Absorbing play on the Buddha
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Royal intrigue paved the way for women to become ascetics
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Sage play Y.K. Nageswara Rao as Buddha
Lakshmi Parvathi, wife of the late NTR, wrote a novel some time back with the title Sramanakam, depicting the life of a woman among the ascetics who used to live with the Buddha.
This subject was the choice of the NTR Educational Society, celebrating NTR's 83rd birth anniversary. Noted playwright D .Vijaya Bhaskar dramatised the novel and Guruprasad Memorial Academy staged it at Ravindra Bharati last week.
The argument posed in the play was about the status of women in that period. A women's group, named Mandari, was formed in this period to protect women from male chauvinism. This point was effectively dramatised in the play.
While talking about the issue and other problems like animal sacrifice and other meaningless rituals, the play presents Gautam Buddha at the time when he leaves his palace in search of truth.
Another king, Nanda, too follows him. This happens at a time when enemies were planning to occupy Nanda's kingdom. Sundari, Nanda's wife, inspired by Buddha's teachings, fights the enemies and restores the royalty. That was when Sundari prevailed upon Buddha to permit housewives to embrace Buddhism and observe austerities, a practice called Sramanakam.
It was a 10- act play well produced after rigorous rehearsals for a month-and- half. Y.K. Nageswara Rao, who played role of Buddha had good voice and expressions to suit the role.
K.R.K. Murthy as Kuta Datta, Chitta Sankar as Devadutta, Srivalli as Sundari and A.K. Sridevi as Yasodhara were in the main roles. Make-up (Ashok Kumar), sets (Surabhi Sankar) and music (Rajababu) were the main technical features that stood by the play. NTR awards were also presented on the occasion to yesteryear hero, T.L. Kanta Rao; well-known stage artistes- Burra Subrahmanya Sastry and Usha Bala.
G.S.
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