What is Beyond Grace about?
It captures a period in my daughter’s and my life as we revisit the places and the people that have been an integral part of our journey so far.
It’s directed and produced by an American couple, Sara and Urs Baur. How closely were you involved in its scripting?
Being a documentary, it didn’t have a script per se. It was very challenging for the director to weave various facets of our lives into a story.
What is the format of the film?
It is a 78-minute documentary feature film shot in Delhi, Kerala, Chennai and Los Angeles.
Your journey hasn’t been an easy one, right?
Yes, I have worked under adverse circumstances, but it has been fulfilling and enriching.
Your are from Tamil Nadu; your dance belongs to Kerala, you teach, perform and train in Delhi. Are you, in a sense, an outsider?
An outsider only for the cynics! As I did not have roots in Kerala, I was able to bring a fresh perspective and see inadequacies objectively.
Why did you choose Mohiniyattam?
I attended a recital by Indrani Rehman and she concluded with Mohiniyattam, which was mesmerising. I felt I could only relate to its graceful, subtle and langourous movements.
Did your non-Malayali milieu inhibit your appreciation and rendering of the form?
No, for I tried to enrich Mohiniyattam in relation to the indigenous traditions of Kerala, trying to understand it in its regional perspective.
Is Mohiniyattam overshadowed by Bharatanatyam in the south and Kathak in the north?
Mohiniyattam is acknowledged as a major dance form; it has wide recognition everywhere.
Is Mohiniyattam accessible?
Yes, definitely more accessible than before. However, its sublime, simple and feminine qualities only appeal to the sensitive few.
When will the documentary premiere?
Very soon. In the coming months.
