The fact that art transcends geographical boundaries and languages came to the fore at the recent five-day Multilingual Drama Festival held at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chennai. The themes ranged from social issues and epics to folklore, showing how theater is a powerful tool of communication.
The festival started with an English play by Theater Nisha. BinnuOne of the many women whom renowned author ‘Shivani’ Gaura Pant met and interacted with, and whose life inspired her to come up with the second part of the book. Criminal – women without mena collection of stories.
storybook
V. Balakrishnan, the director of the play, selected seven stories from this book and stitched them together. The two musicians, Srivaralakshmi ‘Maya’, playing the harmonium and Deepak, the percussionist, were not mere witnesses to the drama on stage, but enhanced its effect with their musical notes.
From child marriage and domestic violence to social hierarchies and customs, a group of nine actors effortlessly move from one story to another. The story, which started casually, picked up pace when the actor playing the role of the writer involved the audience in the story. The actor’s transformation from a narrator to a character was seamless.
the story of BinnuAn innocent, docile young girl who later chooses to live life on her own terms or that of the trickster Mrs. Ghosh or Madhu Ben, who seeks freedom from her estranged husband, were part of the impressive collection.
well imagine
malayalam drama Chandaala Bhikshuki, at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Multilingual Theater Festival on July 12, 2023 in Chennai. Photo Credit: Raveendran R
The play was interestingly conceived, with no sets, minimal props where necessary, and no costume changes. The dialogues helped to establish a connection with the region in which the story was set. The singing and dancing poses of the actors themselves were cleverly woven into the narrative. This was particularly impressive in the story of Vaishya Naseem. ‘A Mother’s Prayer’ is famous for its well-crafted visuals and dramatic scenes. It was a fitting end to the series of stories. Throughout the play, the audience could relate to the emotions portrayed by actors Shakti Ramani, Aparna Kumar, Shivangi Singh, Preeti Bhardwaj, Niharika KS, Farah Sultana, Meera Sitharaman, Karthik Gaurishankar and Navneet.
Dharini Komal’s epic costume Tamil drama ‘Draupadi’ was staged on the second day of the festival, which premiered in September, 2022 and has had several shows.
Kumaran Asan’s classic poem
malayalam drama, Chandaala BhikshukiOn the third day a play written by Kumaran Asan was staged. stories of Chandaala Bhikshuki (1922) and Thank you (1933; Rabindranath Tagore) is the same, and it is relevant to understand the society in which he lived and what influenced his writings. Caste discrimination and gender inequality troubled Kumaran Asan, who was influenced by Rabindranath Tagore and Swami Vivekananda. Both Asana and Tagore were inspired by the popular Buddhist legend of Ananda (a disciple of the Buddha) and Chandalika, a girl from an oppressed caste, which became the seed of their works.
In celebration, young children, dressed in black, came together to introduce the title, carrying a placard with a letter. These letters also symbolized a renaissance in thought as the reformer Narayana Guru Kumaran was the teacher of Asana. Black clothes seemed to represent the black evils of the society.
The play begins with a man from the privileged class walking in with his entourage. Their way has to be cleared from people of other castes. The elderly woman who does not leave on time has to face the wrath of the people. It reflects the milieu in which the play was staged.
powerful narrative
The story is set in Shravasti, where a thirsty monk approaches a Chandalika who was drawing water from a well. The young girl is moved by his compassion and falls in love with him. With a deep understanding of herself, she soon realizes the essence of compassion transcending the barriers of caste, gender and religion to become a Chandala Bhikshu or Chandala monk.
With such a powerful story, one expected more from the drama. The three elements – dialogue delivery, expressions and dance – could have made a better impact if woven together well. A little more attention should have been paid to the costumes, visual changes and props as well. Although the performances of the cast were not that impressive, the same can be said about the dance. Repetitive activities lead to fatigue.
The play was directed by Abhilash Parameswaran, directed by AV Anoop, KJ Ajayakumar and Bindu Namboothiri. Dance choreography was done by Sampreeta Kesavan and L.Narendra Kumar.