 at a workshop by artist John Baby (left) at the art room of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale in December.jpg.image.160.84.jpg)
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A scene from the play Nagamandala at JT PAC, Ernakulam held on November 30, 2014, Sunday. Photo: Gitanjali DiwakarI was alert, awake and anxious till the lights went off. It took a couple of moments for me to adjust to the dim lights, and then I saw a group of dancers doing the 'masked ritual', the play was about to commence.
A ray of coloured light swept the stage, and on the screen I saw a person who appeared to have woken up from a dream. He was struggling to stay awake and craft a story that would captivate his audience. I was convinced that all that would follow was nothing but a mere depiction his thoughts; but I was in for a surprise.
Soon, the stage was occupied, rather taken over by flames that could talk. And then came 'The Story'. Suddenly, as if a flash of light had gone by and I could see the other occupants of the auditorium. And so the story went. The play 'Nagamandala' presented at the JT PAC on Sunday November 30, 2014 left many in the audiences spellbound, in a contradictory sense.
A scene from the play Nagamandala at JT PAC, Ernakulam held on November 30, 2014, Sunday.Photo: Gitanjali DiwakarWritten by Jnanapith awardee Girish Karnad, the play was presented by the group Phoenix World Theatre and was directed by Dr. Terry John Converse. While the novel was written in Kannada, the story was rendered in Malayalam to cater to the Malayali audience.
The play is what one would call - a story within stories. It starts with a monologue by a writer who yearns to write a story that would keep his audiences engaged unlike his previous failed attempts. While lost in the thought, he notices how fire flames would gather to gossip about the world around them.
The writer, naturally grows curious. He volunteers to listen to one of their tales and agrees to share the tale with the world as per their request. Desperate for a story, he agrees to do so, on the condition that the story should keep him wide awake. The flames take over and tell him the story of 'Nagamandala'.
Set in Karnataka, 'Nagamandala' revolves around the story of a woman named Rani, her abusive husband and a King Cobra. Yes, you heard that right. So how does the King Cobra come into the picture? Rani is very unhappy that her husband is leading a 'double-life'. She seeks help from her mother-in-law's friend who hands her a secret ingredient. The old lady tells her that this 'secret ingredient' will make her husband fall in love with her and she would be a happy person. Rani follows the old lady's instructions and adds the ingredient in her husband's dish. In the first attempt the ingredient almost kills her husband. Fearing for his life, Rani decides to throw away the dish mixed with the 'secret ingredient'. And, this results in a strange twist. The King Cobra eats the dish and is drawn to her. The snake falls for her and seduces her. This complicates Rani's life and what follows forms the story.
If one were to appreciate the play, the task could not be less taxing than an amateur trekker having to get off the bed after climbing Mt. Kanchenjunga. The high light of the play could be the monologue of the writer. The one aspect of the two hour long performance that brought a chuckle to everyone present was that of a dog bought by Rani's husband.
A scene from the play Nagamandala at JT PAC, Ernakulam held on November 30, 2014, Sunday. Photo: Gitanjali DiwakarWas it a brave attempt? Given that literature and theatre are deep and powerful means of communication, it takes a great deal of practice, experience and rehearsing to pull off a classic like this effortlessly. Indeed the music was commendable, but the rest could be termed as a successful attempt of splitting one's subconscious.
After all, theatre is all about keeping the stage alive. There were several unanswered questions during the course of the play. The Yin-Yang sets was one such instance. All in all, there was a lot of scope for improvement. May be men and women (in theatre) are not mere players. They ought to live the role as well!
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