19-03-2023 (Sunday)
Bhagawadjjukeyam
Nipa Rang Mandali, Lucknow
Suryamohan Kulashrestha
Hindi
1hr 30minutes
THE DIRECTOR…..
Recipient of National Sangeet Natak Academy award and former director of BharatenduNatya Academy, Lucknow, and Surya Mohan Kulshreshtha took his training in theatre from BNA, Lucknow, in 1976-77. He has organized many theatre workshops in India and abroad. His directorial ventures have been staged nationally and internationally. As a playwright his original plays include Tukde, Veer Lorik, and Natak Ganesh Markaaur Char Shikhaayen. He has translated The Caucasian Chalk Circle and Three Penny Opera by Bertolt Brecht, Sanskrit plays Bhagvadajjukeeyamand Mrichchhakatikam and many other western and Indian plays to Hindi. He has directed, co-directed, acted and scripted many films, TV serials and tele-films. He is known for his performance as Socrates in the play Bare Foot in Athens directed by Raj Bisaria. Surya Mohan Kulshreshthahas also been awarded an honorary diploma in Norway, best costume design in America, Senior Fellowship by the Govt. of India and Kala Bhushan by Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan. He is the president and artistic director of NIPA, and has earlier been associated with IPTA and Meghdoot.
THE GROUP…..
.NIPA Rangamandali was established in 1991 by a group of talented and popular artists of Lucknow. NIPA has created a niche for itself with its productions and theatre workshops. It has given highly acclaimed performances in India as well as in Norway, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, America, Canada and Pakistan. Bhagvadajjukeeyam has done more than 100 shows. Experimenting with different forms, the group has presented Mitti ki Gaadi, Kundmala, Pret, Lohar, Ashadh ka Ek Din, The Lesson, Exit the King, Jai Sidhnayak, Sambashiva, VasamsiJeernani, Balkan Women, Crusades and many more plays. Many directors and actors viz. TuireHindika&MiyaTarma (Finland), Rosella Finelli (Italy), Asil Raees (France), Surya Mohan Kulshreshtha, Satyabrat Raut, Pandit Arjun Mishra, Atamjit Singh, Jugal Kishore, and Mridula Bharadwaj have showcased their talent through NIPA.
THE PLAY…..
The play begins with a satirical debate between Guru Parivrajak and his disciple Shandilya. The Saint believes in the soul alone, and the disciple in the material things and beauty.
Courtesan Vasantsena, along with her friend Madhukarika, enters the garden to meet her lover. Shandilya is attracted towards Vasantsena. A yamdoot, in the guise of a snake, bites Vasantsena and she dies. Shandilya weeps for her, and Guru, out of compassion for his disciple, puts his own soul in Vasantsena’s body and she lives again….but, she is no longer herself…she behaves like Parivrajak! What follows, shakes up the beliefs of both the Guru and his disciple.
DIRECTOR’S NOTE…..
Bhagvadjjukiyam, written in the seventh century, is one of the oldest literary texts in Sanskrit literature. The context of the story was drawn from the prevalent social, philosophical and religious conflicts. Buddhists and Brahmins (Hinduism) were divided into many sects. Bodhayan’s philosophical satire rides on humor and entertainment to convey the serious issues of his time, light-heartedly.
In this presentation I have added elements from folk-art and contemporary theatre to the classical style of Sanskrit plays. It was a challenge to create and build a comic satire with the use of Bharatnatyam and classical music. It was made possible only with the support and efforts of Yatendra Chaturvedi, Ravi Nagar and Mridula Bharadwaj.
This production is alive since last thirty years and has been performed in most of the prominent international theatre festivals held in India, Norway, Finland and Pakistan; including Bharat Rang Mahotsav, New Delhi.
Cast…..
Vikesh Bajpai
Nitish Bharadwaj
Komal Singh
Pragya Bhardwaj
Sandhya Rastogi
Sanjeev Verma
Sujeet Singh 'Bunty'
Abhishek Yadav
Navneet Rastogi
Credits…..