Lakshman opened with a Pushpanjali in Malayamarutham ragam, Adi talam, a composition of Reji George. As his piece de resistance of the evening, he chose a piece of modern poetry, by Vaitheeswaran. Set in ragamalika, and Adi talam, the poem deals with man's greed for money. He says, 'Ponnai thorathum poti chakarathil yennai mati kondain thedi thirindhein...I got trapped in the web of money making,.... and chose the wrong path.' In the charanam, he says, 'I dug for gold, but the roots of a tree cut my hand. I got only pain.... Now I realize that the only gold that matters, is the green Mother Earth.' The poem was well adapted, and was a cohesive presentation. But something as new and offbeat as this, requires an introduction or an explanation. Lakshman's nritta was crisp and neat. His choreography combined rigorous adavus, with enough geometry and grace to be pleasing. Priyadarshini Govind was effective with the cymbals, so was the percussionist, Nellai D.Kannan. In the music department, Sivaganesh on the violin was melodious, but the vocalist, Kutralam Nagarajan was a let down.

'Kuru Yedunandana', the last ashtapadi from the Geet Govind by Jayadeva was taken up next. Radha, replete after a night of passion with Krishna, playfully orders him to put to rights, what became undone during their play ....to soothe the bruises on her body, to comb her hair, to put back her anklets,.... There is a thin line between the literal interpretation of the words, and the subtlety of the treatment. The internalization of the mood, which such a delicate piece requires, was missing. Unfortunately, the vocalist was of no support. The dancer would do well to recognize the dangers of attempting something which he is not yet ready for. Choice of items to present in a programme, reflects the versatility of the dancer, and more importantly, his or her self-evaluation. Lakshman concluded with a thillana in Amir Kalyani ragam, composed by the vocalist, in Adi talam. Good footwork and precise execution stood out consistently in his nritta through the programme. There is room for people of his caliber and sincerity in this field. If only people would give him a chance.