Ganapati Bappa Morya!
Wow, what an exhilarating act!
Vikrant's appearance onstage made me really excited - I knew that we'd be seeing Kratika soon afterward...I wasn't expecting the song to start out so soft and calm, but I love the way the entire act, in both Vikrant and Kratika's portions, had this duality of calm devotion and intense devotion.
Vikrant's dancing, though. My god, SO much energy! I love how he channels so much of that energy into every movement. It complements Shankar-Vishal's singing very well, since Vikrant's manner of lip-syncing is also quite intense, except for at the beginning, when he is doing the aarti with such a calm, happy smile. It was fascinating, watching Vikrant do the aarti, because I felt like I could see him become more and more intense, gearing up to let all that energy go. Even the smallest of his movements has a punch to them. The part where they were all dancing with the instruments was amazing. Wow.
Kratika...What more can I say that I didn't already say a few pages back? *sigh* If Vikrant was the devotee actively bursting with unbridled energy on the stage, then Kratika was the poised, calm, yet equally energetic and intensely devoted one. Such graceful, flowing movements, effortless lip-syncing, and heartfelt expressions. I always smile a bit more widely when she begins to transition from the slow movements to the faster ones, and then back again, from fast to slow. Her anjali mudra is so lovely and so steady, especially when she comes into it after those rapid sequences of other hand movements. And that beautiful smile! I seriously can't stop marveling at how expressive she is! She always does this in performances like this one - her face is calm, but her eyes and her smile are so bright and full of joy. She always expresses exactly what the song is meant to convey. She feels for the music and lyrics and emotes accordingly - which is as it should be - and she always completely immerses herself in the performance, so everything comes across as effortless.
"Jaidev, jaidev..."
A wonderful way to end their act! Still channeling that same intensity...It's neat, this part. There's quite a contrast between Vikrant and Kratika: Vikrant is so happy, positively beaming at the camera and audience, while Kratika is radiating happiness in a much more understated and tranquil manner. She is so steady, almost like a statue...And so calm...She looks so regal. Every time I see one of her semiclassical performances, I think, "Jhansi Ki Rani really was a momentous career milestone for her, and a massive learning experience! The way she carries herself and controls her body...I bet a lot of the innate grace she has was nurtured even more strongly because of what she did for that show."
On that note, a special shout-out to the choreographers and the costume/styling departments. Loved the red/black/silver/gold costumes that made it clear that Vikrant and Kratika were part of the same act. I laughed a little but at Vikrant's jacket, but Kratika's lehenga and blouse were pretty. I like the way it has a slit up the side and also allows for her leg postures to be seen (and I normally don't like the designs with the slits...It seemed to work well for this dance, though). The jewelry and hair and makeup. Love love love the minimal makeup, because she really doesn't need anything besides kaajal and lip balm! That sort of jewelry always makes me think of JKR. But of course!
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