Devayani, a Bharatanatyam dancer born in France and recipient of Padma Shri award from the Government of India has been awarded the ‘Pandit Jasraj award for Cross Cultural Understanding’. Says Devayani, “I used to go to theatre, music concerts, and dance recitals with my father when I was young. I would also play the guitar and read poetry. As I grew up, I started enjoying Spanish Flamenco dance. My first introduction to Indian art was when I heard Pandit Ravi Shankar on the radio. I also did a show in Brussels where I danced to a music composition of Ravi Shankar and the Beatles. And what better theme could I have than Radha and Krishna.
“Then I had an opportunity to see Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali. There was another movie Phantom India which was banned in India as it depicted misery and poverty. This movie had a dance sequence shot at Kalakshetra founded by Rukmini Devi Arundale in Chennai. I decided that this was the place for me. The culture of India evolved some kind of spiritual inner energy in me. For me, Bharatanatyam started becoming a complete composite art, with many dimensions like footwork, expression, sculpture, yoga and even poetry.”
Devayani’s performances earned her an important role in a Telugu film. “One day, a Telugu film offer (America Ammayi directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao) came my way. I would rehearse the Telugu lines and also later be sure about the dubbing part. Since I put my heart and soul into the project, I enjoyed every moment of it. After the movie became a big hit, I started getting offers from many directors including Girish Karnad and Dev Anand. Somehow, my priority was always to spread the fragrance of Bharatanatyam across the globe. I remember having performed in Ravindra Bharati and the Taramati Festival at Hyderabad. My main aim is to communicate and relate art to the audience.”
