They spin their heads in a maddening frenzy, with their long, shiny mane of hair cutting through the air like a knife. The arms and legs move with frightening speed, while their faces reveal a determined fury. They leap into the air, almost weightless, and spin around in beautiful circles. The enigmatic dancers repeat this exhausting movement at least 10 times, their feet landing on the ground each time with a loud "thud". While the three men are playing the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, the women are emulating the three elements of fire, water and air. According to Hindu mythology, all these forces harnessed their positive energies to evoke a potent female warrior. Minutes later, a seventh individual emerges from the group, adorned in a pink dupatta and wearing a victorious smile. This is Durga -the Hindu goddess revered for her defeat of the demon, Mahishasur. In this case, however, Durga is a man.
At the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra in New Delhi, this is the first time that the complex role of Durga - with her dainty, effeminate movements and unabashed thirst for challenges, as mythology tells us - will be played by a man. But Shobha Deepak Singh, the director, isn't the least bit perturbed. "Given the energy required to dance like Durga, a male dancer is perfect," she says. And come next week, when Shree Durga, part of the Festival of Ballets produced by the Kendra, goes on stage, Singh promises that you will not be able to make out that Durga is, in fact, being played by a man.
Shiburam Mohanta smiles winsomely at the people gathered in the rehearsal room at the Kendra. The room is crowded with theatre actors, choreographers, musicians and fellow dancers, many of whom are familiar faces from the Kendra's unique Ramlila which has been an annual fixture on the Delhi stage for over 55 years. Mohanta has played the role of Lakshman, Rama's agyakaari brother in the Ramayana. Today, dressed in a white dhoti, he leaps gracefully into the role of Durga, moving to the fast beats of Mayurbhanj Chhau, a high-energy dance form characterised by jumps, leaps and delicate movements.
"For decades, male dancers have performed the roles of women," he says. "Once I learnt the steps, I had to internalise the character." This meant understanding and portraying Durga's love for war and challenges and her dual facets of life and death. Created from the combined forces of the gods, Durga is, after all, believed to be neither submissive nor subordinate.
Durga, a goddess unprotected by a male deity, has more relevance today than ever, feels Singh, as crimes against women have come under national focus yet again. Which is perhaps it is only fitting that she be played by a man.
The Festival of Ballets will stage four productions- Shree Durga, Karna, Abhimanyu and Meera. Each production, choreographed by Shashidharan Nair - who has worked with the Kendra for over 30 years - will combine the forms of Mayurbhanj Chhau and creative dance.
Watch out for a strong, unnerving performance by Ram Hari, the young talent who will play Abhimanyu on stage. While the story of Abhimanyu will depict the qualities of connivance, guile and physical violence scattered through mythology, it will also attempt to revisit and answer some pertinent questions, says Singh. For instance, why was Abhimanyu slated for death in the chakravyuh? Singh's biggest challenge, she says, has been to refrain from portraying the various characters of the Mahabharata - the Pandavas and Kauravas most notably - as black or white. In the end, she hopes, all narratives will be open to interpretation and debate.
Another character that has been the subject of great discussion among historians and students of mythology is that of Karna, the "illegitimate" son of Kunti and Surya (the solar deity), born to her before her marriage to Pandu. The complex role will once again be played by Mohanta. His take on Karna is perhaps the most refreshing. "In today's times, every individual needs a friend like Karna and every parent wants a son like Karna," he believes.
Many espouse the view that Karna is, in fact, the underrated hero of the epic. Mohanta goes on to enact a fascinating scene of the Mahabharata - the fierce battle between Karna, as he is declared the leader of the Kaurava army, and the Pandavas. The men circle Karna and dance furiously, attacking him from all sides. Karna retaliates with steely determination, using the fast beats of Chhau to express his helplessness. In the culminating scene where Arjun, played by Hari, kills Karna at the command of Krishna, expect nothing short of fireworks on stage.
Watching her students rehearse, Singh couldn't be happier. Singh, the daughter of Lala Charat Ram, will turn 70 this year. She recently displayed "Dancescapes", an exhibition of her photography capturing five decades of theatre and dance. And now, she is preparing to put up a jewellery exhibition. "I can't sit still," she says. Her students, who leap at her command, couldn't agree more.
Festival of Ballets will be on from May 10 to May 18 at the Kamani Auditorium in New Delhi.