Have you ever imagined Lord Rama singing a libretto and Sita performing Odishi at an opera?
Indian scriptwriter and an Italian director have done just that by adapting the Ramlila in an opera put together with classical Indian dances, which was performed here recently.
Lord Rama sang his feelings when he fell in love with Sita at first sight and attired in traditional dhoti-kurta, he narrated his emotions in Italian. Rama's wife, Sita, however does not explain her emotions through words but through expressive eyes and graceful postures in her Odishi dance.
"I find Ramlila an evergreen subject. We never get bored of this subject but we wanted to present it in different way. Ramayana has never been done in opera. So I thought why not? Since I love Ramayana; I love challenges; I love innovation, so I thought of blending it," Bijoylaxmi Hota, who scripted the opera said.
The fusion could be seen from the costumes and musicians' performances. The conductor of the opera was an Italian and his team of musicians included Italians, Indians and Hungarians too.
Dances were performed to the rhythm of ghoomar, dance music, shehnai and Indian percussion instruments.
"Originally when I wrote, I wrote it in English but I wanted it in Italian, the poems. So I wrote it in English and sent them. Then they translated it but even then they didn't like it; the composer did not like it. He thought it was not poetic enough. So he then got someone to do the proper lyrics and then it was composed in Italy itself," says Hota.
Different art forms were used to depict different scenes. Although Sita performed Odishi throughout the act, the character of Ravana's sister was portrayed well through two different dance forms. The not-so-good-looking Surpanakha was potrayed through Yakshagana and the part when she disguised herself into a pretty woman to lure Rama, was depicted through Kathak.
Similarly, the hunchback, cunning maid Manthara manipulating Dasaratha's wife Kaikeyi was depicted through Purulia Chhau dance. A group of Manipuri dancers performed when Rama got married to Sita and when Rama returned to Ayodhya.
"This is the first time I am watching all these dances together. For me it's ahurricane! There was a hurricane! So much together!" said Marco Pucci Catena, the director.
Interactions between Rama and Laxman as well as parts of parts of Dasaratha and Hanuman were played out in Italian opera style by Italian artists.
For some language posed a barrier, but their actions and narrations helped make the story clearer for audiences.
"We have different languages. You understand English and I understand Italian. So I want to make the next opera in a way that we all understand each other's language," Catena said.
