Anita Ratnam’s ode to mystic poetess Andal

Anita is now set to revisit the performance through Naachiyaar Next, which also incorporates rare poetry of Andal.

“Naachiyaar Next was conceived as part of a larger plan to revisit some of my old works. After having done a lot of contemporary dance, I wanted to get back to the traditional form. Andal has been a familiar personality to me throughout my upbringing as well. I’m very excited to be revisiting her writings through this performance,” Anita tells us.

Andal, who was the sole female Alvar among the 12 Alvar saints in South India, lived around the 8th century. She is known for some of the best Tamil works, including Thiruppavai and Nachiar Tirumozhi, which are relevant and remembered even in the current day. “Andal was a very bold poetess, at a time when the caste system was so rigid. She is the only woman from the Bhakti movement era (of 8th century), to become a goddess. Her voice and imaginations are a part of our living tradition even centuries later. We see several writers attempting to translate Andal’s writings over the past few years. As a feminist, the revisiting of her works has allowed me to view her differently,” the dancer asserts.

Naachiyaar Next brings together an assortment of Bharatanatyam, Carnatic music, ritual chanting and spoken word. “The performance is an attempt to take Andal’s works even to those who aren’t Tamil, as we live in a city that has a cosmopolitan characteristic to it. While I was Andal for Naachiyaar, I will be playing her alter-ego in Naachiyaar Next, a 70-minute performance. I will also be the storyteller in the performance, introducing the poetry to the audience,” adds Anita, who also has plans in the pipeline to revive a few other older works of hers. A total of eight dancers and two actors will be presenting the performance at Rasika Ranjani Sabha in Mylapore at 4 pm on July 7.