Radhika Shetty pauses to think and then lets out a quiet laugh. “My first performance was for a school dance drama on Krishna, and I had a small part. I was so happy, with the makeup and ornaments, and just being on stage,” recalls the dancer whose foray into Bharatnatyam began as a “playful child who enjoyed to dance”.

The native of Bijai, Mangalore, Radhika is now a well-known dancer, with several awards to her name. She is also the founder of ‘Nrityaangan’, a registered charitable trust which organises workshops and dance festivals to nurture young talent. Her work, primarily focusing on abhinaya (the use of facial expressions and gestures to communicate a story), often relies on literature and poems as its foundation.

First steps and a growing dream

A student of Sri Ramakrishna High School, Mangalore, Radhika began her journey in Bharatnatyam when she was nine, under the tutelage of Sharadamani Shekhar of Sanatana Natyalaya. “Though it began as a hobby, it grew within me. After class 12, I pursued engineering, but I never stopped dancing,” she says.

As a software professional in Bengaluru, Radhika says she found herself constantly juggling between her profession and passion, which were equally demanding. “But it all changed when I performed my rangapravesha in Bengaluru in 2006; that is the impact Guru Padmini Ramachandran had on me. She was someone who was so passionate about the art form, I believe she unknowingly transferred it to her student. Only then did I seriously consider pursuing it professionally.”

The IT professional-turned-artiste spent the next three years in the United States with her family, simultaneously finding her space in the Bharatnatyam world. Her transition into a full-time dancer brought with it a concern for the young artistes of Mangalore, leading to the foundation of ‘Nrityaangan’ in 2011.

“When we moved back to Mangalore, I realised the dancers here were like frogs in a well — restricted to temple performances or local events. They had the knowledge and talent, but no platform to showcase it or explore its magnitude beyond the city,” she says, adding that the realisation helped her structure Nrityaangan in a way that gave students a first-hand learning experience through workshops and dance festivals.

Birth of Manushi – on a Quest

Over the years, Radhika has carved her space in Bharatnatyam through an intimate use of abhinaya as a means to communicate with her audience. Each composition begins with an inspiration from a mundane activity that she builds further through research and practice.

“I was reading The Lost River, it is about the River Saraswati,” she recounts, when asked about the origin of her latest composition Manushi – on a Quest, “when I felt there was something I wanted to express about the river and its journey. It unfolded in my imagination, and I wanted to communicate it through dance. After I read the book, I prepared a script for Saraswati (the river) with the help of Arjun Bharadwaj. He wrote the lyrics, and we got the music done, but then it was just a standalone piece.”

The piece on Saraswati was followed by a composition that explored the character of Devaki, Krishna’s birth mother, which emerged during a workshop with Guru Chitra Viswesaran. After recognising a link between the two compositions, Radhika decided to produce a full-length piece.

The piece which has been presented at international venues, premiered in Mangalore in February 2020, and has been well received due to Radhika’s emphasis on abhinaya. “People relate to these emotions as they are going through their own journey internally. I believe it makes them pause and think.”

She recounts how a woman came up to her after a performance in Zurich to share how she identified with Devaki as a mother whose child grew up away from her. Radhika says performing in different countries has helped her enhance certain aspects of the performance, based on the responses she received. “I want people to look within,” she says.

New chapters

The artiste says she faced several challenges with Manushi, particularly while switching between characters, although they are all joined by the thread of their journeys. She also notes that she tends to portray shringara, her favourite rasa, quite often, so she trains rigorously to keep herself in character.

Radhika says though she intends to tour with Manushi, some of her other projects are being conceptualised. “Don’t be in a hurry, put 200% of your efforts into practice, and art will lead you,” is what she tells aspiring dancers, a mantra she follows as well.

Radhika Shetty will perform Manushi – on a Quest at Bangalore International Centre on May 20, from 7pm. Entry free, but register on BIC site to confirm registration.