Breaking the Silence

Puja Goyal experiences a lice of Indian Mythology from a women's perspective in the stage version of Shashi Deshpande's short stories

(C) Puja Goyal

History was always written by men with power and Indian mythology has also been enriched by the possibilities and happenings of what men perceive. Our roots are ingrained in a patriarch society that has influenced most of our lifestyle, culture, traditions and values. In the midst of which, women have taken a back seat and less has been said about a women's perspective. Why? Simply women might rock the cradle but when it comes to making history there presence have been nullified and negligible.

Shashi Deshpande's three short stories featuring the popular female figures of Hindu Mythology (Sita, Draupadi and Kunti) was adapted for stage by VODO and directed by Krishna. The play "Chimeras" elaborated their mental anguish at being deserted for the betterment of society, power and land. In plain words 'what the women feel when they get ditched royally by men, (who claim love and everlasting devotion) for lucrative propositions'.

Women's perspective on these issues has been presented time and again in different forms by novelists, playwrights, and stage acts. So much so that reading about it has become redundant because a lot has been said, but our perspectives have remained the same.

The 90 minute play was staged at Alliance on the 19th and 20th of July 2007. The stage adaptation of the stories could have been passed off as a musical storytelling session interrupted by a "Suthradhaar" who made a feeble and flimsy attempt to connect the three stories together.

Priya Venkataraman who plays Sita brought a few tears to the audience's eyes. The anguish and helplessness of a young girl caught between the dutiful husband and her love for him was executed excellently.

The audience did look a little restless as the play progressed. It could be because they could take in only so much apathy at a time. By the time Draupadi came in to lament; it seemed more like bickering and nagging… Draupadi was strong; she reminded me of "Tulsi" from the "Kyun ki…" soap. The last story was told by Kunti. There was a certain vibrancy to her character… she looked alive and energetic befitting a twenty year old rather than the character she was playing which could have been in her sixties and upwards.

The set design was minimalist and the light execution was good. Strong moments (like when the actors dropped down on their knees and cried), were lost due to dim lighting. The suthradhaar proved to be a weak link in the story. A must mention would be the costume design and make-up which was aptly put together by Surabhi Herur, who plays Draupadi.