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Photo: R. Shivaji Rao

Stellar performance From “Bhishma" performed by the Chettinad Players

This was one of those rare theatrical occasions when everything came together to create an engrossing viewing experience. There was the soaring background music that was perfect for every scene — dramatic but never overpowering. There was the intelligent script that posed questions of dharma without becoming too ponderous. There were the minimalist but beautiful sets by Thota Tharrani that didn’t detract from the actors on stage. And last but not the least, there were some stellar performances by the students and alumni of the school.

The play basically told the tragic tale of the great warrior Bhishma, highlighting the pivotal role he played in the clash between the Pandavas and Kauravas. It is a challenge to retell a story that’s been told a million times before i.e. the Mahabharata. But by focussing on the moral and ethical choices faced by one character, script writers Kumaravel and Deepika gave the story new life. Here, the clash between the brothers is coloured by Bhishma’s guilt and regret, and occurs within the context of the terrible oath he impulsively took as a young man.

However, it isn’t easy to write this story in English, and there were awkward moments in the dialogue when it showed. The sudden use of contemporary colloquialisms such as ‘you’re dead meat’ and ‘on my wish list’ was jarring, but thankfully not too frequent. The play also used recorded dialogues throughout, having the actors lip-sync. While this made for greater clarity in spoken dialogue, there were moments when the mismatch between the actors’ voices and the recording was obvious.

Director Jayakumar employed a light touch throughout — the play rarely lingered on specific scenes, and avoided the temptation to go over-the-top in emotional moments. The scene-stealer of the evening was definitely Vivek Sundaram in his wonderfully flamboyant, pitch-perfect turn as Duryodhana. Shruthi S. put in a dignified and powerful performance as Amba. Ujwal Nair as the older Bhishma had a demanding role and he delivered overall, especially in the emotional scenes. The odd costume choice of a flowing kurta and oversized grey wig hampered him somewhat. The highlight of the show had to be the fantastic choreography of fight scenes. Younger cast members were perfectly utilised as soldiers, rushing into the battle scenes with enthusiasm. The fights were graceful yet energetic and athletic — sequences such as the one where Bheema (Sabarivas) actually spun Duryodhana around and flung him aside had the audience gasping and applauding in appreciation. All in all, it was a thoroughly entertaining play that really was epic — in scope and execution.

DIVYA KUMAR

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