Film Overview

About Margam
Exploring the various aspects of human life religiously, it emotes human quest for the supreme and express its desire to unite with the ultimate. Scientifically it promotes attainment of perfection of body techniques, dedication and discipline . Poetically it admires rhythmic lyricism. As to reveal before you these aspects of this dynamic dance style, Swati Daithankar has very aptly chosen the Bharatnatyam - Margam. Margam implies a way, a path. a course. More precisely it is one full definite course wherein dance items are performed in a traditional order. As the dancer proceeds ahead with the various items, she walks ahead following the Margam. She explores the calmness, the simplicity, the power, the divinity of the ultimate being. With the stage as he sanctum, dance as her worship and Maargam as her guide she carries herself towards the salvation.
Pushpanjali
This journey of a dancer begins with the piece called Pushpanjall. It means offering flowers. As per the Indian culture and traditions any ceremony, celebration, a performance or a recital needs to begin with Almighty's blessings.
Ardhanaristotra

Shri Adi Shankaracharya’s composition portrays different qualities of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. In Ardhabnari composition, Lord Shiva is the symbol of destruction and the Goddess Parvati is an example of feminine grace. She is the mother of the creator. A symbol of grace and beauty. Lord Shiva has turned into ashes the Kamadeva – god of love while Parvati is the goddess of love incarnated. There is sudden realization that Shiva and Parvati are inseparable and this concept is known as ‘Ardhanari’.

Alaripu

With the Lord’s blessings the dancer shall now step ahead and prepare herself well for this divine journey. To reach her ultimate goal, she must begin with simple steps, and so she performs the Alaripu which is the shortest and simplest item in Bharatnatyam and an example of pure dance called ‘adi nritta’. It is primarily intended to be an invocation piece. It is also said to mean the flowering of the body and the limbs so as to get prepared to execute more difficult pieces to be taken up subsequently. It is a piece with simple poses and movements in an equally simple tune and rhythm. The Alaripu is performed in a combination of 5 rhythmic syllables called as ‘khanda jati’.

Jatiswaram

The ultimate goal shall be revealed only if one follows the step-by-step path which is comparatively a difficult piece of pure dance called the the Jatiswaram. Jatiswaram tells that this piece is executed with a combination of swara passages. In a particular rhythmic pattern. This piece has no moods or sentiments. Beauty is its only aim.
Varnam

The path is not so simple for tests placed on its every twist and turn. This turn shall test the dancer’s skill in nritta and nritya that is it proves to be an ultimate test of the dancer’s posture, limb movements, her ability to stimulate beauty through the medium of her body and of her ability to express to emote. It is an extremely difficult piece involving a lot of intricacies and demanding the dancer to represent or carry a story towards the spectators. The varnam gains complete beauty with its combination of pure dance and expressions.

Padam

The Padam is an expression of pure abhinaya without any support of a pure dance. This is presented in Raga Yaman

Tillana

It is the final juncture of recital and the ultimate step to tha Maargam

Shloka

It is the moment when the dancer discovers the peace and presence of the ultimate.