Part 2 of The Ramayana Trilogy: EXILE
Teacher Initiative Series
Presented by Anjali Dance Center
Artistic Direction, Choreography, Nattuvangam, and Dance: Ami Majmudar
Script and Poetry: Amit Majmudar
Dramatic Monologues: Shiv Majmudar
Musical arrangement, Vocal, and Harmonium: Jahnavi Murali
Rhythmic Arrangement and Mridangam: Harsha Mandayam Bharathi
Flute: Raghav Kasibhatla
With students of Anjali Dance Center
Two boons, a heartbroken king. Royalty in exile, a family separated. A demonic plot, a golden deer. An abduction, a heroic sacrifice, an alliance, a search.
After a well-received Ramayana Part 1, Anjali Dance Center presents Ramayana Part 2, the second part of the ancient epic. In an exciting collaboration with a team of talented young musicians, this second part of the Ramayana Trilogy features energetic, creative, and soulful live music.
Dramatic English narration weaves together Sanskrit, Tamil, Awadhi, Kannada, Telugu, Hindi, and Gujarati verses and well-loved compositions by poets from across India. Original and innovative choreography transports the audience into the forest and across rivers, among the animals, sages, demons, and monkeys of the beloved epic tale.
AMI
Ami Majmudar is a teacher, author, storyteller, dancer, and choreographer. Her debut novel, The Torchbearers, published by Penguin India, was shortlisted for the Neev Book Award for Distinguished Children’s Literature. As an Ohio Teaching Artist, Ami teaches writing and India’s vibrant classical and folk dances. She has worked with wide audiences in schools, libraries, and art centers, easily connecting with children and adults of all backgrounds through the universal language of stories, movement, dance, and human emotions.
Ami learned Bharatanatyam from Mythili Kumar (Abhinaya Dance Company of San Jose) and Sujatha Srinivasan (Shri Kalaa Mandir, Cleveland, Ohio). Upon founding Anjali Dance Center in 2012, Ami began to share her love of dance and her culture with local dance students and communities. Anjali Dance Center has performed for organizations such as the Ohio Arts Council, OhioDance, McConnell Arts Center, Dhvani Performing Arts Society of Central Ohio, Vindhya Cultural Association, and Asian Festival
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AMIT
The former first poet Laureate of Ohio, Amit Majmudar’s poems, novels, and essays have been published and recognized internationally.
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SHIV
Shiv Majmudar has been published in the Alabama Literary Review. His fiction has been recognized by the Writers of the Future contest. He was named superior high school columnist by the Ohio Scholastic Media Association in 2024/25. Shiv is a senior at Olentangy Orange High School.
JAHNAVI
Jahnavi Murali is a Carnatic vocalist and Western classical cellist. She has been under the tutelage of Shri. Madurai R. Sundar, disciple of Sangeetha Kalanidhi Shri. T.N. Seshagopalan, for the past twenty-two years. Jahnavi has performed around the United States for many organizations for the past decade and performs regularly in the December Music Season conducted in Chennai, India. She also sings for dance productions, recitals, and arranges music for Carnatic-Western collaborations. She recently composed and arranged music for the Baroque-Carnatic Connection, a unique program highlighting the connections between South Indian Classical music and Western Baroque music. Jahnavi co-directed Alankaar, an Indian music community choir at Wright State University, where she arranged Indian classical and folk compositions for a choir format while incorporating Western elements of harmony and counter melody. She currently plays with the Mason Symphony Orchestra and holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Ohio State University. Jahnavi currently works at Energizer and is pursuing a master’s degree in Carnatic Music from Aria University.
HARSHA
Harsha Mandayam Bharathi is a Carnatic percussionist who plays the mridangam primarily, and he has been learning since the age of 4. He was under the tutelage of Vidwan Poongulam Subramanian and Vidwan S.J. Arjun Ganesh for 14 years and has been receiving advanced lessons from Dr. Patri Satish Kumar for the past 5 years. He has been performing in concerts, ensembles and arangetrams across India and the US for the past 9 years. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at the University of Chicago.
RAGHAV
Raghav Kasibhatla, a Carnatic vocal student of Sri Thiruvarur Girish and Sri Lalit Subramanian, learns flute from Sri Krishna Prasad and is studying Computer Science at Ohio State University, USA. He was first initiated into Carnatic vocal by Sri Vishnu Pasumarthy at the age of 6, who trained him for 7 years and instilled in him a love of music. He also began learning Carnatic flute from Sreekrishna Pasumarthy from the age of 7. He subsequently started vocal lessons from Thiruvarur Sri Girish and Sri Lalit Subramanian, who together taught advanced lessons to Raghav, strengthened his appreciation of, and passion for music. He presented a full-length concert at his Vocal Arangetram in Cleveland, OH in May, 2019. In India, Raghav performed in Chennai under the auspices of The Brinda Repertory.
STUDENTS
- Manasvi Udani
- Mira Kumar
- Yukti Chokshi
- Vanshika Kapoor
- Shambhavi Varadkar
- Rasika Siva
- Siri Pendurthi
- Madhumita Peddisetty
- Swara Pandit
- Lavishka Kapoor
- Aishani Majmudar
- Navya Siva
- Srinidhi Jadcherla
- Uma Patel
- Mala Gokhale
- Meghana Paladugu
- Diya Yetukuri
- Jiya Gokhale
- Diya Raval
- Sanvi Patel
- Anjana Thottimpudi
- Lasya Emani
- Aashvee Shah
- Saanvi Shah
- Saheli Sriram
- Yukti Uppu
- Hanika Kachakayala
- Shrinika Balgarkashi
