate to the lyric and performed with subtle nuances. Depicting Rama as God whom Hanuman, opening his heart showed he resides there, Rama who killed Kumbhakarna, Ravana, had pattabhisheka when he returned to Ayodhya after exile in forest and so on, she indicated Gandhiji’s religious and spiritual synergy to his devotion to Lord Rama.                                          

Then Geeta showed shringara, love suggesting Gandhiji and Kasturba’s love play, later on Gandhiji’s decision to observe abstinence, and she touched upon multiple faiths, Hindu prayers and Muslim namaz, with small cameos, extending narration to several other issues.

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