The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : `Karnabharam' in its social context

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 09, 2006

Kerala

Kerala - Kochi

`Karnabharam' in its social context

The saga of Karna, the tragic hero of Indian mythology, was enacted on stage in Kochi recently. Chandradasan, Kochi-based theatre director who had earlier produced Karnabharam (The Anguish of Karna), a well-known Sanskrit play written by the legendary playwright Bhasa centuries ago, made a re-production recently.

The first production was in 1992 and it was performed on many stages. Chandradasan has based the work on the Malayalam translation by veteran theatre person Kavalam Narayana Panicker. "I think this production of `Karnabharam' is significant as a contemporary adaptation/transcreation of Bhasa's text at many levels," he says.

The director says he read the play for the first time when the agitation over the Mandal Commission report was rife all over India. The issue of caste was brought to the fore in the social discourse.

He says this production has direct relation and relevance to the current and contemporary social situations. "This is a Dalit reading of the classic text by Bhasa."

`Karnabharam,' has been selected for this year's National School of Drama Festival to be held in New Delhi.

The first production of `Karnabharam' was staged about 300 times, claim the organisers. The re-production does not have many changes from the earlier one, says the director. The treatment is basically the same. The only difference arises from the change in caste.

Chandradasan has used elements of the traditional art forms such as Koodiyattom, Kathakali, Kalarippayattu, Padayani, Sopanasangeetham, etc., as part of the search for an indigenous Indian theatre idiom.

However, the use of verse in place of prose for the dialogues and the presence of the elements of the classical theatre form of Koodiyattom were the two major changes. The use of verse was not much of a success, as the actors were yet to perfect their voice training. Poor acoustics, with a lack of coordination between the actors and the microphone, also led to most of the dialogues remaining inaudible.

The cast included Sumesh Chittooran as Karna, Selvaraj as Salyar, Kannatte Kalesh as Bhishma and Sudheer Babu in the roles of Sutradhara, Indra and Vajramukhan. Vinaykumar M.M., Pradeep Chittoor, Cigin Sukumar, Bhanuvachanan, Santhosh Piravom, Madan, Nandan Palluruthy and Jolly Antony are also in cast. The production was supported by the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi as part of the Akademi's scheme for the 100-play performances.

Renu Ramanath

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