The Quiet Power of Elegance
29 August 2026
Amphi-Sutra
Guru Shanmuga Sundaram’s performance at Amphi-Sutra on 29 August 2026 offered something increasingly rare in Bharatanatyam today: the power of restraint.
At a time when speed, spectacle and relentless virtuosity dominate the stage, Shanmughan offered another possibility. His Bharatanatyam did not shout—it glowed. Rooted in the Vazhuvoor bani, his dancing was elegant, sensual and dignified, allowing movement, gesture and stillness to their full measure.
A disciple of the late K.J. Sarasa and now mentored by the legendary Chitra Visweswaran, Shanmughan embodies a lineage in which grace is not ornament, but essence. His nritta had clarity without aggression; his abhinaya, intimacy without exaggeration. Nothing was hurried. Every movement seemed to arrive, breathe and settle.
In doing so, he reminded us that Bharatanatyam’s power lies not in how fast the body can move, but in how deeply it can inhabit a moment.
The evening gained another powerful dimension when Shanmughan was felicitated by Bengaluru-based transgender actor, writer and activist A Revathi, herself a student of his. Revathi’s recent Frankly Speaking at Masakini Theatre had offered an unflinching account of her journey as a transgender woman.
A thoughtful conversation between Revathi and Malaysia’s own transgender Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi guru Varsha Pillai, moderated by writer and filmmaker Mahi Ramakrishnan, brought the evening to a resonant close—connecting dance, identity, courage and the continuing struggle of a marginalised community.
An inspiring night, where elegance became both an aesthetic and an act of quiet resistance.
Sutra