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| In the dissolution
of love blends two stories — two cultures, two distinctly different
ethos and styles and two strains of enduring influences, Heer
Ranjha and Kutralakuravanji blur into one stunning whole through
the eyes of Navtej Singh Johar.
Deccan
Chronicle, December 4, 2006
It
was when boundaries disappeared…how two divergent tales and
forms could flow into each other with the fluidity of water…the
dancers, alternating between joy and sorrow, form and abstractness,
passion and spirituality, showed how art is more seamless than
imagined.
The
Indian Express, December 4, 2006
It is not often that a modern choreography using legends hits
a contemporary note in shaping both form and content. Navtej
Johar's "Fanaa" did more than that. . .The androgynous quality
evoked by two men (Navtej Johar and Anil Panchal) playing both
male and female characters, flashed new perspectives…Johar's
accent was on self-forgetfulness, a crucial element of love…The
fabulous music was an asset, Madan Gopal Singh and Rekha Raj
creating their own full-throated drama of emotions. . . G. Elangovan
matched the robustness of the folk singers in his Carnatic mode.
One of the surprises of the evening was just how well the two
genres of music flowed together in a luminous stream. The dancing
was strong enough to make full use of (and not get drowned by)
this superb orchestra…"Fanaa" communicate(d) a throbbing sthayibhava
in soka, of loss and longing as the eternal, irrevocable
conditions of existence. An honest, powerful performance.
Gowri
Ramnarayan, The Hindu, Chennai, December 5, 2006
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Bharatanatyam-based
'Fana'a: Ranjha Revisited' – with a highly nuanced performance
by Navtej Johar and the accompanying Sufi music by Madan Gopal
Singh – was arguably one of the best choreographic works of
the year.
Utpal
K. Banerjee, Attendance: The Dance Annual of India 2005-06
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Drawing
inspiration from traditional love poetry and motifs from myth,
but very contemporary in perception and blurring of distinctive
identity boundaries of regions, of gender, or of dance style,
brilliantly visualized in body language fusing Bharatanatyam,
Chhau and Modern Dance was "Fana'a" choreographed by Navtej
Johar.
Leela
Venkatraman, The Hindu, New Delhi, 4th February,
2006
Each moment was a treat, to savour long after it was over, as
Navtej Johar and Madan Gopal Singh rendered magic . . . Navtej
Johar, who has redefined the Punjabi male machismo, presented
his dance drama 'Fana'a: Ranjha Revisited' to soul-wrenching
Sufi singing of Madan Gopal Singh, accompanied by Rekha Raj.
Johar combined classical elements of Bharatanatyam and Kathak,
with the avante-garde; and pirouettes and swinging trances reminiscent
of dervishes, to weave a beautiful presentation which defied
categorisation. Johar blurred the boundaries of various forms
as imperceptibly they led to one another, to and fro.
The powerful anguish in Madan Gopal's voice was a performance
in itself as was Johar's expression and dancing. The two could
be enjoyed separately as well as in unison as Ranjha changed
into Shiva, Vasantvalli, Sakhi, and Heer
The
Tribune, Chandigarh, 15th February, 2006
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