Good as always
ROMESH CHANDER
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NSD students' recent presentation of "Bhavabhuti's Uttra Ramacharith" looked at Ram and Sita's relationship in a new light.
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A RE-LOOK A scene from "Bhavabhuti's Uttra Ramacharith" staged at Sammukh auditorium.
"Bhavabhuti's Uttra Ramacharith" presented by National School of Drama Repertory in Prasana's direction, is marked not only for its selection of an outstanding Indian Classic but also for what can be achieved with `bare necessities' even in a small stage like Sammukh auditorium.
But first, a brief introduction of "Bhavabhati's Uttra Ramacharith". As the play opens we are told that an album of the Ramayan story has been completed and Ram, Sita and Laxman, who had long ago left together for the forest, now begin to look at the paintings. Sita looks tired. She needs to rest and she falls asleep on Rama's lap. As the scene changes Darmukh informs the king that people are casting aspirations on Sita during her captivity in Lanka. Ram is facing a crisis. As a dharmic king he has no choice but to exile Sita forever even if he knows that Sita is innocent and so Rama orders that Sita be left alone in the forest thinking that she would be killed by wild animals. Ram is shattered by his own actions. A very touchy scene follows when he touches a sleeping Sita's feet and begs her mother earth to take care of her daughter.
Twelve years have passed as the curtain goes up. In Act II, Rama has started the Ashwamedha Yagna and Lakshman's son Chandraketu is following the sacrificial horse as its roams the world.
We find Ram in search of Sudra who had the temerity to engage in tapas. The place turns out to be Panchvati from where Sita had been kidnapped. The place overwhelms Ram and the river Ganga having anticipated the eventuality, brings Sita to this very spot while making her invisible to others. A series of intimate confessions follow and all this is overheard by the invisible Sita. Ram, perhaps senses her presence, sits up bewildered. Once again, the scene is well delivered.
In the next Act, a horse appears in Valmiki's ashram protected by Lakshman's son. Lava is fascinated, more so when he is told of Chandraketu's identity for he knows of Lakshman and Ram from Ramayana, the text that Valmiki had composed and taught to Lava and Kusha. When asked about Ram's children, Lava replies, "This is as the story is known" but adds that Valmiki has composed the rest of the story but so far it has not been published. The text, however, has been sent to the sage Bharata and to ensure its safe delivery, Kusha, Lava's brother, is to accompany it.
Outburst of emotions
In the concluding Act, a play composed by Valmiki is to be presented by celestial bodies on the banks of the Ganga. Ram and Lakshman are seated together. We hear a voice that says that Sita is about to give birth and has cast herself into the river. Ram cannot control himself and calls out to her "My love stay a moment". Lakshman is angry with him and says, "It is only a play".
Sita appears on the stage supported by her mother, Goddess Earth, and Ganga who tells her that she had given birth to twins in the river itself. Sita pleads to her mother to be taken into her arms forever. Ram, meanwhile, has fainted and Lakshman begs Valmiki for help. Suddenly, we hear another voice, "Valmiki has produced something surprisingly strong." Sita appears there and she touches Ram. He revives her and the two are united. The presentation owes much to Pandit Satyanarayan Kavitaratna (who died in 1919) for his Hindi translation. No doubt Uttara Ramacharith is great but it is Kavitratna's translation into everyday language that makes it so popular, particularly in North India. As Ravindra Tripathi says, "But for this trans-creation of this masterpiece of Bhavabhuti's into Braj Bhasah, the present day Hindi readers and theatre lovers would not have realised its greatness."
Yet another asset of Prasanna's presentation is Dr. Govind Pandey's music who had made excellent use of some of the Late Mohan Upreti's compositions that he had composed for the play in 1991. The cast as a whole played well. In fact, the best of what one has seen them so far. One wonders why the Repertory's standard is on a wane in spite of such talent of its artistes. Perhaps the fault lies with the administration rather than the performance.
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