Warli art, Bharatanatyam and immersive animation come together to tell stories about nature in an evocative performance
Saathi wears a Bohada mask during her performance
It is a lovely weekend when we reach out to artiste Prachi Saathi and designer Upasana Nattoji Roy ahead of their show in the city. The duo will present their unique concept performance that combines three different art forms — Bharatanatyam, Warli Art and immersive animation. Quite the challenge, particularly when the three forms are structurally different. “When I write choreography for my sets, I often draw stick figures to explore the idea. One day, the similarity in the geometric nature of both Bharatanatyam and Warli art struck me. It led me to think, why not weave a story around it?” shares Saathi, recalling the origins of the idea.
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A moment from the performance
For Nattoji Roy, it was a matter of fundamental storytelling that culminated in this confluence. “The performance is all about the coming together of a story through dramaturgy. Animation and Bharatanatyam are both time-based mediums of presentation, and Warli art is an expression of tribal culture. It was all natural, and is actually a way to create a bridge between art, technology and design,” she explains.
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Saathi first conceived the idea of the performance in 2019 with Roy and nurtured it for three and a half years before they presented it to the public in 2023. She admits that one of her objectives was to bring in more audiences to classical performances. “The set is especially designed to attract children who are our future audience base. I wouldn’t have been able to pull it off without the help of Upasana, Rajendra Chaudhari (who designed the props), Swapnil Shapekar and Satish Krishnamurti (who provided the sound arrangement),” the former voice artiste tells us.
Upasana Nattoji Roy
The performances are intrinsically linked to Warli art, and are an attempt to reconnect with nature. The art form became a key to this creative expression. “I wanted to integrate the vibrant Warli tradition into the story. Indigenous communities have been the first dwellers of the land, and their ancient practices find voice through their artistic practices, specifically in Warli art,” Saathi notes. The 42-year old artiste spent three days among the Warli community of Jawahar Pada in Palghar for research. They have also invited 30 Warli artists to watch the show. “It is a way to tell them that this performance is for you,” Saathi says.
“We want people to rethink their actions towards climate. Does development have to be at the cost of nature? Can ecology and economy go hand in hand?” Saathi asks. The name of the performance is another one of its intriguing facets. “We named it When walls dance because when you see tribal art it seems as though the figures are dancing on the wall; as are we in this performance. So, it seemed apt,” she signs off.
ON November 19; 6 pm and 8 pm
AT G5A Warehouse, Laxmi Mills Estate, Shakti Mills Lane, Mahalaxmi.
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COST Rs 250 (first-come-first-serve basis)
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