Vishakha’s Hurry
She has been the unchallenged queen of storytelling for decades, with a loyal audience, who loved everything about her from the narrative skills to her madisaar attire! I remember the days where one needed to go well ahead of time to get a seat for her Harikatha program. This year, with most programs going online, being the opportunist that I am, I decided to see her program at my convenience, with my mother(who would have otherwise found it challenging to attend a live program).
The topic she had chosen was ‘Bhakti Vijayam’, so we sat armed with coffee & snacks and were mentally prepared to delve into the depths of Bhakti. Now you maybe wondering, how coffee has got anything to do with Bhakti .......well just today I read in TOI that coffee drinking has many benefits, such as reducing heart risks, controlling type2 diabetes, being rich in anti oxidants, improves cognitive thinking, enhances mood and creates an awakening. Now the last 3 attributes are also what spirituality promises. So, now you know !
There is no denying that Vishakha has immense stage presence but the question is if that is enough, for an ever thirsty audience.
She had chosen an abstract topic, unlike her lively ‘Krishna Leela’ which has catapulted her to being where she is.
For the topic ‘Bhakti Vijayam’ she did have to resort to stories from Krishna Avatar, Rama Avatar and allied topics, in any case it was like old wine in new bottle! For those of us who have faithfully attended almost all her programs, it was certainly very repetitive. There was a lot of emotional appeal but content and academic value was missing. She compensated for that by singing with all the expertise she had. She is certainly a good singer but one doesn’t go to her programs to watch her sing however good she may be, we want to listen to her talk. Like I always say, Sachin Tendulkar can both bat & bowl, but we don’t go there to watch him bowl ?
My generation will remember having a weekly period at school on Moral Science. Well, Vishakha would like to reform the younger generation but what she is missing is the simple fact that those who are attending her program don’t probably need it but they sure feel good that she is speaking their mind by lamenting how useless the youngsters today are! Those who NEED to listen to this preaching on family values, national pride and modesty, are not even going to accidentally attend her programs. So, it’s only people like me, who have listened to enough preaching by our parents, in- laws, relatives, friends, also relatives of our friends or friends of our relatives, neighbours, relatives and friends of our neighbours, servants, milkman, vegetable vendor and list goes on. And if all these years of listening to such(well meaning? ) people.
Her trying influence people in my age group is a waste. I must admit though that her amazing stage presence & some humour keeps us interested.
After meandering for the large part of the Harikatha and having given little substance to take home, she hurriedly fills the last 15 to 20 minutes with some narration. Am I the only one or are there any out there who end up feeling cheated ? Anyway, this is the story of one of the most talented storyteller who is eager to transform people!!
About the Author:
Sandhya Shankar belongs to a well respected business family in Chennai. She is a Life Skills & Corporate Trainer by profession. She is an avid reader and a natural writer, who has written several poems and articles. She even presented her poems as a reading at the British council. She has keen interest in all art forms and has explored many different forms of painting like stained glass and Tanjore being among them.
Music being her first passion, she had her formal training under Terakotti Chandrasekharaiah at Bangalore and later briefly under Mrs Champa Kumar. She is a regular visitor of concerts, theatre and other live performances. Her witty reviews have gained a loyal and interactive readership for their sound technical commentary and relevance for every kind of melophile, from the casual-goer to the ragam expert, frequenting Chennai’s rich music scene.
(*The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and not necessarily those of Music of Madras.)
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