Another Epic Journey

KN Panikkar,the grand old man of theatre,remains fascinated by ancient Indian mythology. From the Ramayana,the Mahabharata and the plays of Kalidasa,he draws out vignettes of modern India. Now,80-year-old Panikkar brings Bhavabhuti’s Uttararamacharitam to the ongoing Bharat Rang Mahotsav,the annual theatre festival of the National School of Drama.

“Bhavabhuti’s text was completely rewritten for the play,although the basic story remains the same,” says Panikkar. In his 90-minute play,he highlights a conflict-ridden Ram,torn between his duty as the king of Ayodhya and a husband to Sita. “He submits to public opinion and cruelly abandons his wife in a forest,and then pines for her throughout his life,” says Panikkar. And this is where his vision of an ideal world leader emerges,one who must make sacrifices for his people.

This is also the reason Panikkar,a Malayali,wanted the play in Hindi. “I wanted as many people as possible to see it,” he says. Moreover,the actors speak Malayalified Hindi “because in order to grow,Hindi must be taken out of the heartland”. Did he have problems dealing with a Hindi script? “My quest has always been to take theatre beyond language. The body is the strongest tool of communication. I merely gave my actors the script and they spoke the dialogue,” he says.

Uttararamacharitam will be staged at Sri Ram Centre on January 21. Time: 4.30 pm. Contact: 23383420