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Casting a spell

PHOTO: BHAGYA PRAKASH K.

play along It was a hilarious depiction of human beings’ immortal ambitions

With candles glowing and a multi-coloured chandelier giving out myriad hues in a dim setting, the atmosphere seemed right for the collaboration of animation production house Kahani World and writer Anita Nair’s “The Puffin Book of Magical Indian Myths” at Olive Beach. Published by Puffin Books (Penguin Group) with imaginative illustrations by Atanu Roy, the children’s book will see characters from Hindu mythology come alive in an animated series.

With eager onlookers, actors Vinod Ravindran in dark blue and Munish Sharma in white recreated a tiny space to retell one such myth. With just one stool, a dhad, a ladder and a dupatta, the actors used humour to interpret the myth.

They successfully mocked the lofty notions of King Satya Vrata who wanted to go to heaven while he is alive in “Why a New Heaven was created for Trishankhu”. With exaggerated guffaws and a volley of priestly chants, the enactment was a hilarious depiction of human beings’ immortal ambitions and, jealousies and rifts amongst gods. The actors had the audience engrossed in the contemporary depiction of the ancient myth. The use of the ladder to chart King Satya Vrata’s fluctuation between heaven and earth was hilarious and innovative. Jokes about human aspirations and religious practised interspersed with the lively performance opened a comprehensible world of myths and legends.

Says CEO and President of Kahani World Biren Ghose: “Anita Nair is one of the few writers who have managed to retell stories for children using Indian elements. When we grew up, the content for children’s entertainment were only from North America and Europe.” He asserts that while we now have the talent, resources and studio, it is time to tap what India has in stories.

Anita Nair’s “The Puffin Book of Magical Indian Myths (2001)” was a deliberate attempt to use “myths that were not well-known from the Mahabharata and Ramayana. I wanted to strip gods of their super-hero powers and demons of their denigration and give them a more humane approach,” Anita said. She stressed that she was fearful of myths that tend to be grandiose and pompous and sought to find ones that do not preach.

The contemporary performance not only saw a reworking of tales, but also drew a parallel between conflicting schools of thought.

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