Fearless Nadia

A highlight of Parramasala 2013 must be this celebration of one of Bollywood’s early movie stars. Mary Evans was born in Perth in 1915, the daughter of a British soldier who was deployed to India during World War I. She grew up in India and was discovered by the Wadia Movietone Studio. After her role as Hunterwali (the Woman of the Whip) she became known as Fearless Nadia and made over 50 films for the studio. Her most famous role was that of Madhurika in the 1940 film Diamond Queen.

It is for this film that Australian composer and percussionist Ben Walsh chose to create a score, because “the action, romance, drama and also the political aspects of the film spoke to me when I first saw it in India … and I heard music.”

Diamond Queenlends itself to Walsh’s exceptional musical talent and experience. His score follows and enlivens the slapstick comedy, stunts and fight scenes of the movie with an exciting and eclectic blend of instruments and rhythms, pacing the action and accentuating the “black and white world of kooky characters and iconic heroines” with live stunts and performances.

In one instance, percussionist Greg Sheehan and Walsh himself take the stage to imitate a comedy dance routine from the movie. Their incredibly fast body percussion is almost a stunt in itself. In another, violinist and viola player Shenzo Gregorio is raised on wires and plays turning in circles and hanging upside down above the stage. And Shruti Ghosh brings bells and colour to the stage in an engaging dance scene.

The thirteen members of Walsh’s Orkestra of the Underground mix instruments of the east and west in a melting pot of sounds and textures that would be even better in a larger venue such as the Concert Hall of the Opera House. In the smaller auditorium of the Riverside Theatre, it is almost overwhelming. The tempo and volume reach crescendos that reverberate and seem to engulf the space as the epic adventure scenes of the movie race to their flickering climax.

First commissioned by Adelaide Festival Centre’s OzAsia Festival and Oz Fest India and supported by the Australia International Cultural Council, this piece of cinematic and musical theatre is, in Walsh’s words once again, “rich with the various elements that two countries like Australia and India have to offer”. It is everything that is epitomized by Parramasala itself, and adds more colour and even a little bi-cultural history to this year’s celebrations.

Carol Wimmer