Expression of a woman's point of view
JAYA NARAYANAN PISHAROTY
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`Kanchana Sita' retold the Ramayana from a feminist perspective.
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RETELLING THE RAMAYANA: A scene from the play `Kanchana Sita.'
Karkidakam, which is referred to as `Ramayana Masam,' witnesses many aural and visual portrayals of Valmiki's epic. Last week, under the aegis of Thalam Cultural Trust, Thrissur, `Kanchana Sita' was staged by Tejaswi Theatre for Self-Expression, Chennai.
C.N. Sreekantan Nair's play and Sarah Joseph's short stories based on the Ramayana and retold from a feminist perspective have been translated by Vasanti Sankaranarayanan and published by OUP in 2005 under the title `The Retelling of Ramayana.'
Tale of injustice
In the play, Laxmana's wife, Urmila, the long suffering Kausalya, and Sita herself make significant statements regarding the injustice meted out to them.
The founder of Tejaswi Theatre N. S. Yamuna brought together young theatre artistes to put up this English translation of `Kanchana Sita.' The director and actors immersedthemselves in the spirit of the play. Sita's plight and Rama's behaviour are issues that never leave centre stage.
"A golden statue of Sita when she is still alive?" is the horrified reaction. The response is touching, "Yes, a golden statue of Sita beside the granite-hearted Rama."
Bharatan and Hanuman are vocal in their protest. There is a topical and relevant debate as to whether the king can afford to be a human being.
The actors' diction was excellent but their voices did not carry. The director has been faithful to the original script but the two-and-a-half-hour play did drag at places. Some slick editing is called for. The stark sets and costume did heighten the effects of the play. Bharatan, Hanuman, and Valmiki impressed. However, Rama came across as a weak person.
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