Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

Interpreting Shakespeare

LEENA CHANDRAN

`KhelKali,' an experimental mix of Kathakali and Shakespeare, expresses a new theatrical voice.

Photo: S. Mahinsha

CREATIVE FUSION: Arjun Raina has created his own histrionic style to comment on contemporary events.

Internationally acclaimed stage actor and writer Arjun Raina has his own histrionic style to comment on contemporary socio-political situations. `KhelKali,' an experimental mix of Kathakali and Shakespeare, is Raina's mouthpiece for expressing a new authentic theatrical voice. Also famous for playing the title role in `In which Annie gives it those Ones,' a film written by Arundhati Roy and directed by Pradip Krishen, Raina is a Shakespeare specialist who has his own interpretation of the bard's plays.

Mix of stories

A product of London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Raina creates stage shows that impart post-colonial counter-texts for classics. His masterpiece `KhelKali' is a mix of stories and texts of Shakespeare enacted through the style and theatricality of Kathakali. Shakespeare's `Othello' and `A Midsummer Night's Dream' are part of the `KhelKali' repertoire.

The KhelKali piece `The Magic Hour' incorporates magic realism through dance theatre by combining two stories of William Shakespeare - `Othello' and `A Midsummer Night's Dream' - with scenes from famous Kathakali plays. Texts and scenes from Shakespeare are spoken and enacted through the theatricality of Kathakali. KhelKali's political intent bases itself on the story of Oberon and Titania's fight over a little Indian boy in Shakespeare's `A Midsummer Night's Dream.' In Shakespeare's `Othello,' the protagonist lives and works as a coloured man in a white society. The abduction and rape of a little Indian princess by the great white fairy King Oberon is one of the many threads in Raina's version of `A Midsummer Night's Dream.'

The story also features the transformation of an ordinary weaver Bottom into an ass. Raine tries to interpret these literary creations through the looking glass of post-colonial reality.

In `The Magic Hour,' Iago, the villain of `Othello,' is killed for the first time in history to mark the post-colonial twist. The fight between Othello and Iago is depicted by reproducing, in Kathakali, the duel between Bhima and Dushassana.

Shakespeare ends his play with Othello, the moor, dead and Iago, the white man, let free. Raine interprets it as an `imperialist attempt' to preserve the racial superiority of the white man.

Apt combination

Through innovative theatrical devices, KhelKali helps the audience experience the astonishing world of medieval Indian theatre. As a narrator-oriented show, it provides great scope in overcoming all kinds of theatrical hurdles. It also allows a handsome combination of artistes and art forms.

The Odyssey dance moments that provide a romantic touch to `The Magic Hour' are rendered by Monica Singh, a disciple of veterans like Kelucharan Mahapatra, Madhavi Mudgal and Sonal Mansingh.

Evoor Rajendran Pillai furnished the Kathakali component, enacting padas composed specially for `Magic Hour' by Raina's Kathakali guru Sadanam Balakrishnan.

`The Magic Hour' was performed as part of the third Ajayan memorial, organised by Abhinaya theatre group.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail