India Parent Magazine (Art & Culture) Oct 15

India Parent Magazine (Art & Culture) Oct 15

India Parent Art & Culture ww.indiaparentmagazine.org•October 15, 2019 Bridging Communities Since 1994 magazine

For the first time ever in the US, world eminent kuchipudi artists, Padmabhushans Drs. Raja, Radha Reddy and Kaushalya Reddy, present their disciple’s Solo Dance Debut in the opulent California Theater, San Jose

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October 2019

Sye Ra Narasimha Reddy

MOVIE REVIEW Released in Hindi and Telugu

and turns them into upper caste, Hindi speaking North Indian heroes. Sometimes the appropriateness is so crass and obvious that it’s difficult to look away! Chiranjeevi as Narasimha is back in his glorious form and how! He makes you realize why he remains an unbeat- able actor/star. Sick of third rated so-called stars with weak voices, junk faces and sexist moves (not that Chiranjeevi is not, I mean sexist) Chiranjeevi’s Sye Ra comes as a breath of fresh air and reminds one how powerful good acting and a robust, well modulated voice could be. A strong voice booming nationalistic pride in unadluterated Telugu (which became a rarity in itself with macabre words and slang mixed in our good old Telugu language these days) and with a personality to match, Chiranjeevi reminds audi- ences why he is a born star that came up the hard way! Watching his son, brother, or nephew, spit on the audi- ence what they call acting, after seeing the glorious Chiranjeevi in Sye Ra, would definitely be a torture to the eyes and cacophony to the ears! The hero in this movie, of course like in all Chiru’s films, is invincible. Narasimha, probably like Jhansi Laxmi Bai started out to fight the British to save his province and his fiefdom but the very fact that he had the guts to defy and beat the British in several battles itself is a rarity in the 18th century. He fought a guerilla war against them from Nallamala forest, and if not for the betrayal of an insider he would have probably fought them for a long time. And won too. Added to his good performance, Chiranjeevi with his curly wig, kind face with subtle makeup and slim looks, turns out to be a good eye candy, and I enjoyed watching him. I took my mom, who stopped going to theaters, to the Great Mall to warch Sye Ra , and she relished the almost three hour movie with no complaints. Though the luxury lounge could have helped her comfort, she was also charmed with the story, action, sentiment and the immacu- late nature of the movie. Yes, mind you, this Chiru movie has no item songs, no double meaning dialogues, no hero- ine exploitation that you see in most major movies includ- ing Chiru’s own other ones. However, even here, Tamanna and Nayanatara are what all women are in most Indian movies: visual exhibi- tions! Both women are submissive, follow the path the hero delegates to each, but must say remain progressive and understanding for their times. Both meet, console each other and become friends, despite knowing that they share a love-interest, Narasimha! Seriously? Watching Tamanna, with her artificially tanned body and dubbed voice to represent South Indian women, made me wonder why not cast a true South Indian actress in this

B Y M EENA Y EGGINA

Starring: Chiranjeevi, Amithabh Bachchan, Nayanatara, Tamanna, Jagapathy Babu, Sudeep Music: Amit Trivedi, Julius Packiam Direction: Surender Reddy Most of the time we are bombarded with so much his- tory about North Indian heroes –– the then freedom fight- “Sye Ra is one such movie that recalls the story of this glorious freedom fighter that rallied together all forces - farmers, rulers and religions – to fight the British, but is sadly underrated in the annals of Indian history simply because he belonged to the South.”

ers and the now fair-skinned Hindi Film heroes –– that most South Indians tend to forget their own regional histo- ry! Ouch , but true! Very rarely do we witness a movie based on Southern path-breakers! Sye Ra is one such movie that recalls the story of this glorious freedom fighter that rallied together all forces - farmers, rulers and religions – to fight the British, but is sadly underrated in the annals of Indian history simply because he belonged to the South. Even earlier than 1857 sepoy revolt in the North, which we were taught as the first freedom fight, an unknown peasant chief in remote Andhra roared like a tiger and frightened the British so intensely that they had to hang his severed head for 30 years in pub- lic view to keep the rousing pride of locals under control. Unlike Uri, Kalank, Baby, Kesari ( Kesari strangley makes a hero out of a British soldier, Kesari, fighting an INDIAN MUSLIM king!!!!!!) and several such Hindi movies that sep- arate Indians by their religion (Akshay Kumar goes a step further and steals the glorious stories of the modern South Indian social workers –– one Christian from Kerala and one Hindu from Tamil Nadu (Airlift and Padman respectively) –– Chiranjeevi with his curly wig, kind face with subtle makeup and slim looks, turns out to be a good eye candy, and I enjoyed watching him

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pride and sadness. Once hung to death, the British dis- played Narasimha’s head for 30 years to remind people of the consequences if they revolted. That itself reveals the strength of Narasimha and the power of his rebellion. It also reminds us of the supreme sacrifices many have done to bring us this precious freedom. Music is all right. Nayana Tara and Tamanna did justice to their short insignificant characters, and Amitabh Bachchan was utilized well to lure in North Indian audi- ences. However, after Chiru, it is the character of Jagapathy Babu as Veera Reddy and Sudip as Avuka Raju that will impact you the most! Pictured at the cost of 2 billion INR, Sye Ra is exquisite in its production values! I was also touched by the array of freedom fighters (I haven’t even heard of several of them before!) shown at the end titles! Heartening to see so many of them including Mahatma and Pundit Nehru! I am a sucker for such visuals and sentiment! I would have loved it more if the title of the movie was just Sye Ra Narasimha, rather than adding the surname and would have been more appealing to people like me. A must watch at least once! IPM rating 3.5/5

Nayanatara looks and acts more like an ethnic jewery and silk sari model than a freedom fight- er’s wife who is dependent on the British for his monthly pension!

role instead of a fair skinned damsel and paint her body dark? Or just let her be the way she is? I mean there are fair skinned south Indian women you know Mr Surender Reddy? What I liked: Sye Ra depicts how the British exploited India and why they are the real villains and not the indigenous Muslims who made India their country. British looted India and degraded Indians and its heritage. Divided communities and rulers to facilitate their rule and loot. And Sye Ra pro- jects this point quite well. People always revolted and fought against the British those days, never against Muslim rulers. Muslims were part of their culture and heritage but British never were as they always viewed Indians disparag- ingly and intended to loot the country to enrich Britain and the queen. I loved the part where Muslims, Hindus, Chieftans and Farmers come together to fight the British! It also in a way reveals how Indians for centuries are used to slavery without actually being slaves, to religion, power and politics! For centuries they are used to bending low to power and money that it became second nature! Even today we are slaves to powerful politicians and rich Ambanis and Adanis that we are in awe of their wealth and power but never have the guts to question them or their means! Thats why its so easy to keep Indian population in control in the name of religion and power. I liked Sye Ra for Chiru’s dynamic action, the story telling and the subtle message of Unity in Diversity that India stands for. The story-telling swells your heart both in

Watching Tamanna, with her artificially tanned body and dubbed voice to represent South Indian women, made me won- der why the director just couldn’t just cast a South Indian actress instead? Or just let her be the way she is? Fair?

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A B LAST FROM THE P AST ! INTERVIEWING CHINRANJEEVI 13 YEARS AGO FOR THE MAGAZINE ! Recently at a gathering, Srinivas Chimata of APTA in a conversation reminisced about an article I wrote in 2006 for IPM. He actually remembered every word I wrote and every nuance of the article. I reread it and felt it appropriate to republish it on the occasion of Sye Ra success. I hope his fans will enjoy this. Lost the original pictures so these pictures are hazy. By Meena Yeggina

From the Editor’s Desk

Parent Magazine (Then called IndZine) 11 years ago). As I was sitting there, lost in my thoughts, my husband pointed out another group of journalists from MAA TV in India. “Maybe they know some details,” he said. I went to the anchor, who immedi- ately gave me the details and said that I can go along with them into the room. Chiranjeevi apparently is doing an exclusive with them (there’s a strong rumor that Maa TV is owned by Chiranjeevi and Nagarjuna). Thrilled, our family followed them upstairs, camera and notebook handy. Once in the corridor, we were stopped by two hefty bodyguards. They checked all of us and permitted us to wait in the corridor. Others who tried to stand in front of the room, waiting to get a glimpse were shooed away, albeit politely. MAA TV was called in and were there for 15 minutes. I handed my magazine to a junior actor Raja Ravindran, to show it to Chiru, requesting for an interview. Suddenly, I had a gut feeling that he would refuse to talk to us, assuming that he would be tired after Maa. Meanwhile, both the locally hired LA guards were regaling me with the stories of how mobs were simply not leaving. “For the man alone, people have been lining up

IPM Pic of Chiranjeevi 2006

It was the third and last day of ATA (American Telugu Association) convention in Los Angeles, California. The previous day has gone by with performances, running around and tagging behind my little girl for her makeup and dance. The next day, I was determined to meet Chiranjeevi, the VIP guest for ATA. I had to get an interview with him, getting India Parent the Bay Area’s only Chiru interview. I owed it to my readers. I called Krishna Kotagiri, the ATA PR contact several times requesting him to arrange a meeting. He said he’ll try and asked me to join him at the Hilton. My kids got excited about the news. My husband drove us to the hotel and all four of us went into the lobby. We met Krishna, who along with a laptop, sat at a table, sending pic- tures of previous day celebrations to their web site. When I inquired about the interview, he gave me another name and asked me to meet him. The other person was busy carrying lunch in a cart, and said he had to talk to me a bit later Within minutes I realized that both Krishna and the other person are useless, and are good only at big talk. They didn’t know Chiranjeevi’s sched- ule and didn’t have a direct contact to his room. I sat in the lobby for a few minutes, collecting my thoughts as to how to reach Chiranjeevi’s suite. I knew that the minute he sees the magazine he would talk to me. I remember, almost 11 years ago, when I was running a Telugu radio show in San Jose called Telugu Pracharam, I called his home in Madras, while I was visiting my parents living in Madras at that time, and spoke to him directly. He agreed to talk to me immediately, inviting me to his house (this interview was also published in the first issue of India

since 5AM.” They seemed completely besotted by the popular Andhra megastar. Within two minutes after Raja Ravindran went into the room, unexpectedly, Chiranjeevi walks out with my magazine in his hands. “Meena garu ,” he says, completely flooring me. He had my card in his hands. “ Eme kaavali meeku, photo na, interview na?” (What is it you need for the magazine, photo or interview?) Swallowing into my dry throat, I said “both, is that okay?” He looked into my eyes. “Promise me you’ll keep it short.” I did, nodding my head, unable to trust my voice, feeling like a child after a long, long time. “Sare, randi lopalaki,” (Okay, come inside). Four of us followed. He said to my husband, “please don’t video tape me, just pictures, because sometimes these videos get on the Internet and I’ve faced a few problems recently.” My husband agreed. However, within five minutes of the interview, Chiranjeevi changed his mind and gave a go ahead to video tap- ing, reprimanding the junior artist who asked my husband to stop taking pictures. “I said okay, why are you stopping him,” he admonishes him. The Padmabhushan then settles comfortably in the sofa ask- ing my children, Rishi Teja(10) and Sindhu (7), to sit next to him. He casually swings a hand around their shoulders, forcing them to come closer. My son was extremely happy, cuddling tighter, but my daughter shied away. She was however ready with a $100 bill to get his autograph. My son didn’t bother with any such thing, just happy plunking so close to the self-made star. Sitting

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for that.”

lowed me was tremendous. In a flash, I realized that my worries are wasted. When I had such huge fan fol- lowing, a couple of flops don’t matter,” C h i r a n j e e v i revealed emotion- ally. Similar stress is currently shaking Chiranjeevi a wee bit. And it showed.

Chiranjeevi with Meena yeggina in 2006

Chiranjeevi didn’t seem worried about new actors or even the success of Tamil dubbed movies in Telugu. The suc- cess of Krish , a Hindi movie dubbed into Telugu, also didn’t matter to him. “I encourage all kinds of people to come into Tollywood and invest more money. It’s good for us,” he elaborated complacently, secure in his position as the mega star. “I am beyond the stage of hits and flops, I can say that thankfully people have put me on a pedestal. With God’s blessing, I would like to maintain that trust and faith people have invested in me and do more to the society.” He seems to reiterate that thought in the evening when he was thrilled at the hundreds of people flocking to the stage to greet him after his speech. He seemed happy that many of them consisted of kids. “I am glad that so many children born and brought up in the US have rec- ognized me and love me. It’s a great honor. I think TV and Internet have made a dif- ference. It wasn’t like this ten years ago when I came to Chicago,” he said in an emotional tone. Whatever it is, flops or hits, blood bank or eye bank, Chiranjeevi has become a legend. The very fact that the President of India, Abdul Khalam, has come to visit his Blood Bank is a case in point to his popularity (the President of India cannot officially visit any organization, profit or non-profit). Every step he takes and every move he makes people watch him with love and affection. Chiranjeevi achieved what he did mainly because the masses and young, hard-working aspirants iden- tify themselves with him. With no Godfather in the industry to back him, Chiranjeevi started from scratch and moved up the hard way, being solely responsible for his own success. I think that’s what makes him popular and a real hero in the eyes of the Telugu people. It was I who first bid goodbye to Chiranjeevi. I didn’t know what else to ask. I could have asked about the contro- versy regarding his daughter’s marriage, but I didn’t want to ruffle his feathers any- more He seemed to relax and willing to talk more, getting friendly with my kids. But I didnt want to prolong my interview. Frankly, I didn’t want him to be angry with me. After all, I am his fan too! He walked us to the door, asking us to mail a copy and that he would want to see the interview in print. I promised to do so.

opposite him, I began my interview rather nervously. Chiranjeevi began browsing through the magazine. “This is good, andi . I am glad a lady from Andhra has started this, I am proud,” he said. “When did you start this?” he asked. “11 years ago,” I said. “Good. Why magazine? Are you a journal- ist by profession?” “Yes,” I said again. For a minute I did- n’t understand who’s interviewing whom. My readers would kill me! I took a deep breath, slowly reviving my confidence, and trying to take control of of the situa- tion. I started with, “Are you interested in politics? What are your future plans?” He looked straight into my eyes again and said, “No, I have no interest in poli- tics. I had to believe him. Unlike the other people who I interview, who normally look away from me, staring deeply into nothing while answering questions, Chiranjeevi has this habit of looking straight into your eyes while talking, slightly unnerving you. I was very much unnerved, that is. “I am not here to enter politics. I mean I know nothing about pol- itics. My business is films, acting. I enjoy doing that. I love acting. My fans like me because I am an actor. And I’d like to stick to that,” he said looking directly at me again with high conviction. Again I could- n’t help believing him. At least, in that minute, in that time, I decided I’ll take for granted that he’s telling the truth. What I believe otherwise, is a different story. In spite of two consecutive flops (Andharivaadu,JaiChiranjeeva) Chiranjeevi didn’t seem to lose his poise. However, his insecurity was exhibited in the speech he gave that evening at the ATA conference, “Long time ago, I was very depressed and sad when I had a few continuous flops. I began thinking that my fans don’t like me anymore. Life felt useless and worthless. Around that period, I had to go to a con- ference in Vijayawada, and there the amount of fans that received me and fol-

However, he seemed happy and content to see such a huge fan following all the way in Los Angeles and even touched by the emotion. His long extempore and emo- tional speech showcased it. If his forth- coming film ‘Stalin’ doesn’t click then he might slightly lose it. That thought prompted me to the next question — “Why choose such films as you do, which don’t really have enough material?” For his age and popularity he can really move on to good films such as Amitabh seems to have moved on to. “Even films like Aparichithudu and Gajani seem to make more sense and are more meaningful to the audience than your pulpy emotional meaningless movies, which seem to stick to the same formula with young heroines parading half-naked around you?” “My fans expect that from me. And I don’t think my movies are senseless,” said Chiranjeevi wth a hard look at me, that froze me to the bone. “Anyway I have done a variety of roles that people loved me in,” he brushed off my topic casually. But how about movies like ‘Sarkar’ which Ram Gopal Verma did with Amitabh or ‘Omkar’ with Ajay Devgan. With resources such as Chiranjeevi’s, he can practically have any story or director. Why stick to old puppy movies? “I am looking into scripts and in future probably I will. Actually ‘Stalin ’ is a movie that has a very good story and a strong message that people can follow,” he explained. Chiranjeevi was awarded the title of Padmabhushan recently, which made the whole Telugu industry proud. How did he feel about it? “I received the award solely for my acting prowess and not for my ser- vices as an actor,” Chiranjeevi revealed proudly. “It has nothing to do with my social services such as Chiranjeevi Charitable Trust, Eye Foundation or Blood Bank. I enjoy doing these services. God has shown me a way to serve people. But primarily I am an actor. And I am grateful

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thoughtfully from any stage. Here, performing doesn’t mean pretending to be someone else. It means becoming your best self and learning how to share that self with others. That’s why we give all our students plenty of opportunities to perform in public. Students begin to speak more clearly, listen more attentively, and challenge their own boundaries—the key to success in any college, any career, any relationship.

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October 2019

“The depiction of Sita by Sindhu left me spellbound. I heard Ramayana so many times, but I cried watching her expressions. I felt I was watching real Sita.” ––Ranjani Manda, director and founder of Aerodance

“The Shiva dance was stunning! The stage effects, music, song, mridangam, nattuvangam and moreover Sindhu’s energy and expressions in this item are gripping. I was taken into another world with her navarasas. Initially I was planning to go to another show after interval. But just could not move, could not miss a single minute of this mesmerizing evening. I bow to her gurus for giving us this kind of experience: Kuchipudi as it should be, in its purest form.” –– Madhavi Chimata

“I thank my dear sishya, Sindhu, for mesmerizing the audience with her scintillating performance. I am very proud of her.” - Guru %r. Padmabhushan %r. Raja Reddy

California Theater, San Jose August 24, 2019

For the first time in the United States, world eminent artists, Padmabhushans, and gurus, Drs. Raja, Radha Reddy and Kaushalya Reddy, presented their disciple’s rangapravesam in the opulent California Theater in San Jose. A rangapravesam –– literally translating to 'entering the stage' in Sanskrit (it is also known as arangetram in Tamil) –– is a solo classical kuchipudi debut show spanning about two to three hours. On this warm summer evening, San Jose witnessed a stunning, world-class show, which tantalized the audience with its multifariousness and diversity. For depicting the expansive range of kuchipudi, debutante Sindhu Ravuri was acclaimed by the audience, from pundits and cultural leaders frequenting kuchipudi circles to art lovers who are new to the genre.

“Sindhu was outstanding,” said Vijaya Aasuri, president of Bay Area Telugu Association, who interviewed Sindhu and the gurus for her Virijallu radio show. “Extremely talented. Confident yet humble. Extremely proud of her.”

“I must have attended more than 100 to 150 rangapravesams. I have never seen anything like this. Sindhu is outstanding and mesmerizing and the gurus’ talent spectacular. Excellent rendering.”–– Anand Kuchibhotla, president and founder of Silicon Andhra

Often, Sindhu expressed fear that her performance would not resonate with those who are unfamiliar with the kuchipudi art form. Growing up, she would observe that men (fathers, brothers) often remained disinterested at kuchipudi performances, choosing to stay outside during rangapravesams. However, many novices in the audiences found the items unique, engrossing and riveting. “When the performance started late, I was going to leave,” said Manohar Mahavadi of Fremont, his voice gruff with emotion. “I am not usually very interested in dance performances. But the minute Sindhu came on stage with her Ganpati Vandana, I was spellbound. From then on, I could not move from my seat. It was extraordinary. Her dance, the choreography, the stage effects and her gurus’ affectionate presence gave it all an-out-of-the-world, mes- merizing sensation.” For many, the music enriched by Manohar Balatchandirane’s Mridangam, Madhvi Mehta’s (Sason ki Mala) Hindustani and Deevi Ravikanth’s Carnatic vocal, Dr. Manda Anantha Krishna’s flute, Guru Prasath’s violin refined with Kaushalya Reddy’s powerful nattuvangam and narration ( Sita’s Ramayana ) ––all added stunning and pow- erful pitch to Sindhu’s performance. “The overall effect was phenomenal,” said Bhawani Pothana, Sindhu’s aunt who came from India. “A feeling of cosmic power and energy floated through my veins as I watched the show. The sensation is unbelievable. It’s as if my soul was lifted to another world.”

The Audience Reaction Madhavi Chimata, an engineer whose own daughter performs classical dance, could not contain her awe of the “hypnotic” items in this rangapravesam. “From the distinct items to the stage affects, spellbinding music, Kaushalya Reddy’s nattuvangam, everything was enthralling! This is how kuchipudi must be spread, in its purest form, and in several languages to reach out to all,” she said. According to Chimata – whose husband, Srinivas Chimata, founded the well-known American Progressive Telugu Association (APTA) of the Bay Area – the kuchipu- di dance’s core form has been diluted by other dance for- mats. “Kuchipudi unfortunately is being turned into semi- classical format by overachievers to gain quick popularity,” she said. “What I have seen from Sindhu’s show is a feast to my eyes. I got hope kuchipudi will be popular soon in pres- tigious circles and taken seriously if this pure format is pop- ularized. Hats off to her gurus.” The president and founder of Silicon Andhra, a promi- nent Bay Area cultural organization, Anand Kuchibhotla, said, “I must have attended more than 100 to 150 ran- gapravesams. I have never seen anything like this. Sindhu is fascinating and the gurus’ talent spectacular. Excellent rendering.” A supporter of cultural arts, Kuchibhotla has contributed extensive service to the Kuchipudi village in Andhra Pradesh, in addition to organizing yearly kuchipu- di conventions in the United States and India.

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this item is the hallmark of Dr. Raja Reddy. In it, he master- fully intersects non-stop aggressive, powerful technique with calm emotional stability, earning him the title of “Black Shiva.” Less than five students in the entire Natya Tarangini dance school have performed this item as his daughter Yamini Reddy, who describes Shiva Dance as “an atomic bomb”, mostly performs it. Sindhu was given this rare opportunity by the Gurus. According to Sindhu, this was the most difficult dance she ever had to perform. In it, she, as Shiva, describes the five-fold cosmic activities of the Lord - Creation, Preservation, Destruction, Abode of the Soul and Salvation. Third, was Bhamakalapam , a sringara kavya . As a stark contrast to the Shiva Dance, a powerful mastery of formi- dable nritya and nrutya (expressions and technique), Bhama Kalapam heavily relied on feminine emotion. Siddhendra Yogi’s Bhama kalapam describes Krishna’s famously arrogant wife, Satyabhama. This piece – inter- weaving jatis, verses, and Telugu dialogue -- demonstrated the traditional, theater-style format of kuchipudi. Dr. Raja Reddy himself came on stage to become the endearing Madhavi, Satyabhama’s best friend, in a teasing conversa- tion with Satyabhama about her husband. The defining thread of this piece is the expressions. To her guru, Padmabhushan Raja Reddy, Sindhu is born to dance. “Her expressions and dance are truly mes- merizing,” he says. “God chooses a few people to promote art and culture. Sindhu is one of them. I am very proud that I am her teacher. Her dialogue delivery, her dedication to dance and her hard work always amazes me.” Following Bhamakalapam was Saason Ki Maala , a Sufi song written in the 16th century, and sung by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. This song explains the devotional, unrelenting love of the narrator for their lover. It is an example of how kuchipudi, a South Indian form, uses other national lan- guages to convey its message.

The decorations, which went well with the majestic ambience of the hall and the stage effects brought in by the theater’s tech team headed by Claudia Goodsell and by Sandeep Dutta , member of Natya Tarangini, flown in from India for this special purpose, captured the hearts of many. “While all items are mind-blowing, the tech effects of Shiva Dance and the Taraana Dance are spell binding,” said Lata from Fremont, who teaches dance at Aerodance. “I have never seen anything like this before,” she exclaimed. Nalini Mohan of Cupertino felt that Sindhu’s dance and her speech were something he would treasure and take back with him as his memories. “Sometimes when people ask me about dance pro- grams I would have to talk about the decorations, which would often be taller than the performances. This time the dance outshined everything else! Decorations blended with the hall. Sindhu was an amazing, a stunning performer. Her dance and speech are etched in mhy memory.” Sunanda Gadigottu, instructor, Art of Living, summed it all up with her keen observans. “Sindhu's rangapravesam is a true entry onto the stage of artistic universe! The setting was a feast to the senses. Beyond all of that I deeply appreciate the beauty and grace with which Sindhu performed. I had experienced Raja and Radha Reddy's art form as a young woman. Sindhu imbibed their fluid and unique style and performed with so much poise! I had tears in my eyes with her Sita and Tarana. Lots of blessings to her!” said The Show Pieces The show started out with Ganpati Vandana (Hari Duri Gajamukha) – an item praising Lord Ganesha. For the suc- cess of a rangapravesam, it is customary to commence with a prayer to the Ganesha, the elephant-headed god whose gifted with the power to remove all obstacles. Following the first item was Shiva Dance. Historically,

L-R: Manohar Balatchandirane(Mridangam), Guru Kaushalya Reddy (nattuvangam) Deevi Ravikanth (Carnatic vocal), Guru Prasath(violin), Dr. Manda Anantha Krishna (flute) Missing in picture: Madhvi Mehta (Hindustani Vocal)

extended jati. “It was unbelievable that Sindhu had energy to fin- ish the finale act. The technical implementation on plate in Tarana was flawlessly executed by Sindhu,” Manda said. Such a feat is only possible with utmost dedicated practice, extensive training in combination with self dis- cipline. To such discipline, I bow today to the artist’s spirit that I have seen in Sindhu. It gave me immense pleasure to watch her perform,” Manda said. Reflections on the Show Sindhu intentionally brought her distinct brand of expressions to these dances. She took the audience into her personal journey of storytelling, hoping to leave everyone artistically replenished. But she had to learn to submit to her gurus, to give their judgment her undying trust. “I once asked Guruji, ‘Do you think I can do this?’” Sindhu said. “He told me ‘you don’t have a choice. YOU MUST.’ For him, there was no such thing as ‘can’t,’ just ‘do.’” Her ideas of kuchipudi itself expanded. “When Guruji told me about Saanson Ki Mala, I could- n’t understand the structure of the song,” said the 21- year-old. “It was so uncommon for a kuchipudi inter- pretation, but my guru thought otherwise.” Born and brought up in the USA, it was difficult for the young performer to truly understand and appreciate the languages involved in kuchipudi. “I had to ask the meaning of certain Urdu and Telugu words. But, when Guruji explained them to me, I saw an entirely new mean- ing to his choreography. Once I overcame my fear and inse- curity, I started loving the experience of immersing com- pletely in dance, interacting with my gurus in a daily basis and learning directly from them. My God, I treasure every moment of those days. When we were putting together the music and choreography for the Sita item, it was an honor and pleasure sitting in the discussions of my gurus, dis- cussing, learning, observing. I saw art being made.” For many, the camaraderie and love between the gurus and sishya, Sindhu was extremely heart-warming to watch. “It’s so rare and touching to see Kaushalya Reddy, her guru, addressing her disciple as “Sindhu baby” so lovingly on stage and Sindhu communicating with her guru Padmabhushan Raja Reddy as if he were her family. During her speech, as the guru watched her affestionately, right by her side, Sindhu’s eyes would fill with tears as she spoke about him. And I saw her guru Radha Reddy got up and hugged Sindhu tightly after the performance. Such warmth and love is so rare to watch in this commercialized world,” said Satya Irrinki, Sindhu’s aunt, who came all the way from Detroit to attend Sindhu’s debut. For Sindhu, the opinions of those who were instrumen- tal to her growth as a dancer were also very important. Her mother and her Gurus worked tirelessly to ensure the suc- cess of her show, spending sleepless nights coordinating the

Sindhu Ravuri as Sathyabhama and Padmabhushan Raja Reddy as Madhavi captured the hearts of the audience

“Guruji has choreographed this bhajan to depict spiri- tual love, an everlasting connection between two souls. This kind of love has no language, no religion -- it’s the same whether it is God or the Beloved. Just thinking about it makes me cry,” said Sindhu. Then came Sita’s Ramayana, exclusively choreo- graphed for Sindhu by Dr. Raja Reddy. This dance is based on the book by Samhita Arni, which looks at Ramayana from Sita’s perspective. This piece interweaves English nar- rative with pure jatis , intended to connect with the English speaking audience. It relays the pain, anguish and struggle of Sita’s journey once exiled by her own husband for rumors of being intimate with Raavana. While Satyabhama and Sita are both female characters (unlike Shiva), their per- sonas and journeys are polar opposites, providing Sindhu the opportunity to delve into diverse, complex female char- acters. “The depiction of Sita by Sindhu left me spellbound,” said Ranjani Manda, director and founder of Aerodance in Fremont. “I heard Ramayana so many times, but I cried watching her expressions. I felt I was watching real Sita.” Finally, is Tarana, a Hindustani composition by sitar mae- stro Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar. Drs. Raja and Radha Reddy choreographed this item in kuchipudi classical dance style, and it has grown to be one of their most famous pieces. In this, the dancer showcases rhythmic footwork patterns by dancing on the rim of a brass plate for an

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L-R: Tulasiram Ravuri, Meena Ravuri, Madhavi Chimata (APTA), Gurus Kaushalya reddy, Padmabhushans Drs.Raja Radha Reddy, Anand Kuchibhotla (Silicon Andhra), Veeru Uppala

event of a lifetime. Sindhu could not let them down. “I could not afford to mess up, for them,” she said. “I love my mother immensely, and this art form is only in my life because of her unending devotion, dedication, strength, tenacity, and vision. As long as she was satiated, I would be too.” Moreover, at the end of the ran- gapravesam, Carlos Carvajal, artistic director of renowned San

About the Gurus: Drs. Raja & Radha Reddy, known as India’s legendary kuchipudi dancing couple, are the world-renowned chore- ographers and gurus who have given new dimension to the age-old art of Kuchipudi dance. Their illustrious career, spanning over five decades, has gained them a reputation for rare excellence. They have travelled to more than 95 countries, showcasing their rich culture and talent to numerous Kings, Queens, Princess, Presidents and other dignitaries all across the world. About the Artist: Sindhu Shivani Ravuri is a UC Berkeley undergraduate senior, double majoring in Bioengineering and Molecular Biology at UC Berkeley, California. Her goal is to become a fetal surgeon. Following her rangapravesam, she is determined to advancing kuchipudi in its purest form, following her gurus’ foot- steps. In the past, Sindhu received many national and inter- national awards for her dance, both in classical and semi- classical formats. She is the recipient of International Certificate of Recognition from UNESCO and a “Letter of Recommendation” from the Director of UNESCO. She was recognized for Outstanding Achievement in Dance at the Santa Clara County Salute to Youth/Hall of Fame. Additionally, she was a member of her high school’s Junior Varsity and Varsity dance teams, as well as the youngest performer in the history San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival. With her kuchipudi gurus, she performed for the president and the Parliament of India and also performed in Russia and Germany.

Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, spoke for her. He remembered when Sindhu performed at the festival at the tender age of 10, becoming the youngest soloist and Kuchipudi per-

former in the show’s history. He bought with him Sindhu’s audition tape for that show. “Watching Sindhu’s dance is like going into a candy store – you simply can’t choose your favorite amidst all the delicious flavors,” he said. While she was glad the performances resonated in the audience’s memory, Sindhu can only remember what her gurus said. “She has to dedicate herself to dance now,” said guru Kaushalya Reddy. “She can’t let her talent go waste.” And, Sindhu says, she never will again.

(More glimpses of teh evening on Pg.22 and 23)

www.indiaparentmagazine.org [email protected] 408-254-0954 OCTOBER 2019

Happy Diwali!

Review

For many, the music enriched by Manohar Balatchandirane’s Mridan- gam, Madhvi Mehta’s (Sason ki Mala) Hindustani and Deevi Ravikanth’s Carnatic vocal, Dr. Manda Anantha Krishna’s flute, Guru Prasath’s violin refined with Kaushalya Reddy’s pow- erful nattuvangam and narration (Sita’s Ramayana) ––all added stun- ning and powerful pitch to Sindhu’s performance. See Pg 14

Celebrate Diwali: Festival of Lights at Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose See Pg. 64

Sindhu Ravuri’s Solo Dance Debut

A CTION D AY P RIMARY P LUS Since 1968, Action Day Primary Plus has been providing quality education and enrichment to fam- ilies throughout the Bay Area. See more on Pg 28

A blast from the past Meet Megastar Chiranjeevi See Pg 10

Sye Ra is one such movie that re- calls the story of this glorious freedom fighter that rallied to- gether all forces - farmers, rulers and religions – to fight the British, but is sadly underrated in the annals of Indian history simply because he belonged to the South.

What makes Orchard School Unique?

See Pg 10

See Review of Sye Ra on Pg 8

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408-254-0954 • e-mail: [email protected]

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Meena Yeggina

Mora Oommen Natalie Daprile Rishi Ravuri Sindhu Ravuri Stephen E. Von Till

PUBLISHERS Meena Yeggina

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ashok Swain

PHOTOGRAPHY www.yashdoshiphotography.com WEB SITE Sekhar Bonagiri

Gerald Cumings Jacqueline Payne

Glimpses of Sindhu Ravuri’s Kuchipudi Solo Dance Debut

Ice Sculpture

Sindhu with Madhvi Mehta and Meena Ravuri

Sindhu performing to Sason ki mala sung by Madhvi Mehta

The Gurus welcomed with Dhol to audience meet and greet after event

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R EFLECTIONS OF A HIGH SCHOOLER POEMS BY Rashmika Manu

Rashmika Manu is an 8th grader graduating to High School this year. She enjoys writing poems, playing Volleyball and traveling. She visits India often and has a desire to help the poor and needy when she grows up

SOMEDAY IN MY FERRARI

AWAY FROM

He beside me, just sitting right there Speeding down the freeway wind blowing my hair The faster we went the less we had to think Because of the pen charging we never even blinked Blasting our music loudly, free of care Oh how we didn’t even notice all of the stares

I come across to what I hate seeing so much Disgusts me to remember that I thought I  wasn’t enough I think that I need more and more, plenty But they don’t have much other than others  company Walked outside to the city, new country,  poverty For the first Time my eyes could see openly with I fear that I’ve lived my life l ike the Buddha’s early years Away from deprivation Away from hardship Away from the unfortunate Away from poverty Giving one a drop of water or a tiny cracker  wouldn’t be obliging Considering the number of them barely surviving I hope that oneday I can give all of the econo- my an equal chance of success And maybe get away from seeing this horrible mess

We went forward through the winding roads, driving Avoiding the fact that we were actually running Running away from what we were supposed to be Running away from

what we were expected to be Running away from our work Running away from our responsibility Letting everything go freedom and serenity washed over me As I think back to little me writing this of who I actually wanted to be Someday in my Ferrari we will leave every- thing behind With nothing but freedom in our minds

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themselves), practice good decision making, make friends and bond with others. At the APJCC Preschool, each day we offer a combina- tion of free play and organized activities. Activities are designed to enhance children's skills in all areas of devel- opment, including physical, social, emotional, language, cognitive, and spiritual. We offer a mix of indoor and out- door activities, weather permitting. A typical day includes experiences such as art, sensory activities, building or play- ing with manipulatives, singing, storytime, and a group project, as well as snack and lunchtime. Children also enjoy a weekly music class with our music specialist, and gym class with our movement specialist. Children who are at school for the full day (rather half day) also have naptime. At Camp Shalom, the preschool-age program is similar to our regular APJCC Preschool program that was just described. For grades K-8, a typical day starts with an all- camp song circle, followed by a variety of activities with the child's age group, which might include sports, art, cooking, science, lunch, and children's choice electives, as well as daily swimming in our heated pool. Every week has a spe- cial theme, and the children also enjoy weekly field trips to fun locations around the South Bay. W E WORK WITH KIDS AND FIND SOLUTIONS We work with children to help them regulate their own behavior. The emphasis is on finding solutions to challeng- ing behavior. When necessary, we reach out to parents to involve them in finding a solution. At the APJCC Preschool, each class has two teachers, a senior teacher and a junior teacher. Senior teachers are required to have, at a minimum, 24 college credits in Early Childhood Education/Child Development and at least 175 days of early childhood teaching experience within the past 4 years, or an Associate's Degree or higher in Early Childhood Education/Child Development and at least 3 units of supervised field experience. Junior teachers are also required to have college credits in Early Childhood Education or Child Development. All teachers have com- pleted a fingerprint scan and background check, and are carefully selected for their warmth, enthusiasm, and caring attitude toward children. At Camp Shalom, all our camp counselors have experi- APJCC EMPHASIZES ON DEVELOPING NEW SKILLS , HAVING FUN AND MAKING FRIENDS !

The Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center (APJCC) is a Los Gatos community center that offers sum- mer day camp, year-round preschool, and many other pro- grams for kids and families. E VERYONE IS WELCOME The APJCC Preschool follows a developmental philos- ophy. This means we follow developmentally appropriate practices in a play-based program that helps children grow in all developmental areas — social, emotional, cognitive, language, and motor development. Our summer camp, Camp Shalom, emphasizes having fun, developing new skills, and making friends. Kids can choose a traditional day camp experience with daily games, arts & crafts, swimming, singing, and a variety of other activities such as science and nature, field trips, theme weeks, and more. Or they can choose from a variety of spe- cialty camps in areas such as circus arts, cooking, dance, LEGO engineering, STEM, and sports including basketball, martial arts, parkour, soccer, and tennis. APJCC IS DIFFERENT Some of the things that make our preschool and camp programs special are the warm and welcoming atmosphere, the quality of our staff -- many of whom have been with the JCC for many years -- and the focus on non-academic areas of child development, especially during the summer. We're proud that our day camp is accredited by the American Camping Association (ACA), which certifies summer camps for quality and safety. And we're proud of our licensed preschool, license #430709398. In the APJCC Preschool, the child/teacher ratio follows state licensing requirements for the various age groups: for 18-month-olds it's 1:4, age 2 years 1:6, age 3 years 1:8, and age 4 years 1:9. At Camp Shalom, our counselor to camper ratio is 1:8, except in our preschool camps where the ratio follows the same state licensing requirements as our preschool. Our philosophy is that play is the work of children, and that children learn valuable lessons through a play-based, experiential approach. By interacting with peers and by finding creative solutions to challenges, children learn to self-regulate (regulate their emotions and behavior by

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