Last week I was with the founder publisher of Nartanam, who in recouping from a bad bout of spondylitis was glad
that I dropped by to have lunch with him and thereafter spend time to visit the
vibrant Kuchipudi scenario from his past. Despite a killing schedule of mine I could not take leave of him as he went down the memory lane of his association with Vempati Chinna Satyam. As was always the case, I ended up handing him tissues to wipe the streaming tears of affection and reverence for the great Master.
Watching the video recordings from the 80s and 90s of the
Kuchipudi Mahotsavas conducted by the Kuchipudi Kala Kendra which brought
together the entire Kuchipudi fraternity, brought many things to the mind.
G M Sarma, founder of the once vibrant Kuchipudi Kala Kendra, Mumbai and the
former publisher of Nartanam is
past the prime of his robust organizing days. At the simplest, he can be termed as
a Kuchipudi connoisseur minus any personal agenda; who did his selfless best for the
propagation of Kuchipudi and retired gracefully.
Quite in contrast are today’s many managers/organizers of arts festivals who
revel in the bloated perception of being the “karta dharta’ of arts and the
artists. Especially the “want to be’s” have no option but to pander to the
egos of these entities who wield considerable influence.
As one watched the videos of the great maestro Vempati performing,
one could not help but realize that here was a maestro who was capable of being
a star performer himself. Flawless “saushtava” (the perfect body posture, line), the
charming gait, the perfected ease of technique, the magnetic presence on stage;
he was no doubt a scintillating performer material.
But he went on to attain fame as an excellent teacher and
choreographer whose pantheon of stellar disciples is truly vast. An excellent leader and team player, his revolutionized Kuchipudi
in a way only he could have. The best of writers, music composers, musicians,
singers, make-up artists, his teaching assistants, patrons and disciples- all
rallied around him and he held them with the awe that his art inspired in them. And
thus, was created the best of art. None from the team sought individual stardom; they all rallied around the maestro to create his master pieces. They were happy
with his art and the immense fame it garnered for him. Would terming them as
“selfless” be too big a credit accorded to the team members who were not mere
mortals in their own right.
Apart from the leadership that the Master and his art inspired, it
was the lack of craving for individual fame and stardom which makes those team members unique. It is another matter that every one of the team members
today is a legend in his/her own right- S. V. Bhujangaraya Sarma, an eloquent poet, P. Sangeetha Rao, a fabulous musician, Parthan, the set designer, Kanaka Durga,
the ethereal singer, Bala Kondala Rao, Master’s right hand in teaching and
choreographing, his star dancers, whose list is endless; and I shall not even
make an attempt to list them….
I cannot but draw comparison here to Sergei Diaghilev, the Russian impresario who revolutionized Ballet by the sheer magnificence of the team that he built. Every member was a gem of an artist who worked towards the team goal of creating a flawless artistic product.
Recently, talking to Vedantam Venkatachalapati Rao, one of the most talented
youngsters of Kuchipudi and reminiscing about his equally talented elder
brother Vedantam Raghava, a dancer par excellence, especially in playing the
flamboyant roles in the Kuchipudi Yakshaganas, who now lives in the USA; I
could not help but complain that- not one such leader as Vempati Chinna Satyam
has emerged in this generation while, individually, there are many talented
dancers and teachers, who may attain fame. But none, I am sure, will be hailed for generations to come.
To even fathom, how on this God’s big complex earth was such a
team put together by Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam, could be a great challenge for the best of the Human Resource Consultants.
Maybe, now Art will need Human Resource Consultants- to put together teams which will create great art.
