CHENNAI: For centuries, Andal has been worshipped as a goddess. But before she became a divine figure, she was a young girl who wrote openly about love, desire and her longing to be with Krishna. Dr Anita Ratnam brings this lesser-seen, deeply human side of Andal to the fore in Naachiyar Next, which marks its 25th performance on October 3 at Rukmini Arangam, Kalakshetra.
Presented by Narthaki Global Media, the production retells Anita’s Naachiyar, which premiered in 2003. Conceived and performed by Anita, the work draws from the poetry and life of Andal, the ninth-century mystic poet who was elevated to goddess status within a few centuries of her birth.
Anita’s interpretation takes a feminist reading of Andal, bringing attention to the poet’s expressions of desire, personal bhakti and transgression. “My work focuses on Andal as a teenage girl, before she became a goddess and, therefore, untouchable. I want to explore her joy, innocence, exuberance and adoration and then the passion that emerges in her. Her poetry is erotic, which people don’t seem to grasp,” says Anita.
The production also explores the sensual and personal imagery in Andal’s poetry, which the dancer feels is often overlooked. “She talks about nature, community and prosperity, but she also talks about herself.”
Naachiyar Next runs for 70 minutes and is a dance-theatre work with an ensemble of 12 people on stage. The production has evolved considerably since its first performance in 2019 at Manjakkudi. “From that version, we have changed so much. The work itself has expanded, the experience has deepened and it has become more of a theatre and dance work. I am the narrator, translating Andal’s medieval Tamil into English,” adds Anita.
Anita grew up in a family where Andal’s songs were part of their everyday life. “I have danced Andal since I was nine for my arangetram. I grew up in a generation where everyone had to learn one Andal dance. She has just stayed with me. I have also performed Andal in solo and group productions over the years,” she says. That familiarity has also allowed Anita to keep discovering new dimensions in Andal’s work. “She continues to inspire me. I am always finding new dimensions to her poetry, even after so many years of performance,” she shares.
In Naachiyar Next, Anita takes on multiple roles, including that of the narrator, sutradhar, foster mother and inner conscience. Dancer Nandhini Subbulakshmi plays Goda Andal.
Anita is particularly interested in bringing the young woman behind the divine figure into focus. According to tradition, Andal was found as a baby in a tulsi garden near the Vishnu temple in Srivilliputhur and was adopted by the priest. Her birth parents remain unknown, but her poetry and devotion to Krishna have endured. “Andal had an amazing imagination. She left behind 173 poems and is perhaps the most painted, sung and danced female mystic poet in India. She is also the only one to have her own temple and to have been elevated to the status of a goddess,” Anita tells DT Next.
She points out that while India has several revered women mystic poets, Andal occupies a distinct place in Tamil religious and cultural life. “There are Mirabai and saint poets from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kashmir and many places. They are all venerated, celebrated and respected; but nobody is worshipped like Andal,” she says.
Andal’s presence remains particularly strong during Margazhi, when her verses are recited every day. For Anita, however, her relevance extends beyond temple traditions and ritual. “Andal is considered the essence of Tamil, almost an embodiment of the language itself. There is a famous saying, Thamizhum Andal, Arangamum Andal. She resonates across communities because she was not just a revered figure, but also a poet and a rebel. These are the aspects of Andal that I have chosen to explore and highlight in my work,” Anita says.
With 25 performances and a 16-member team taking the production across the country, Anita says the response has encouraged her to continue exploring Andal while reaching audiences who may not know her story. “There are many repeat audiences and that gives you a testament of success. But I want to reach new audiences also,” concludes the dancer.