Story of a Dancer
01.07.2014
Today, Vikalp presents a documentary on a dancer.
Conceived and shot by Sumantra Ghoshal Unseen
Sequences is a journey of a dancer. A journey so fascinating that it went
beyond tradition and became an obsession. The story of Malavika Sarukkai - an artist rooted in
tradition but with a uniquely contemporary sensibility - one of India’s most
profound classical arts, Bharatanatyam, is being re-interpreted, renewed,
invigorated.The film is not simply about Malavika Sarukkai; it deliberates the
valuable connections and departures that the artist makes from a hallowed and,
often, unforgiving tradition.
Today, even as she impresses her
footprint on the world stage as a celebrated Bharatanatyam dancer, Malavika
finds herself making increasingly personal choices about how she wishes to lead
that life.
Ghosal has made over
750 commercials, produced and directed a three and half-hour documentary on the
tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, a
shorter version The Speaking Hand
toured internationally to great acclaim.
In 2002 Sumantra and his partner, Ram
Madhvani, co-produced India’s first commercially released digital film Let’s Talk, Ghosh was the
cameraman on the film and in 2005 he shot the documentary on Amitabh Bachchan –
The Everlasting Light. He
produced/directed a series of six films celebrating various artists for the
Indian Foundation for the Arts followed by a second series in 2011. Those Ten Weeks produced, directed and
shot by him as a prelude to his latest work The Unseen Sequence which was completed after two years of
extensive filming and is a documentary exploring Bharatanatyam through the art
of Malavika Sarukkai.
Bhawana Somaaya/ Tweets @bhawanasomaaya
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