22 Established 1961 Sunday, April 14, 2019 Lifestyle Features By Sajeev K Peter documentary was an attempt at ‘unlocking this She said dancers like Kamala Lakshman had secret code’. choreographed the same song ‘Adupambe.’ “To hrough a masterful synthesis of music, move- “We can see this manifest in Chinese, Egyptian, me, those pieces appeared more like acrobatics. Tment and mysticism, Indian classical dancer or Greek civilizations. Even our medical symbol So, I took some of the hitherto unknown stanzas Dr Methil Devika, explores the compelling the Rhode of Asclepius is associated with ser- from the poem. Its lyrics had deeper layers of allure of the serpent in her pioneering documen- pent”, she pointed out. meanings and I wanted to tap the soul of these tary short film ‘Sarpatatwam’ or the ‘Serpent Interestingly, ‘Sarpatatwam’ or the Serpent lyrics. And Mohiniyattam being my place of Wisdom’. The unfurling serpent glides through Wisdom was premiered at the Valley Plaza Theatre research, I knew it was the most suitable art form mysterious spaces to transport its audience into in Los Angeles in September 2018 and was voted owing to its meditative quality. I knew it was the the depths of the primordial. Devika, through the into the contention list for the Oscars making it the art form through which I could tap into the art form of Mohiniyattam, seeks to interpret the first Indian classical dance based documentary essence of the lyrics,” Dr Devika said. universal serpent philosophy propounded by an short film to hit the contention list. Elaborating further on the metaphysical con- 11th century seer physician Pambatty (snake- In an exclusive interview with the Kuwait nection, she said, “In human life, one evolves or charmer) Siddhar. During a recent visit to Kuwait Times, Dr Devika said she is using dance as a transcends, either philosophically or physically, medium to outline the concept of serpent wis- sometimes emotionally or spiritually. It covers all dom. “Here, the visual is me, it is my dance. those layers just like a snake sheds its skin on a Through this dance, in a very passive way, I seek periodic basis. That is the underlying philosophy. to open out visuals in the minds of the audience. Here I bring in the Kundalini aspect of yoga to For instance, today morning I received several explain the concept,” she added. messages from people who watched the docu- Talking about the rationale behind documenting mentary said they could not sleep last night. So, the work, she said, “I thought of archiving my “Dance is a part of our intangible heritage. A still from the dance docu- the visuals begin when the documentary ends. works as a series. Incidentally, ‘Sarpatatwam’ was Unfortunately, it is seen as mere entertainment mentary ‘Sarpatatwam’ That, precisely, is the whole connection it has the first of the series,” she explained. today. When I use it as a medium to preserve other with people,” she elaborated. Initially, Dr Devika wanted to put the documen- aspects of our heritage, other philosophies and our According to Dr Devika, the documentary is tary on the Youtube channel. “But when I finished knowledge system, then the effect becomes mani- not particularly disturbing, but rather is thought- the work, people like Adoor Gopalakrishnan fold. That’s why I am sure this documentary has provoking. “I spent several sleepless nights during advised me against uploading it on the Youtube. stood out and it is the first of its kind in live per- the making of the documentary. In a way, whatever He told me if I did it, it would go off on a tangent. formance filming,” she said. unrest I had during the making of it, I transfer it to That is how it was premiered in Los Angeles. It Dr Devika appeared in a 2015 theatre adapta- the audience. So, I am glad if people had at least became the first Indian classical dance to get vot- tion of the play ‘Naaga’ with her actor-husband Dr Methil Devika one sleepless night and it only means there was ed into the contention list of the Oscars. Even the Mukesh and his sister Sandhya Rajendan which some sort of communication,” she quipped. very growth of the documentary was serpentine,” was directed by theatre director Suveeran. Later to attend the annual dance event of Upasana, Dr A classical danseuse par excellence, Dr Devika she chuckled. in 2017, she made her film debut in ‘Humans of Devika screened ‘Sarpatatwam’ in front of a select uses Mohiniyattam as her medium. Making a Dr Devika has a master’s degree in Performing Someone.’ audience comprising dancers, dance students and breakthrough here, she seeks to liberate Arts from the Rabindra Bharati University with a first Asked why she is not pursuing a film career, she media persons. Following the screening, she held Mohiniyattam from its conventional confines, lend- rank and gold medal. She completed her PhD in said, “I am not against movies. It is just that none an interactive session with the audience and spoke ing it a more contemporary appeal without dilut- Mohiniyattam from Bharathidasan University as well. of the scripts excite me, very honestly speaking. In about why serpents are both feared and revered in ing its classical purity. “In fact, the phenomenal success of this work is cinema, dance is still a motif of entertainment and many cultures. “I wanted to be true to the content. That was prompting me to do more works. In a larger beauty.” In various civilizations, not in India alone, for my purpose. I think I am most comfortable with sphere, the popularity or the significance of this centuries, the serpent motif has always had reli- dance in general and it comes naturally to me. work has become very pertinent in the sense that gious connotations. However, contesting this claim, Because I have the ability to adapt styles very it is also a part of preserving our civilization,” she Devika argues that it is a ‘secret code’ and her fast,” she explained. explained. Ariana Grande, reigning teen pop idol with a defiant edge ubblegum pop coquette on the outside, saucy mas- embracing tropes of women catering to male pleasure. In this file photo British musician Mick Jagger of The Rolling ter of celebrity on the inside, there is perhaps no “In 2018, at the height of the #MeToo movement and Stones performs during a concert at The Velodrome Stadium B current star better at re-fashioning her own trials when women are trying (and succeeding) at rising above in Marseille as part of their ‘No Filter’ tour. — AFP into larger-than-life success than Ariana Grande. While our worth being tethered to our sexuality, this is the last suffering a highly publicized burst of personal and pro- thing we need,” wrote Erin Parker for the pop culture Satisfaction: fessional upheaval-the deadly 2017 Manchester bombing magazine Nylon. Rolling at one of her concerts, the suicide of her ex-boyfriend Jacqueline Warwick, a scholar of music and gender rapper Mac Miller, the demise of her whirlwind engage- studies at Canada’s Dalhousie University, agreed that Stones Jagger posts ment to comedian Pete Davidson-Grande has proven Grande’s feminist bent can “feel a little hollow,” saying poised in the face of tragedy and a deft manipulator of the star is “playing into these very conventional ways of first pic since surgery her own image, all while catapulting to global stardom. looking at women’s bodies-and that seems certainly very Grande’s adept use of social media to slam her well worn.” But Warwick said Grande also “is articulating egendary Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger has naysayers, drum up support from her “Arianator” fans desire and speaking very frankly and candidly about her Lposted his first photograph since reportedly undergo- and flirt with the gossip machine has created the percep- sexual pleasure-that’s certainly refreshing and possibly ing heart valve replacement surgery in New York, tion that only she is in the driver’s seat. After a resound- empowering.” “It’s not easy for young women artists to showing him standing casually before trees in bloom. “A ing year of hits that saw industry tracker Billboard name be taken seriously and be successful in a pop medium walk in the park!” the 75-year-old singer said on Twitter the 25-year-old teen idol its 2018 woman of the year, In this file photo US singer Ariana Grande attends Billboard’s without doing the things that she’s doing,” the academic and Instagram Thursday, alongside a photo in which is Grande is set to headline a number of major festivals as 13th Annual Women In Music event at Pier 36 in New York told AFP. seen clad in black sneakers and with his hands in his jean part of her global tour, including this weekend’s influen- City. — AFP pockets. The post prompted thousands of fans including tial Coachella lineup. Maintain the buzz fellow rockers Lenny Kravitz and Jools Holland to send She’s just the fourth solo woman to headline the pre- impressive four-octave range to deliver saccharine lyrics. In recent days Grande-often celebrated for support- their good wishes. mier festival in the California desert-and the youngest But in recent years the superstar has co-opted that ing LGBT rights-was also accused of “queerbaiting,” “Yeah man!” Kravitz wrote on Instagram. The flamboy- artist ever to nab the coveted spot. The feat comes after traditional ingenue image, adding a heavy dose of sex teasing gay fans by suggesting in her new collaboration ant Stones founder’s post came one week after he said he Grande shattered a number of US chart records and appeal and a biting demand for control.