Bharatanatyam exponent Malavika Sarukkai delineates the dualities – Anuradha Vellat

Malavika Sarukkai’s art has often transcended the boundaries and grammars of Bharatanatyam and come to represent a wholesome interpretation of some of the most complex philosophical texts. She does not transcend these boundaries because they limit her, rather, it is striking to see how much more Bharatanatyam is capable of when it comes to truly be expressional. In her latest production called “The Battle Within”, Sarukkai undertakes the enormous task of rendering a dramatic interpretation inspired by the Bhagavat Gita. A creative work that works within and without the structures of Bharatanatyam, Sarukkai says that it is also a product (and process) of her own journey as a dancer and choreographer. “I try to reflect on where I am today. Bharatanatyam is singular, in a way, which is why I have called this a dramatic interpretation because it is not a margam or the rendering of two or three “items”. The overall patterns of Bharatanatyam work on different terrain. I want to say I went ahead with an intuition,” says Sarukkai.