Desh parva ends with Ghasiram Kotwal by Rajinder Nath

Desh Parva, the festival of Performing arts of India comes to end with the performance of Ghasiram Kotwal directed by Rajiv Nadh.The repeat  show of Ashish Vidyarthi is the other attraction of the day.  The details about the program on 13th October is as:

1. Kul Varnika : 11:00 am – 1:00 pm Meghdoot III (Entry ticket)

1.Ashish Vidyarthi:

His presentation is based on verses from “A City’s Death by Fire” by Derek Walcott from St. Lucia. The presentation is about the repercussions of anger and hatred, its impact on culture, on people of every faith and belief. Yet, there is a silver lining, of the ability of the human being to reinvent himself and create a bright future from the very embers that burnt down everything

Preethi Athrye:

Her presentation is based on a poem of D’Lo, a Sri Lankan political theatre artist, writer and director. Apart from being a comedian and music producer, D’Lo loves to make people laugh and think --- and that in no particular order.

1. Nritya Rupa: 5.30 pm Meghdoot I (Entry free)

BHARATNATAYAM: Artists: Kanaka Shrinivasan’s group Presented by Nrithyaranjani

Bharatanatyam of Tamil Nadu in southern India has grown out of the art of dancers dedicated to temples, and was earlier known as Sadir or Dasi Attam. It is the first of India's traditional dances to be refashioned as a theatre art and to be exhibited widely both at home and abroad. Bharatanatyam rests on principles of performance and an aesthetics set down in classics such as Bharata's Natyashastra. It has a rich repertoire of songs in Telugu, Tamil and Sanskrit. Bharatanatyam has a highly evolved language of nritta, abstract dance, and nritya which unfolds the narrative. The themes have a wide range spanning human and divine love, and are generally classed under the rubric of shringara (romantic love) and bhakti (devotion). The music of Bharatanatyam belongs to the Carnatic system of southern India.

Bharatanatyam is presented here by disciples of Kanaka Srinivasan, a leading Bharatanatyam dancer based in Delhi. Kanaka Srinivasan is the recipient of honours including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

KATHAK: Presented by Kathak Kendra of Sangeet Natak Akademi

Kathak is the principal dance of northern India, widely practised in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, and parts of western and eastern India . Expanding and refining its movement and vocabulary of expression, this art possibly transited to a courtly milieu in medieval India, and achieved its finest flowering under Mughal rule. Later, in the nineteenth century, the princely courts at Lucknow, Jaipur, Raigarh, and other places emerged as leading centres of Kathak dance.

Kathak's thematic content today straddles various worlds, even though the lore of Krishna still has a special place in its repertoire. Kathak is characterized stylistically by its footwork and pirouettes, and is pre-eminently a dance of rhythm-play. The music of traditional Kathak consists of the Thumri and other lyrical song-forms, and the essential musical instruments are the Tabla, Pakhawaj, and Sarangi.

Kathak dance is presented in the festival by Kathak Kendra, New Delhi, a constituent unit of Sangeet Natak Akademi. It is a leading institution in the teaching of Kathak dance.

1. Natya Darshan : 6.30 pm Shri Ram Centre Auditorium (Entry ticket)

GHASIRAM KOTWAL (Hindi)

Written by Vijay Tendulkar

Direction: Rajinder Nath

Presented by National School of Drama( New Delhi)

Act One
After Ganesh Vandana, the Sutradhar and the Chorus dressed as Brahmins describe the degenerate condition of the society during the rule of the Peshwa chieftain Nana Phadnavis.

The Brahmins arrive at the Kotha of Gulabi Bai where Nana sprains his foot while dancing with Gulabi Bai. Gulabi Bai’s Kanauji Brahmin servant Ghasiram saves him from falling on the ground. Nana is highly pleased and presents him with a necklace. However, Gulabi Bai and the gangsters of the Kotha forcibly snatch the necklace from Ghasiram, and the Pune Brahmins conspire to declare Ghasiram a thief. He is publicly humiliated and beaten up by the police, with the result that he is angered and lusts for revenge. Ghasiram uses his beautiful daughter, who is forced to submit to Nana’s desire in order to secure for her father the office of Kotwal of Pune. Finally, Ghasiram becomes the Kotwal. For Nana, it is nothing but a cold political move.

Act Two

As Kotwal, Ghasiram indulges in high-handed acts of vengeance. He becomes a tyrant for his foes, the Brahmins of Pune. Nana remarries for the seventh time and his new wife is but 12 years old. This shocks Ghasiram. His burning desire to take revenge crosses all limits. Some Brahmins who were alleged to have stolen some fruits are imprisoned in a small room, where a few of them die of suffocation. The Brahmins raise the banner of revolt against the Kotwal. Now Nana also wants to get rid of Ghasiram. Nana orders that Ghasiram be paraded through the city and hanged. After the cold-blooded killing of Ghasiram, Nana delivers a highly charged speech, thus remaining at the centre of affairs in the play.

The play is directed by Rajinder Nath, and presented by the National School of Drama Repertory Company, New Delhi.

Ratan Tiyyam and Ashish Vidyarthi Performs in Desh Parv…

Desh Parv - Programme on 12th October, Tuesday
Kul Varnika : 11:00 am – 1:00 pm Meghdoot III (Entry ticket)
1. Ashish Vidyarthi:
His presentation is based on verses from “A City’s Death by Fire” by Derek Walcott from St. Lucia. The presentation is about the repercussions of anger and hatred, its impact on culture, on people of every faith and belief. Yet, there is a silver lining, of the ability of the human being to reinvent himself and create a bright future from the very embers that burnt down everything            
 2.Preethi Athrye:
Her presentation is based on a poem of D’Lo, a Sri Lankan political theatre artist, writer and director. Apart from being a comedian and music producer, D’Lo loves to make people laugh and think --- and that in no particular order.

Nritya Rupa:  5.30 pm Meghdoot I (Entry free)
 SATTRIYA: Presented by Sattriya Kendra of Sangeet Natak Akademi

The Sattriya dance has evolved out of performances that took shape in the vast network of sattras or monasteries that were established in Assam since the sixteenth century, when the Vaishnava movement led by Shankaradeva (1449-1568) swept the land. Dramatist and composer as much as social and religious reformer, Shankaradeva was the fountainhead of this great array of performance forms, and created a corpus of songs and dance-dramas that constitute the core of the edifice. It has subsequently been built up by the service of generations of artists at the sattras, whence a theatre art of the present day has emerged in recent times. The non-monastic Sattriya dance today is mainly the preserve of the laity.

Naren Chandra Baruah, and Ghana Kanta Bora Borbayan’s group will be performing Sattriya dance.

 CHHAU: Presented by Chhau Kendra of Sangeet Natak Akademi

The Chhau dance in its origin is the dance of indigenous peoples inhabiting a broad tract of land that today spreads over the States of Orissa, Jharkhand, and West Bengal in eastern India. In its content and technique, it bears the impress, successively, of the life of a hunting-gathering people in awe of nature, martial arts that evolved as the land was colonized by native rulers, and wider contacts in the modern period assimilating Chhau dance in the broad Indic tradition of natya.

Chhau dance is being presented by Chhau Kendra, Jamshedpur.
Natya Darshan :  6.30 pm Shri Ram Centre Auditorium (Entry ticket)
 WHEN WE DEAD AWAKEN (Manipuri)
      Written by Henrik Ibsen
      Direction: Ratan Thiyam

When We Dead Awaken is Hendrik Ibsen’s last play. Arnold Rubek, a sculptor who has made a name for himself through his creations, cannot find peace. He is ill at ease with his wife Maja, who is drawn to Ulfhejm, an uncouth hunter. Irene, a beautiful woman from Rubek’s past, enters his life. She leads him to a mountaintop. An avalanche kills both of them as they approach the summit. In the valley below, Maja sings exultantly.

In Ashibagee Eshei, the Manipuri adaptation of this play, Rubek becomes Shaktam Lakpa or Sculptor; Irene becomes Shaktam or Image; Maja becomes Shakhenbi or Beautiful Woman; and Ulfhejm becomes Lamlanba or Stranger. Other minor characters are left out.

Scenes from the three acts of the original play are picked up and interpolated without altering the storyline and disrupting the continuity. However, to retain the spirit of Ibsen, no alteration is made to his dialogues.
The play opens with Shaktam Lakpa and Shakhenbi talking and arguing about their incompatibility even long after their marriage. They then part to be with the persons of their choice. Shakhenbi leaves in the company of Lamlanba while Shaktam Lakpa stays behind with Shaktam, the long-lost woman from his past.
Shaktam Lakpa and Shaktam talk fondly of the bygone days recalling the time they had spent together. She had stood before him revealing her beauty to enable him to create The Resurrection Day sculpture figured in the likeness of a young woman, awakening from the sleep of death.

Shaktam is an image, yet has much that is human in her. His lost memories and desires to be with her awakened, Shaktam Lakpa, caught in an acute existential crisis, follows Shaktam to a mountaintop. An avalanche sweeps them away.

This play is directed by Ratan Thiyam and presented by Chorus Repertory Theatre of Imphal. Ratan Thiyam is among the foremost directors on India’s theatre scene today, with several renderings of worked drama in Manipuri’s own theatrical idiom.

Director’s Note:

Inspired by the central idea of Ibsen’s last play When We Dead Awaken, this piece of work concentrates only on the thematic content; it does not subscribe to the idea of either a realistic plot or normal structure.
The performance is designed to express the internal entanglement of characters without distorting the original idea, using selected dialogues without any change from the original text.

In doing this play, I just wanted to know a different Ibsen with imagery, fantasy and ecstasy – far away from the realistic, conventional mould where the performance becomes more subtle, symbolic, suggestive and stylized.
It was not easy for me to prepare a performance text for this. But I have enjoyed immensely playing the hide-and-seek game with the genius during the making of this performance and in the process of interpreting it.
-- Ratan Thiyam

Sangeet Marg: 8.45 pm Meghdoot I (Entry free)
 Percussion Ensemble ‘Laya Shakti ’ 
 Presented by Rashid Mustafa & Group

Outrageous, Hilarious, Unassuming…

It was all surprises, pure entertainment, and pure theatre in its raw rustic energy. The 150 minutes of musical (!) Vastraharan in Malvanai dialect of Marathi, performed by Bhadrakalai productions Mumbai, written by G. Gavankar and directed by late Ramesh Randive, was a comedy of all sorts. A play that was first performed by a group of amateur actors who are mill workers, now completed 5130 shows (inclusive of yesterdays as Sri Ram Centre. It was first performed in Mumbai in 1980, and is continuously running as the biggest hit on the commercial Marathi stage.

The plot is simple. A group of village actors’ initiated by an enthusiastic village chief at the helm of affairs and a school teacher as the director have rehearsed immensely to perform the Vastraharan act of Draupadi from Mahabharata as a musical. And it is the time of performance and all sorts of errors that can be possible along the production and performance of a play takes place one after another. As the musical is about to start news come that the music party has gone to perform for a funeral of an old lady who died at the age of 92 and will not be available for the musical!.Then comes the actor in the costume of Arjuana fully drunk and wavering on his feet – the justification is that the local barman has told him that no great actor of the past has ventured the stage without a drink!

Then it is all comedy, comedy of errors, errors of all sorts – comedy of action, situation, caricaturing, cartooning, verbal comedy, wits, satire, mispronunciation, mistaken entries, ridiculing the current political situation (when the prompter corrects the dialogue of one actor, the village head warns that he can say anything and be careful with him, since he is a politician belonging to the Maharashtra Navanirman Sena !). None including the actors, musicians, politicians including Raj Thakeray and Manmohan Singh, not even commonwealth games and Konkan Railway were spared! Dhrutharashtra is called as Maharashtra, the actor acting as Lord Indra gets possessed and demands a dance by a Lavani dancer (he has spotted one in the audience), Vidura comes smoking a beedi, the blind king Dhrutharashtra wearing a glass, and Durytodhana without a headgear, (the actor acting the role of a servant has put up glittering costumes, and ornaments including the crown!), etc to list a few incidents that initiates laughter. And finally the ‘the wife of Draupadi’ has given birth to a boy child after 7 girls and the actor is fully boozed in happiness and is missing, leaving the Lavani dancer to enact as Draupadi. She has to just appear at the right time, with loosened hair, crying and the rest other actors will do, she has to simply finish the act and leave; very simple!

But at the last moment Dussasana do not agree to derob since he will not touch the Sari of another lady other than his own wife. Suddenly he goes all moral and quits the costumesand headgear of Dussasana (the real motif is that his wife will kill him if he dare to touch another lady!) Then who will do the disrobing? There is a competition between the director and the village head for that role – both are charmed by the Lavani dancer for sure- but the wife of the village chief appears and a quarrel –typically feminine!- between the dancer and the wife of the chief follows; a real fight between the Malvani lady with a Kohalapuri damsel, and it is the wife of the village chief finally attacks Draupadi and the throne of Dussasana is placed on her head!

The play is so simple and unassuming. We can say it is Brehtian since everything is open and exposed no melodrama, neither catharsis. We can say this is a postmodern dissemination of a society and a discourse on play making itself. But the play itself is unassuming and direct as possible; it is the sheer show of actors, their histrionics, body language with perfect timing, negation of all aesthetics and concerns regarding the form and structure. At times we can say that there are excesses and playing out for the clap of the audience; after all who decides the border and limits?

Kutiyattam by Margi Madhu and Nangiar Koothu by Margi Sathi

Margi Madhu and Margi sathi represented the oldest living theatre form Kutiyattam in the festival of performance festival. Madhu selected to perform Sankhaksheeravapussu .. from Balacharitham written by Bhasa, a piece usually used for the Arangettam (the first performance). This act gave him the [possibilities to portray varied emotions including veera, Bheebhalsa, Karuna, etc. The three avatars of lord Vishnu (Narasimha, Vamana, and Rama) are crammed into the 80 minutes of his performance. Out of the three different segments the Mahabali –Vamana episode stood out. The form of Kutiyattam that allows transforming from one character to another, to travel in time forward and backward, from response to cause, from reaction to action and backward, present to past,from moments of brisk action to stillness, from the loud percussion on Mizhavu to silence, externalizing the internal rhythm etc was apparent in the show. The death scene of Ravana echoed the famous death scene of Bali enacted by the legendary actor Ammannoor Madhava Chakyar.

Margi sathi opted to enact the Seethaswayamvaram and pertained to the classical and controlled style of Nangiarkootu tradition convincingly.

Dance of the Deserts – Kamal Jabri and Group

By the late evening Music Ensemble ‘Dance of the Dessert’ performed by Kamal Sabri & group displayed a rare combination of sarangi with the vocal and ably assisted by percussion to portray the prangs of the desert, its rhythm, loneliness, vast dunes, and the feel of fast wind that blows, all in terms of the reverberations of music created by the fast moving fingers on the strings of Sarod and rhythm instruments. The ‘Caravan’, which took the audience from the deserts of Rajasthan to the deserts of the middle east was quite imaginative in concept and exemplary in execution. 

Navtej Singh Johar presented “The grass is singing”, the first and one of the greatest books of on Doris Lessing. This novel, written almost entirely in the form of an extended flashback, details the mental, spiritual, financial and marital disintegration of Dick and Mary Turner, white farmers struggling to make a living off a sun-baked farm in South Africa. Navtej Johar is a Bharatanatyam exponent and a choreographer, whose work freely traverses between the traditional and the contemporary.

Priti Patel’s presentation is based on the verses of Bangladesh’s Poet Jasimuddin’s ‘Nakshi Kanthar Math’. The work has been hailed a masterpiece because of its simplicity, its charm and its deep humanity. In this saga of loss and separation, hunger and frustration, the villager displays the values of constancy, courage, love and hope. Observed SNA’s Secretary, Jayant Kastuar, “Navtej Johar’s treatment of a complete novel on a theme of racist Africa in a short performance was bold & successful. On the other hand Priti Patel’s rendition of Jasimuddin’s poem from Bangladesh in her inimitable Manipuri style fused with Bengali rendition was very touching.”

Earelier there was a show of Manipuri dance- a meditative and introvert from by itself. The dancers seem to be in an act of communication with the surroundings and the ultimate and are not in touch or aware of the audience. The movements are circular and continuous, each merging into the other. The Pung, a drum, and flute are the principal instruments used in Manipuri dance.

Kuchipudi is an all-male dance-drama tradition that takes its name from Kuchipudi village in Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh Students of Jayarama Rao trained in the Kuchipudi Dance Academy performed Kuchipudi dance in the festival.

“The Manipuri tradition of Sangeetam and Raslila is part of the living culture of the state took us to great heights of ecstasy in today’s performance, while Kuchipudi performers of Andhra tradition, dazzled the audience with their verve and vivacity. Each tradition presented in exclusively designed stage sets”, said Jayant Kastuar.

Photos : Chandradasan

Shakuntalam directed by Kavalam at Desh Parv

Desh Parv has been divided into five segments namely Kul Varnika ( Commonwealth literature in performance), Desaj (Diverse expressions of the nations), Nritya Rupa (Dances of India) Natya Darshan (A vision of theatre in India), Sangeet Marg ( Paths of Indian Music) encompassing all forms of performing arts. The details about the five art forms are as:
Kul Varnika : 11:00 am – 1:00 pm Meghdoot III (Entry ticket)
Navtej Singh Johar, Delhi:

Navtej Singh Johar bases his presentation on Doris Lessing’s novel, “The grass is singing”. This novel, written almost entirely in the form of an extended flashback, details the mental, spiritual, financial and marital disintegration of Dick and Mary Turner, white farmers struggling to make a living off a sun-baked farm in South Africa.

Priti Patel, Kolkata:
Priti Patel’s presentation is based on the verses of Bangladesh’s Poet Jasimuddin’s Nakshi Kanthar Math. The work has been hailed a masterpiece because of its simplicity, its charm and its deep humanity. In this saga of loss and separation, hunger and frustration, the villager displays the values of constancy, courage, love and hope. There are few who can dignify, as Jasimuddin does, the common folk by the quality of their love, and few who can enhance a poem by its power to portray that love.
Nritya Rupa:   5.30 pm Meghdoot I (Entry free)
ODISSI: Presented by Ranjana Gauhar’s group
Odissi dance belongs to the State of Orissa in eastern India, where it was performed in its rudimentary form as part of temple service by maharis or female temple servants. This traditional dance was remoulded as a theatre art towards the middle of the twentieth century incorporating elements from various other forms of dance in Orissa and also representations of dance in Orissa’s medieval sculpture, painting, and literature. In its remodelled form, Odissi dance has spread quickly across the country and thence the wider world.

The Vaishnava faith of Orissa is at the heart of Odissi dance and the lore of Krishna and Radha supplies its episodic content. Love lyrics from Jayadeva's Sanskrit work Gitagovindam thus have pride of place on the Odissi dance repertoire, together with songs in Oriya by medieval and early modern poets such as Upendra Bhanja and Banamali Das. These are interpreted by the dancer employing a grammar of hand gestures of hastas. A codified footwork of padabheda, gaits and walks termed chali, and spins or bhramaris are other components of the technique of Odissi dance. Created as it has been partly from sculptural representations of dance, Odissi in its performance often appears sculpturesque, particularly in its graceful tribhangis or the firm, square stance called chowk. The movements are soft and graceful. The dancer is supported by a singer, a drummer who plays the Pakhawaj, and accompanies on the flute and plucked strings. The dance conductor also sits with the musicians reciting rhythmic syllables and keeping time with his cymbals.

Odissi is being presented by the Utsav Cultural Society and is performed by Ranjana Gauhar’s disciples. Ranjana Gauhar is a leading dancer who has performed extensively and choreographed several dance-dramas based on Odissi and Chhau dances. She is also a dance teacher who has been a visiting lecturer at the Summer Academy, Berlin. She has produced several documentaries on dance. The Utsav Cultural Society, founded by Ranjana Gauhar, is a non-commercial, non-governmental cultural institution aiming to preserve, promote, and propagate the performing arts of India

MOHINIATTAM: Presented by Trikala Gurukulam

Mohiniattam, which belongs to Kerala in southern India, takes its name from the mythic enchantress Mohini. It is a dance of feminine grace, and has grown out of performances connected with Kerala's temples. The prince Swati Tirunal of Travancore, a patron of arts and an artist himself, was one of the chief architects of the dance in the nineteenth century, and composed a large repertoire of songs which accompany the performance. Characterized by femininity, Mohiniattam has no heavy steps or rhythmic tension: the footwork is gentle, soft, and sliding. The dancer's body rises and falls with an easy grace, with the emphasis mainly on the torso. Restraint in movement is the hallmark of the dance. Mohiniattam uses rhythms that are special to Kerala; the rhythmic syllables used are those of the Maddalam, a drum which provides accompaniment for female roles in the Kathakali theatre. The main percussion instrument in the performance is the Edakka. The other musical instruments are the Mridangam, the Veena, the flute, and the Kuzhitalam or cymbals. The oscillations in the melody accord with the movements in the dance.

Mohiniattam is being presented by Trikalaa Gurukulam, an institution established by Deepti Omcherry Bhalla, a dancer based in Delhi. Deepti Bhalla learnt Mohiniattam under Kalyanikutty Amma, and has presented recitals at leading dance venues. Awarded a Ph.D for her thesis on the Sopana music of Kerala, she is currently Professor of Carnatic music at Delhi University. Trikalaa Gurukulam is perhaps the only institute in Delhi which provides training in both Carnatic classical music and the Sopana Music of Kerala. The institute provides training in Mohiniattam also. Trikalaa’s dance repertory has given several group presentations in important festivals like the Konark Fest in Bhubaneshavar, Chamba Shastrabdi fest in Chamba, etc. The artistes performing Mohiniattam are Deepti Omchery Bhalla, Swapna Nair, Lavanya Devi, Priya Bhaskar, Aishwarya Radhakrishnan, Amrita Vijayan. The accompanying members of the orchestra are as follows: Vocal – Radhakrishnan, Mridangam – Vetri Bhupati, Eddaikka – Sateesh Poduval, Veena – Geeta Mohan.

Desaj : 6:00 pm Kathak Kendra North Delhi (Entry free)
PUPPETRY: Aakar Puppet Theatre  Presented by Putul Kendra
Natya Darshan : 6.30 pm Shri Ram Centre Auditorium (Entry ticket)
SHAKUNTALAM (Sanskrit)
      Written by Mahakavi Kalidasa
      Direction: Kavalam Narayan Panikkar

Abhijnana Shakuntalam of Kalidasa is based on the Sakuntalopakhyana of the epic Mahabharata. The original play is in seven acts. The present production is an abridged one depicting the love between Dushyanta, king of Hastinapura, and Sakuntala. The scene of the first four acts takes place in sage Kanva’s hermitage at the foot of the Himalayas. Later the scene shifts to Dushyanta’s palace.
King Dushyanta is in the forest with his retinue, engaged in a royal hunt. As he is about to shoot a deer with his arrow, an ascetic asks him to refrain from it, informing him that the animal belongs to the ashrama or hermitage of the sage Kanva. In the ashrama he comes across three girls watering flowering plants. At first sight, the king falls in love with one of them, Sakuntala, the adopted daughter of Kanva. The king determines to encamp there, drawn by his passion. Sakuntala is also struck by the grace and charm of the visitor.
The king is introduced in a love-sick condition by his bosom friend Madhavya, the Vidushaka, to Sakuntala. In the ensuing scene, we find the hero and the heroine in love.
There follows the union of the lovers in the traditional gandharva marriage, and the king adorns Sakuntala’s finger with a signet ring which establishes his identity.
After the King leaves her to go to his kingdom, Sakuntala is alone in the hermitage, lost in thoughts about her lover. Thus brooding, she fails to offer proper hospitality to sage Durvasa, who visits the hermitage as a guest. The hot-tempered sage curses her that she would be forgotten by the person whom she was contemplating. Her friends Anasuya and Priyamvada plead Sakuntala’s absent-mindedness. Then the sage modifies the curse by saying that the curse would cease to have any effect on Sakuntala’s producing some token of recognition.
Kanva approves the gandharva marriage and sends Sakuntala to her husband with Gowtami and two of his disciples.
At the royal palace, the king denies all knowledge of his relationship with Sakuntala. Sakuntala fails to arouse the king’s memory. As a last resort, she wants to show him the signet ring which was given to her at the time of parting; but unfortunately it had slipped off from her finger during the journey. Finally she is driven out of the court.
Finally, the lost ring is recovered and the king regains his memory of Sakuntala. Sakuntala and the King are united once again.
This play is directed by Kavalam Narayana Panikkar, a major interpreter of Sanskrit drama on the modern stage. It is presented by the theatre group Sopanam of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, founded by him.
Director’s Note:
The first textual reference Mrgaya vihari parthivo dushyantah, clearly indicates the king’s disposition and the reaction of his subjects to his hunt. The second passage appearing at the end of the text Prakrti hitaya pathiva is coupled with this to interpret the play afresh. Prakrti hita is Praja hita, (welfare of the people), to which the king is bound by duty. It is evident from the text that Dushyanta’s hunt, which started with a hunt for the animal, ultimately culminated in the hunt of the poor girl Sakuntala. Sakuntala is also another deer of the forest; the text leads you to the contextual acting by which Sakuntala represents nothing but nature.
Another point to be noted is that there is an interaction between the group and the individual – the king and the people at large – one complementary to the other, both moving in a causal chain. Dushyanta feels that he has nothing to bind him as he dabbles his own fancy in the sacred precincts of the hermitage. So he does not heed the caution from his people. Slowly, by the end of the third act, he responds to the sentiment of the group; but by then he is quite deep in his commitment. We find that the same people, and not her mother, the apsara Menaka, give refuge to Sakuntala when she is thrown out by her lover. In the final scene of reunion, the same people kindle the king’s memory by handing over the signet ring to him.
The limit of one’s own rights irrespective of whether one is the ruler or the ruled has to be laid down by some authority, lest the social equilibrium be disturbed. Whichever age we belong to, the problem repeats itself in different contemporary dimensions.
Sangeet Marg:  11:00 am Meghdoot II (Entry free)
VIDYAPATI SANGEET OF BIHAR 
     Presented by Kunj Bihari Mishra & Group, Madhubani
Vidyapati Sangeet of Bihar is based on the love songs of Vidyapati, a fourteenth century poet, composed in Maithili, a regional language of Bihar in Eastern India. His songs treat Radha and Krishna as ideal lovers, and their love, being the theme of the classical Vaishnava poems, is essentially romantic in nature. Vidyapati's songs depict the unenjoyed pleasure of love and romance which apparently seem to be sensuous and sensual, but there is a touch of fine, delicate supramundane love which never comes under the surveillance of the casual readers of romantic taste. A true devotee of Krishna, who has ‘exclusive love' in his heart, never senses any sensuality in Vidyapati's love songs. Vidyapati is considered to be the pioneer in introducing lyricism in poems composed in a regional language. His Padavali is a temple of cadence, where the duly regulated rise and fall of voice makes one oblivious of himself. Because of this musical quality, the songs in his Padavali are very popular in India, especially in his native state Bihar. These have become folk songs in Mithila only due to this lyrical quality. Vidyapati's songs are sung with different ragas and talas and fully imbibe the atmosphere of classical music.
Vidyapati sangeet is being sung by Kunj Bihari Mishra. Kunj Bihari Mishra is a singer of the Mithila region of Bihar who presents traditional and folk songs with a touch of classical music. He is a well-known exponent of Vidyapati Sanget and has performed widely across India. The accompanying artists are: Govind Bihari Mishra – Vocal Support, Chandra Mohan Mishra – Vocal Support, Sajjan Kumar Jha – Jhallar, Parshuram Singh – Pakhawaj, Ashok Yadav – Dholak, Mithleash Mandal – Manjeera, and Arun Kumar Mallick – Tanpura.

SOPANA SANGEET OF KERALA
      Presented by Kavalam Srikumar
Sopana Sangeet literally means the music sung at the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. It has a wider connotation signifying the traditional music of Kerala, as it presents the regional ethos.
In its musical form per se, it is preserved in the temples to accompany the rituals. This is known as Kotti Padti Seva. Apart from the pure musical form, it assumes its visual linkage in Kalamezhuthupattu (the music describing the figure of the Goddess Kali on the floor, made with powder in five natural colours).
Sopana music in its applied form emerges into different dimensions and its specialties are varied according to the synergic requirements of each discipline. It ranges from Mudiyettu (ritual drama) to Kathakali through Krishnattam and Mohiniyattam.
The form with all the variations in applications postulates certain basic tenets which find a legitimate place for it as an organic system which justifies the essential inter-relationship of the kinetics related to the audio-visual tradition of the region.
Sopana Sangeet is being performed by Kavalam Sreekumar. He has performed in prestigious festivals in India and abroad. Winner of many awards, he has lent his voice to many Malayalam films also.

8.45 Meghdoot I (Entry free)

MUSIC ENSEMBLE ‘Dance of the Dessert’
           Presented by Kamal Sabri & Group

Gubbi Veeranna Reincarnated…

It was all Karnataka in Desh parv yesterday, 09^th of October. At Sriram centre the legendary play Sadarame by Gubbi Veeranna and his company theatre in the 1940’s was reproduced by Spandana Bangalore directed by none other than B Jayashree, the granddaughter of Gubbi Veeranna. She directed the play as well acted the role of Kalla (Thief) that Gubbi Veeranna himself acted. The play was produced true to the traditional style of the company Sangeetha Natakam of those bygone years, with actors singing, painted Curtains, costumes, and comedy, but abridged. Thus it gave an opportunity for the theatre enthusiasts to have a feel of those bygone days and its theatre sensibilities. Of course there was restraint in the glittering of the costumes, the set becoming more three dimensional and lighting that patched the modern knowledge of theatre, and actors somehow feeling uneasy to sing and act out extravagantly. The greatest thing about the whole evening was of course see Jayashree act out the role of a male thief very passionately and with ease as a tribute to her grandfather…It seems emotional and personal gratifying for her in the whole act itself and a delight for the audience to watch.

The story line of the play written by B.N Shastry based on a folk tale is simple. Prince Jayaveera is not interested in the worldly life or in ascending his father’s throne, and is quite content to be pursuing philosophy. However, this changes when he meets Sadarame, a beautiful, innocent middle-class girl, and succeeds in marrying her. And that is when all their troubles begin. Even as hardships challenge young Sadarame, she overcomes every hurdle with her intelligence, and the play ends on a happy note.

And the day was almost excelled by Karnnataka artists. A Yakshagana performance KARTHAVEERYARJUNA KALAGA was performed by Sri Idagunji Mahaganapati Yakshagana Mandali, Keremane under the direction and choreography by Keremane Shivananda Hegde.

Yakshagana is a generic term referring mainly to a traditional form of Kannada theatre predominant in coastal Karnataka, variants of which are found in other parts of the state as well, under names such as Bayalata, Dasavatar, and Bhagavatara Ata. The distinct identity of the form is the Bhakti movement that provided an ideological framework and structured and the second is Bhutaradhane – ritual forms of the Dakshina Kannad region from which Yakshagana borrowed elements of dance, costume, make-up, and movement pattern. Yakshagana absorbed these variegated influences; it began to evolve its unique style, growing into a lively medieval entertainment.

Yakshagana can take place virtually in any open space and is financed by patrons or the village community. Usually a troupe consists of one or two singers (Bhagavatas), at least three instrumentalists – a maddale drummer, one for chende, and one to provide the drone on a harmonium – and ten to fifteen actors playing both male and female roles.

Yakshagana has developed an elaborate system of metrical compositions, postures, and choreographic patterns. It lays emphasis on the entire body rather than just the hands and face. Likewise, the speech ranges from the musical-rhetorical to normal conversational, the make-up from mask-like ornamentation to the bare minimum, and the costumes from large headdresses and decorations to ordinary dhotis and turbans.
The battle between the demon King Ravana and Karthaveerarjuna was performed with all the characteristics of this powerful and spectacular theatre form with ease and élan.

The morning session of the ongoing cultural extravaganza of Sangeet Natak Akademi echoed with soothing musical performances. The performances included Odissi Sangeet presented by Ramhari Das & group and Haveli Sangeet presented by Chandra Prakash.

Odissi music, primarily practiced in the state of Orissa, belongs to the Udramagadhi branch of ancient Indian music. In its present form, Odissi music gives great importance to the lyric, where words are required to be sung without fragmentation or distortion. The Odissi style of music has some similarity with the Hindustani Dhrupad style. The percussion instrument used, the Mardal, is also similar to the Pakhawaj. Odissi is thus a very old classical style of music with specific ragas, talas, and its own special style of rendering of lyrics and melody.

Haveli Sangeet or the Music of the Lord's House is Vaishnavite temple music which originated in Braj in the early sixteenth century as an integral part of worship in the temple of Sri Nathiji or Lord of Govardhan (Krishna). Haveli Sangeet actually refers to the music performed in the Haveli temples (‘house’ or ‘mansion’ in Persian) that predominates in Rajasthan.

Observed SNA’s Secretary, Jayant Kastuar “Odissi Sangeet by Guru RamHari Das & group gave us a glimpse of its rich sahitya and its linkages with the Jagarnath Temple of Puri”.

The afternoon session of Desh Parv consisted of folk dances form various states of India making the spectators dance to its beat.

“Desh Parv”, the 10-day festival of performing arts of India promises to offer the citizens and the international tourist’s unique bouquet of Indian music, dance, theatre, folk, and narrative arts.

Desh Parva 10th October

Desh Parv has been divided into five segments namely Kul Varnika ( Commonwealth literature in performance), Desaj (Diverse expressions of the nations), Nritya Rupa (Dances of India) Natya Darshan (A vision of theatre in India), Sangeet Marg ( Paths of Indian Music) encompassing all forms of performing arts. The details about the five art forms are as:
Kul Varnika :
      11:00 am – 1:00 pm Meghdoot III, SNA New Delhi
      Navtej Singh Johar, Delhi:
Navtej Singh Johar bases his presentation on Doris Lessing’s novel, “The grass is singing”. This novel, written almost entirely in the form of an extended flashback, details the mental, spiritual, financial and marital disintegration of Dick and Mary Turner, white farmers struggling to make a living off a sun-baked farm in South Africa.
             Priti Patel, Kolkata:
Priti Patel’s presentation is based on the verses of Bangladesh’s Poet Jasimuddin’s Nakshi Kanthar Math. The work has been hailed a masterpiece because of its simplicity, its charm and its deep humanity. In this saga of loss and separation, hunger and frustration, the villager displays the values of constancy, courage, love and hope. There are few who can dignify, as Jasimuddin does, the common folk by the quality of their love, and few who can enhance a poem by its power to portray that love.
Nritya Rupa:
      6.00 pm Kathak Kendra North Delhi
      Kathak
          &
      8.45 pm Meghdoot I
      Manipuri: NATASANKIRTANA & VASANT RAS
     KUCHIPUDI: Presented by Jayarama Rao’s group
Natya Darshan :
      6.30 pm Shri Ram Centre Auditorium, New Delhi
      VASTRAHARAN (Marathi- Malvani dialect)
      Written by Gangaram Gavankar
      Direction: Ramesh Randive

In a small village of Konkan called Revandi, the villagers have gathered to perform a story from the epic Mahabharata, that of Draupadi Vastraharan – the disrobing of Draupadi. The village Head Tatya Sarpanch is at the helm of affairs, while the village teacher, Joshi Master is the director. Tatya is keen that people from all over the region watch his play and shower praise on him. He is doing his utmost to get the act together. After rigorous rehearsals for a month and a half, the play is now ready to be staged.

The amateur actors of the village are bursting with enthusiasm to put up the play, but they have their whims and fancies coupled with tricky, badly-timed real life situations. As a result, the drama that happens behind the scenes turns out to be far more theatrical than the actual play. Vastraharan is the fun-filled, humorous story of that drama.
Every traditional play in Maharashtra starts with Nandi, or invocation to the gods. As the Nandi is about to start, they find the musicians missing. They have been whisked away to perform at the funeral of an old woman of the village who has died at the age of 100. So what happens to the music of the ‘musical’ Vastraharan?

The man playing Draupadi gets the news that his wife has given birth to his eighth child – a son after seven girls. He leaves the stage, runs home and gets dead drunk! Who then plays Draupadi?

The actor playing Lord Indra gets actually possessed by a god (!) and ‘demands’ that the Tamasha dancer sitting in the audience perform for him. Is his demand met?

Dusshasan, the villain who is supposed to do the disrobing, refuses to disrobe the new Draupadi. Who then fills his place?

The play is directed by Ramesh Randive, and is presented by Bhadrakali Productions, Mumbai.

Director’s Note:

First staged in 1980 as an amateur play with mill workers as actors, Vastraharan had no pretension to any form or style. Its mainstay was the raw energy, humour and innocence of its actors. In spite of being entrenched in a small region of coastal Maharashtra, it did not draw from any folk tradition or style. The narrative structure being a play within a play, it was necessary to have a stage as well as backstage for the story to unfold. One innovative idea was to have only ribbons hung on the stage in place of the curtain so that the ‘action’ on stage is seen.
To borrow the words of noted author and playwright P.L.Deshpande, Vastraharan is a desi (native) farce.
-- Ramesh Randive

11:00 am Meghdoot II
       KUTIYATTAM: Sanskrit theatre tradition of Kerela

Kutiyattam is an ancient form of Sanskrit theatre still extant in Kerala. A reference to Kutiyattam in Cilappatikaram, the famous Tamil poem dated between the second century BC and fifth century AD, provides valid evidence that it came into existence about 2000 years ago. Men (Chakkiyars) and women (Nangiyars) act Kutiyattam in kuttampalam theatres constructed in accordance with the prescriptions set down by the Natyasastra.

Kutiyattam presents only certain ankas (acts) from classics by famous Sanskrit playwrights like Bhasa, Kalidasa, Sudraka, Harsha, and Bodhayana. The acting preserves the fourfold conventional aspects of abhinaya: vacika (vocal), angika (physical), sattvika (psychological), and aharya (decorative). Footwork and choreography are rhythmic, to the beat of percussion. The language is exclusively Sanskrit and the enactment a prolonged process over a number of nights, taking several hours each night through extensive elaboration of single words and lines – the most important part of acting Kutiyattam.

Kuttiyattam is being presented by Sangeet Natak Akademi’s Kuttiyatam Kendra at Thiruvananthapuram. Margi Sathi and Margi Madhu Chakyar, two of the leading exponents of Kutiyattam, are featured. Margi Sathi trained at Kerala Kalamandalam under various gurus. She has travelled widely and performed extensively both within the country and abroad. Margi Sathi performed at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris before a specially invited assembly to mark the UNESCO’s proclamation of Kuttiyattam as a World Heritage Art. She has received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award besides other honours.

Margi Madhu also trained under several gurus and has performed extensively within the country. He has also participated in major national and international seminars and presented papers on Kuttiyattam. He is currently teaching in the Department of Theatre, Sreesankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady, Kerala.

           For details contact:
     Ruchi Dayal: 9718265679

Nagamandala by Neelam mansigh Chaudhary and Qwwali by Warsi brothers excelled…

Day 5 of Desh Parva (Festival of Performing Arts) of Sangeet Natak Akademi– Out of all the performances  Nagamandala directed by Neelam mansingh Chaudhari and Qwwali sung by Warsi brothers excelled.

Day 5 of Desh Parva captivated the audiences by the performance of NAGAMANDALA in Punjabi was staged at Shri Ram Centre. It was written by Girish Karnad and directed by Neelam Man Singh Chowdhary.

The story revolves around an unhappy bride who fills her lonely hours by conjuring fantasies, dreams and illusions to give meaning to her life. These stories then acquire a life of their own and start happening independently of her. Such is the power of the unconscious that a frivolous wish or fantasy can take on a life of its own, and Karnad uses the format of a folk tale to refer to this process. The story in the play about a snake becoming a lover after drinking a magic potion can be interpreted at many levels. Each character in the play has an unarticulated gesture and action.

Said Mr Kastuar The secretary of SNA, “Nagamandala one of the recent works of the great Kannada playwright Girish Karnad was admirably portrayed with Punjabi sensibilities by Neelam Man Singh Choudhary”.

By the late evening there was QAWWALI which was presented by Warsi Brothers at Meghdoot Theatre. Qawwali is a form of devotional song special to India and Pakistan, rooted in the Sufi musical tradition which dates back to the 13th century. Quawwali is generally credited to the genius of Amir Khusrau. The lyrics are in Persian, Urdu or Hindustani, the themes mystical love, praise of Allah, the Prophet or the Sufi saints.
The Warsi brothers, Nazeer Ahmed Khan Warsi and Naseer Ahmed Khan Warsi, belong to the Qawwal Bachchon ka Gharana, and are known for the purity of the ragas they render. Both the brothers perform regularly on All India Radio.

“In the performances of Warsi Brothers of Hyderabad, the tradition Qwwali had both the dignity of Bhakti Sangeet as well the vibrancy of the popular appeal, shared Mr Kastuar”.

The music took the audience to a bliss with the elaboration of the music, and the meaning that addressed to the seculat tones of the country which was concluded with the singing of ‘Raghupathi raghava Rajaram’…

The afternoon session of Desh Parv consisted of folk dances form various states of India making the spectators dance to its beat. They were: Karadi Majalu (Karnataka); Dhimsa (Andhra Pradesh); Jat Jatin (Bihar); Cheraw (Mizoram); Garbo (Gujarat); Korku ( MP); Paraja (Orissa); Hozagiri (Tripura); Ghasiyari (Uttarakhand); Raibense (West Bengal) Santhali ( Jharkhand). In Desaj, the performances of Bihar and Jharkhand together with the other states drew a great applause. Prof Munde and his group of Santhali artists from Jharghand sang and danced to create a peaceful atmosphere of vibrant tribal life in the Nationalist capital.

The action was not just limited to central Delhi. As a part of the celebrations, a slew of dance performances were presented at the “Kathak Kendra” in north Delhi. They were a part of the “Nritya Rupa” segment. They staged Kathak.

In the morning sesssion of Kulavarnnika, Shagan Bhutani and Tripura Kashyap performed to their own distinctive styles, adaptation of poems from poems of Albert Wendt’s Dennis Brutus respectively .

  Shagun Butani’s presentation which was based on New Zealand poet Albert Wendt’s poem, “Door”, which was published in 1984 as a part of his collection, SHAMAN OF VISIONS. There is a door everywhere. And, as the poet says, a door knows that it is all other doors. As in many of his other poems, Door also meditates on the relationship between abstract and physical qualities of the object and the individual, and contains the ideas of both rootedness and transience which, although ambivalent as elements, demand recognition. The dancer created a visual language from the movement and masks of Saraikkala Chau.

Thripura did three short pieces, each in its own distinct context and mood, and hence demanding an independent interpretation. They range from dense verse to the extraordinary sparseness of great philosophical truths. As observed by SNA’s Secretary, Jayant Kastuar “Kulvarnika concept of performance on Commonwealth literature gained a new dimension in Tripura Kashyap’s work on three poems of South Africa represented in her innovative style”.

“Desh Parv”, the 10-day festival of performing arts of India promises to offer the citizens and the international tourist’s unique bouquet of Indian music, dance, theatre, folk, and narrative arts.

About Sangeet Natak Akademi

The Sangeet Natak Akademi - India's national academy for music, dance and drama - is the first National Academy of the arts set-up by the Republic of India. It was created on 31st of May 1952.As the apex body specializing in the performing arts of the country, the Akademi also renders advice and assistance to the Government of India in the task of formulating and implementing policies and programmes in the field. Additionally, the Akademi carries a part of the responsibilities of the state for fostering cultural contacts between various regions in India, and between India and the world.

Desh Parva- Festival of Performing Arts of India;Cultural Activities during CWG 2010 (program for the 9th October)

Sangeet Natak Akademi begins its 10-day festival. Promises a visual treat of Indian performing arts - music, dance, theatre, folk and narrative arts. Join the celebration around the Commonwealth Games.
“Desh Parva” a 10-day festival of performing arts of India promises to offer the citizens and the international tourists an eclectic collection of Indian music, dance, theatre, folk, and narrative arts.
Tomorrow’s Programme (9th October, Saturday)
Desh Parv has been divided into five segments namely Kul Varnika ( Commonwealth literature in performance), Desaj (Diverse expressions of the nations), Nritya Rupa (Dances of India) Natya Darshan (A vision of theatre in India), Sangeet Marg ( Paths of Indian Music) encompassing all forms of performing arts. The details about the five art forms are as:
Kul Varnika : 
  11:00 am – 1:00 pm Meghdoot III
Tripura Kashyap, New Delhi: Tripura Kashyap based her presentation on three short and powerful poems of Dennis Brutus -- each in its own distinct context and mood, and hence demanding an independent interpretation. They range from dense verse to the extraordinary sparseness of great philosophical truths. And, they demonstrate an ascent of the spirit from absolute despair and destitution to a yearning for peace, and finding the solution in an unconditional universality of woman, man and God. For eventually, as the poet concludes, even God cannot exist without either woman or man, much as the ocean cannot exist without its waves, its foam or its spray.
Shagun Butani, Delhi: Shagun Butani’s presentation is based on New Zealand    poet Albert Wendt’s poem, “Door”, which was published in 1984 as a part of his collection, SHAMAN OF VISIONS. There is a door everywhere. And, as the poet says, a door knows that it is all other doors. As in many of his other poems, Door also meditates on the relationship between abstract and physical qualities of the object and the individual, and contains the ideas of both rootedness and transience which, although ambivalent as elements, demand recognition.
Desaj :
6: 00 PM Kathak Kendra North Delhi     
Garbo (Gujarat); Korku ( MP); Praja (Orissa); Hozagiri (Tripura); Ghasiyari (Uttarakhand); Raibense (West Bengal) Santhali ( Jharkhand); Phag ( Haryana); Dandia Raas ( Gujarat)
Natya Darshan :
      6.30 pm Shri Ram Centre
            SADARAME (Kannada)
           Based on a Kannada folk story

Karnataka’s Telugu-speaking Vaisyas came in for unbelievably devastating satire in Sadarame. The Kannada play, done in the company drama style of Gubbi Veeranna (1890-1953), tells the story of the charming Sadarame, daughter of greedy trader Bangaru Setty, and her adventures through a marriage and two subsequent suitors. Spandana was perhaps best equipped to revive the play as its moving spirit B Jayashree is Veeranna’s granddaughter and inheritor on his legacy. Trained at the National School of Drama, Jayashree had moved away from the costume drama of her grandfather’s time to fashion a folk-inspired theatre idiom of her own. She must have been happy the theme of this year’s Ranga Shankara festival company musicals gave her an opportunity to return to her roots.  

The costumes (mid-20th century, Ravi Varma-inspired), the sets (painted backdrops, doorways with plastic flowers and creepers), choreography (black and white movie-inspired) and music (raga-based) harked back to a style of drama that is extinct.

    8.45 pm Meghdoot I
Yakshagana KARTHAVEERYARJUNA KALAGA (Traditional Theatre of Karnataka) An episode from the epic Ramayana
Sangeet Marg :
11:00 am Meghdoot II
      ODISSI SANGEET OF ORISSA
      Presented by Ramhari Das & Group
                          & 
      HAVELI SANGEET
     Presented by Chandra Prakash
For details contact:
Ruchi Dayal: 9718265679
Rahul Sharma: 9810259021