B. Jayashree is one of Karnataka’s most distinguished theatre personalities. A recipient of the Padma Shri and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, she belongs to the illustrious family of the legendary Gubbi Veeranna, the doyen of professional theatre in Karnataka. Theatre runs in her blood.
A graduate of the National School of Drama, Jayashree has excelled as an actor, director and singer in countless productions. She has also left an indelible mark in Kannada cinema through several memorable roles. Her childhood was immersed in the vibrant world of the famed Gubbi Veeranna Nataka Company.
In those days, actors were expected to be accomplished singers as well. Mythological dramas and occasionally social plays were richly interwoven with songs rooted in classical music. The popularity of a play often depended on the number and quality of its songs; at times, even dialogues were rendered musically. This rich tradition of Ranga Geethegalu (theatre songs) is gradually fading into oblivion.
To preserve this invaluable heritage, Jayashree has formed a troupe dedicated to reviving these gems from the era of Company Drama. Along with the performances, she narrates the context of each song, shares fascinating anecdotes from behind the scenes and recreates the atmosphere of a bygone theatrical tradition, making the programme both informative and nostalgic.
As part of its cultural activities, the Jagannatha Centre for Art and Culture (JCAC) had organised ‘Saavirada Sharanavva,’ an evening of stories, songs and memories by B. Jayashree and her troupe, recently.
Jayashree was ably supported by Praveen D. Rao on the harmonium, Subramanya Rao and Leela Krishna on percussion, while the vocal ensemble comprised Pooja Rao, Shlaghya Vasishta, Lavanthi S. Kumar, Hima Srinivas, Sahana S., Madhwesh Bharadwaj, Lokesh Achar, Vinay Dhruvakumar, Anil Iyer and Prakash.
The programme opened with the traditional invocation to Lord Ganesha, ‘Shree Parvathi Tanaya.’ What followed was a delightful cascade of songs from celebrated mythological and social dramas, tracing the evolution of Ranga Geethegalu over several decades. Every song carried a story. Jayashree vividly recounted the artistic innovations, dramatic techniques, backstage struggles and emotional highs and lows experienced by theatre artistes — stories that rarely reached the audience.
Songs from productions such as Dashavatara, Prabhamani Vijaya, Kurukshetra, Krishnaleele and Lava Kusha reflected the strong classical foundation of Company Drama music. Jayashree also explained how theatre music gradually absorbed influences from film songs, Lavani, Western harmonies, choir arrangements and fusion music, thereby constantly reinventing itself.
She paid rich tributes to pioneering music directors and legendary musicians such as P. Kalinga Rao, B.V. Karanth, and Chandrashekhara Kambar, whose contributions ushered in new dimensions to Kannada theatre music.
Even at the age of 76, Jayashree’s voice retains remarkable richness and depth, supported by a firm grounding in classical music. Her troupe matched her enthusiasm and artistry, keeping the audience engrossed for nearly three hours. It was, indeed, a memorable and rewarding evening.
‘Spirituality thru Ragas’
As part of its ‘Kala Saptami’ series, JCAC also presented ‘Spirituality through Ragas,’ a Hindustani sitar and vocal concert.
The performers were young sitar exponent Nikhil Patwardhan and vocalist Tanmaya Kshirsagar. They were accompanied by Ramesh Dhannur on the tabla, while Veerabhadraiah Hiremath provided harmonium accompaniment for Tanmaya.
Nikhil Patwardhan belongs to the Maihar Gharana. Introduced to Hindustani music by his grandmother and father during childhood, he later received formal training under Pandit Parthapratim Chatterjee of the Maihar tradition. Having performed widely in India and abroad, Nikhil has developed a refined and expressive style of playing.
He chose Raga Kedar for his recital, presenting a leisurely alap followed by a vilambit and drut bandish. The raga unfolded gracefully, allowing its serene beauty to emerge naturally. His alap, jod and jhala were executed with clarity, imagination and melodic charm. Ramesh Dhannur provided sensitive and unobtrusive support on the tabla.
Tanmaya Kshirsagar represents the Gwalior-Jaipur Gharana and hails from a distinguished family of musicians. Her grandfather, Dr. D.B. Kshirsagar and father, Pandit Deepak Kshirsagar, are well-known exponents of Hindustani music. She has performed at prestigious festivals including the Sankaaram Music Festival (Vadodara), Bharatiya Sanskriti Samsad (Kolkata) and the Sangeet Samrat Alladiya Khan Baithak (Mumbai).
A gifted khayal singer, Tanmaya presented two chhota khayals in Raga Rageshri and Gaud Malhar. Endowed with a sweet and flexible voice, she traversed different octaves with ease. Her aakars and sargams flowed effortlessly, displaying both technical command and musical sensitivity. She concluded her recital with a soulful abhang.
Veerabhadraiah Hiremath offered dependable harmonium accompaniment, while Ramesh Dhannur once again provided excellent rhythmic support on tabla.
Both Nikhil and Tanmaya utilised their hour-long performances meaningfully, leaving the audience with an enriching experience of Hindustani classical music.
Together, the two JCAC programmes offered memorable glimpses into two rich musical traditions — one preserving Karnataka’s theatrical heritage and the other celebrating the timeless spirituality of Hindustani ragas.
—Dr. Rama V. Bennur
This post was published on August 24, 2026 7:30 pm