Bangalore :
Eight plays of Jnanpith awardee Girish Karnad will be seen in a new light. Eight young theatre directors from across India will interpret and analyze the plays at Samprathi — a theatre festival to be hosted by Ranga Shankara from October 18 to 27.
The directors are Samkutty Pattomkari (Thiruvananthapuram), Sam George (Thiruvananthapuram), Abanti Chakraborty (Kolkata), Koumarane Valvane (Puducherry), V Balakrishnan (Chennai), Mohit Takalkar (Pune), Aditee Biswas (New Delhi) and Ashish D’abero (Karnataka), They’ll be staged in English, says Surendra Nath, artistic director, Ranga Shankara.
Abanti, who is directing her favourite play, Nagamandala, says: “It has multiple layers and it’ll be interesting to deal with such complexities on stage. And, I have all the freedom to interpret it in my own theatrical language. The play, with deals with the issue of gender, is relevant even today.”
According to Balakrishnan, Karnad’s writings have an influence which is not time-bound. “His woman characters are strongly presented. Their conflicts are powerful and stir the soul,” says Balakrishnan, who is directing The Fire and the Rain (Agni Mathu Male).
For Ashish, Karnad’s Yayati explores a range of interesting themes and ideas, relevant even in this day and age. “Through our production of the play, titled Desperately Seeking Sanjeevani (Yayati), we have decided to explore the idea of immortality and what it means in today’s context. The modern-day quest for immortality is alive and kicking, fuelled by a multi-billion-dollar advertising and marketing plan. Based on the discovery of the ageing gene, Sanjeevani could be just around the corner. Well, almost,” he quips.
Aditee feels Karnad’s plays revisit Indian history and bring to life complex characters, issues and situations, reflecting societal changes. “He paints a vivid picture of present-day India. He is one of the few Indian playwrights, whose works build bridges between the ancient, mythic and the contemporary, and connect India’s historical and social past with its present”, she says.
Treat to watch
The festival celebrates over five decades of Girish Karnad’s playwriting genius. We have invited the best of young directors from across the country to interpret the master’s work. The event will feature eight plays, a seminar, a talk by Karnad himself and a film with him as an actor. What more can Bangaloreans ask for?
Arundhati Nag, artistic advisor, Ranga Shankara
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Bangalore> Directors / by G S Kumar, TNN / October 04th, 2013