Bhavana Reddy believes that her Kuchipudi roots are strong not because she is a purist but because she has been exposed to Western art genres as well. The young performer gets talking to Mansi Bhansali
Being a Kuchipudi dancer brings along with it the responsibility of presenting yourself as an actor, too,” said Bhavana Reddy, describing how the traditional dance form not only involves expressions but also dialogues, thus adding on to the dimension of an artiste.
Choreographed by her parents Raja and Radha Reddy, along with Vedantam Prahlada Sarma, the Kamani Auditorium witnessed the most traditional dance drama, Bhama Kalapam associated with Kuchipudi. The audience cheered for young Reddy as she displayed her perfection in poise, gait, technique and abhinaya. Post-show, she told us, “Bhama Kalapam is an age-old Kuchipudi dance drama. However, there are various notions surrounding its date of origin. For some it’s 16th century while for others it’s 18th century. None the less, it is the most popular and celebrated dance drama in Kuchipudi. Bhama Kalapam talks about Satyabhaama and how she feels about her husband, Krishna. It details her mind intricately. Her love for Krishna is all-consuming and though he is a man of the world, she wants him completely for herself and won’t be separated from him even for a minute. Though her love is ego-driven, she doesn’t talk about it publicly. It is the only play in which the role of Krishna is practically absent and Satyabhaama renders the entire number with the assistance of her handmaid. Satyabhaama is obsessed with her husband to such an extent that she has to know when and where he is off to. Though she is a beautiful and accomplished woman, having helped Krishna in his battle against demons, she is a jealous wife. In that sense she is human with her strengths and frailties.” For the artist, enacting Satyabhaama was difficult as she invested almost a month practising for it.
The Bhama Kalapam follows mostly the Telugu version of a story. But the director has incorporated certain external elements. For instance, he has introduced a character called Madhavi, who has added a humorous edge to the dance drama and kept up the interest of the masses.
While the subject matter of a woman’s inner world in Bhama Kalapam is very relatable, the way it was expressed and articulated by Reddy was standout – an amalgamation of aesthetics and lively expressions. With this performance Reddy returns to the purity of classical grammar.
Reddy has set an example among young artists by combining both Western and classical performances. She said, “In 2014, I did Faces where I succeeded in combining Kuchipudi and Western contemporary music to create a new fusion experience for the audience.”
Reddy’s training began early. As a four-year-old, she would assist her father during his tours by dressing up as Krishna or Rama. It was his idea to see her perform Bhama Kalapam at one go. She shared, “long ago, I presented an episode of the series. The story is like a TV show with a particular number of episodes. Also, I really like wearing traditional Indian wear, which attracted me towards this dance drama in the first place. It’s an honour for any artist to present Bhama Kalapam once in his/her life and I’m glad now I’m one of those few.”
Unlike her generation’s perception of looking into traditional art forms as a passing fancy, she stood out by opting for Kuchipudi as her profession. It was both her personal choice as well as her family’s gift that has been forwarded for generations. She said, “I can’t imagine myself anything other than being a Kuchipudi dancer. I’m performing this art form since I was five years old, so it has gradually become a part of my identity. Also, Kuchipudi as an art form is very vibrant and vivacious and not everyone’s cup of tea.”
She believes having the legendary Kuchipudi dancing couple Padmabhushans, Raja-Radha Reddy and Kaushalya Reddy as parents a blessing in disguise. “I have grown up seeing them as my mentors. I have learned from them how much hard work is required to enhance and improve one’s talent. This knowledge for me is priceless. Because excellence is beyond hours of practice.”
She compares her hard work to that of students at the Juilliard School in New York, where one needs to practise at least five hours a day. “I’m grateful to my parents who have inculcated the habit of not taking anything for granted.”
On being compared with her parents, she added, “A guru will always be a guru. I can never think of comparing myself to my father. I always try to give my 100 per cent with every performance.”
Balancing a parallel life between parents and friends, traditional and rock music, has worked to her advantage and helped her understand the beauty of both art forms. She said, “Being a modern Indian, both classical and Western music is important for our culture. Because of the exposure I already had, I didn’t face any sort of accent problem while recording for my album.”
Reddy’s ladder to success is still in process. In 2012, she performed at the Grammy’s after-party which resulted in her singing debut with the Hollywood movie Joy Ride 3. She said, “The Grammys were an altogether different experience. I was very nervous. After this, I decided to make my debut album Entangled with Emotions which represented my personal opinion of issues. It was a product of what I was feeling.” Reddy clearly doesn’t believe in doing things the easy way.