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The art of expression

Photo: G. Venket Ram

A cut above: Shobhana presents Maya Ravan

“It’s a debonair Ravana,” declares Shobana, and quickly adds — “but it sticks to the traditional format.”

“Maya Ravan, in its detailing of Ram, also raises him (Ram),” she explains. What she is referring to is the fuller delineation of Ram, who ironically, might otherwise be left with a slightly flatter characterisation: good, virtuous, and handsome, but somewhat lacking in colour and suffering in comparison from the wicked, but exciting Ravan. It’s one of the delicious ironies of casting, she informs us, that it’s easier to find people to fill the roles of Ram, Sita and Lakshman, than it is to find a Mandodari, Mareecha or Ravan, because the latter require more histrionic ability. The actress and danseuse is discussing her latest production.

Maya Ravan is a path breaking attempt to retell the Ramayana, on stage. As Shobana puts it, the Ramayana is a story that has to be told, retold, and told again an infinite number of times, for every retelling brings with it fresh insights.

The accomplished actress (she won a Best Actress Award for her role in the Malayalam film Manichitrathazh), and dancer is now taking the epic ballet on a road show to Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Pune, Kochi and Chennai, after a hugely successful tour of the U.S., where it was staged in 36 cities.

Conceived, interpreted and choreographed by Shobana herself, Maya Ravan is in a dance and theatre format with dialogues in English. The voiceovers have been done by actors such as Naseerudhin Shah, Mohanlal, Jackie Shroff, Suhasini Maniratnam and Revathy, among others. “And then Tabu called me to say that she wants in too,” says Shobana, underscoring how successful it’s been.

Shobana is both a traditionalist and experimenter. She believes that classical dance need not be boring if it is packaged and presented right. But the ultimate aim is “to get deeper into our own traditional forms, and strengthening them,” she says meditatively. Maya Ravan then, as she sees it, is a culmination of Shobana’s learning process as actress, teacher and artiste.

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