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AUTORICKSHAW DRIVERS TAKE TO STAGE
Last year, a cultural hall in Mulund, Mumbai was packed to the brim during Dussehra. Dozens of families had gathered to watch a Ramlila performance by Adarsh Chattra Sangh, a group composed of close to 20 autorickshaw drivers. The group was formed in 1992 in a village called Handiya in Allahabad which had not seen anything by way of entertainment until then. "I gathered a bunch of friends, who were students, and we began to stage plays," says director Subhash S Yadav, who also plays the role of Ravan. When financial reasons brought them to Mumbai soon after, they took to driving rickshaws but continued to put up Ramlila shows back home. The group was ecstatic when it landed a chance to perform in an air-conditioned hall in Mumbai. Theirs is the Awadhi style of narration with elements of song, drama and comedy. "We know the lines by heart so we can put up impromptu performances and can even interchange roles at a moment's notice," says Krishna Yadav who is in his 30s. The drivers are yet to finalise the dates for a performance this year but are likely to take to the stage in Mulund or Vikhroli.
When: Dates to be finalised,
For details: call Subhash Yadav at 09867400615
SITA GETS A VOICE OF HER OWN
Currently in its 57th edition, Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra's Ramlila has become an institution in itself in New Delhi. Each year, Shobha Deepak Singh, the production director, tries to break down cliches to interweave contemporary issues within the age-old story. For instance, this year's production will reflect the changing role of women in society. "Sita has always been shown as walking behind Ram, like his shadow. But we want to show her as an equal. Take, for example, this one song where Sita was always shown as sitting and singing while the deer is dancing on the side. Now she chases the deer and bursts into a song. She is shown as exercising her own will," says Singh. Similarly Sita is shown to react in anger when Surpnakha propositions Ram. "I was in a dilemma whether I should just let her hear what Surpnakha is saying or should she react as a woman of today would. I chose the latter," she says. Apart from the modern flourishes in the storyline, there have been changes in the cast as well. Audiences will now get to see a new actor essaying the role of Ram. "The ornaments have also been redone in the style of Raja Ravi Verma's paintings," adds Singh.
Where: Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra lawns, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi
When: October 5 and October 15 to November 1, 6.30 pm
HANUMAN RETELLS THE EPIC, NAUTANKI STYLE
Mumbai-based Gillo Theatre Repertory Company heralds the festive season with its production, Hanuman ki Ramayan. Based on the text by Devdutt Patnaik, the play has been directed by Devendra Sharma, an associate professor of communication at California State University and a performer of swang nautanki. The play begins when Valmiki puts down his pen after creating the epic poem. Sage Narad tells him that there is a better Ramayan, written by Hanuman. Valmiki is dismayed by this sudden emergence of competition. The play centres on Hanuman's reaction when he sees Valmiki so upset. Traditionally, the central characters of the story have always had stereotypical depiction. But in this play, their appearances have been given a different look. For one, they all wear similar generic costumes - dhoti and baagalbandi. Hanuman isn't portrayed with a monkey face or a tail; similarly Narad does not sport a mukut or jewels. According to artistic director Shaili Sathyu, male and female performers were cast irrespective of the gender of the character. So you have Sharvari Deshpande essaying the role of Valmiki, while Narad is played by both male and female artists.
Where: Prithvi Theatre, Mumbai
When: October 2, 5 pm and 8 pm
A ROCK MUSICAL
There are very few stories that have inspired such creative interpretations as the Ramayana. One such inventive retelling is The Story of Ram and Sita, a rock musical by Manoj Pant, professor of international trade theory at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University. Pant, who is a veteran of musicals like Jesus Christ Superstar, which played to packed houses in Delhi in the 1970s, wanted to revive traditional texts set to an original narrative. He turned to his home state of Uttarakhand for inspiration and picked up stories from Kumaoni Ramayan. The text has been translated into simple Hindi and set to various genres of western music such as rock, jazz, country and salsa. "Apart from the music, the characters dress differently as well," says Pant. So you have Janak dressed in a traditional Rajasthani attire, while Viswamitra is dressed like a Roman senator. Ravan is not shown as a villain, but instead, as a man whose arrogance leads to his downfall. The production received a great response when it was first staged in 2011 at Kamani Auditorium.
Where: Pacific Mall, New Delhi
When: October 12
(Ranjita Ganesan contributed to this report)
