Bhasa’s Play: Madhyama Vyayoga

image_pdfimage_print

Playwright: Mahakavi Bhasa
Director: Jagadeesh R
Group: Sri Shivakumara Rangaprayoga Shale, Sanehalli, Karnataka
Language: Kannada
Duration: 1 hr 20 mins

The Play
A Brahmin family is captured by Ghatotkach, son of the demoness Hidimbā and the middle Pandava prince, Bhima, who is doing his mother’s bidding, for she has asked him to find a human for her meal. Upon painfully discussing who will sacrifice his life, it is decided that the middle son, Madhyama, is to be taken for Hidimbā. Before facing his fate, the middle son asks permission to quench his thirst at a nearby lake.
The middle son is gone for some time and Ghatokach calls out to him… “Madhyama… Madhyama…” Incidentally, Bhima, also called Madhyama by his brothers, is passing by. He responds to the call and finds the priest and his family in a state of despair. Bhima inquires the identity of Ghatokach’s mother, only to find that Ghatokach is his own son. Bhima is amused and without giving away his identity gets into a duel with his son and defeats him. Bhima asks Ghatokach to call his mother so that she can satiate her hunger. Hidimba appears and reveals the identity of Bhima to their son. Ghatokach is shocked and humbled by the sudden revelation. Hidimba says that her appetite is satisfied by the return of her husband, and both families go their separate ways.

Director’s Note
In contemporary society middle path symbolizes weakness and defeat, and is related to adjustments. The play carries the notion that one who has the power and utilizes it to serve and protect the poor and week knows the middle path… madhyama. To interpret the above view, I have chosen the Sanskrit play Madhyama Vyayoga to be presented in folk forms like Kudiyattum and Yakshagana by folk artistes. The stylised acting method gives performers room for improvisation and the austerity of the presentation ensures uninterrupted flow of action. In these productions, it is the actors’ bodies which become the vehicle of manifestation of human emotions and action. The actors acquire the central space in these productions marked by a variety of colours, musical tunes and themes.

The Director
Jagadeesh R was born in Chikkamagalur district, Karnataka, India in 1981. He graduated in Design and Direction from National School of Drama, New Delhi in 2013. He is a sculptor and a musician and is active in theatre giving direction, music, light and scenic design. He has won the State Award for Theatre Music in the year 2006. He participated in the 2nd Asian Theatre Festival at Beijing, China (2012), and The NAPA (National Academy of Performing Arts) International Theatre Festival at Karachi, Pakistan (2014). Currently he is working as a director at Sri Shivakumara Rangaprayoga Shale, Sanehalli, Karnataka.

The Playwright
The earliest known Sanskrit dramatist, Bhasa, is believed to have lived sometime during the 3rd century AD. Thirteen of his plays were rediscovered in 1912. Most of these surviving works are romances taken from the famous epics the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, although two of Bhasa’s plays do boast of original plots viz. Avimaraka and Charudatta.

The Group
Sri Shivakumara Rangaprayoga Shale was established in year 2008 and is a residential theatre school. It has been designed in the Gurukula system with a broad syllabus, adapted from the best theatre institutions of the country. Its course is backed by 25 years of experience of Kalashangha and 15 years of the Shivasanchara Theatre repertory. It is training today’s youth in both traditional and experimental ways.

Cast & Credits
Hidimba Madhushree V A
Ghatotkacha Naveen M
Bhima Abhishek K
Brahmana Santhosh Guledagudda
Brahmani Pooja Gajakosh
Prathama K S Gireesh
Madhyama Golla Ramesh
Trutiya Shivanagouda Maalipatil
Devi Chetan J
Sahachareyaru Tulasi P Karigar, Asha M R
Rakshasa Gana Madan S V, K Prem Kumar
K V Ganesha, Guruprasad
Ateem Dadapeer Nadaf, Sanath Kumar

Light Design Vinod Laxman Bhandari
Choreography Prathibha B G
Make-up Mithun Balakrishna
Costume Kiran T C, Panduranga Nayak
Vocals Jagadeesh R
Percussion B Prakash, Madhu E
Sound Design Lava Kumar
Assistant Directors Vinod Laxman Bhandari, Pratibha B G

Playwright Mahakavi Bhasa
Music, Design and Direction Jagadeesh R

Contacts
Jagadeesh R
Director, Sri Shivakumara Rangaprayoga Shale
Sanehalli – 577515, Karnataka
M: +91 8199243772, 9743095604
E: janichik@gmail.com

Manohar Khushalani

Manohar Khushalani

Prof. Manohar Khushalani is a former Visiting Faculty at Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi. The courses he taught were: Animation & Graphics, Non-Linear Editing for Film and Radio and Theatre Appreciation.  He has won a total of nine Excellence in Teaching awards for all the courses he has taught at IIITD Earlier he retired from Government of India as Director Environment Management, Central Water Commission and held many senior positions in the Government Based on a Belief that Culture and Environment are the two keys to global sustainability , Manohar Khushalani has launched two portals: A Portal on Environment and Water called One Vorld at url: www.onevorld.org and two Ezines on Culture called Stage Buzz at url: www.stagebuzz.in He has taught extensively in varied subjects such as Dam Safety, Instrumentation, CAD, IT, Animation, Theatre, Newspaper Editing. He has conducted Courses on Environment Management, Water Shed Development, Team Building and Personality Development. He was an Expert Member of Prasar Bharti’s Committee for Grading & Short listing Films for Telecast on all channels of Doordarshan.  He is a Radio Anchor for All India Radio and has moderated several programs for the Rajdhani Channel He is a well-known Theatre Actor/Director and Critic, has been involved in theatre since 1977. He has worked as an actor in over 50 plays with almost every leading director/Actor in the Country including Badal Sircar, Feisal Alkazi, Amal Allana, M.K. Raina, Anuradha Kapoor, Maya Rao, Manohar Singh, Prasanna, Rati Bartholomew and Sushmita Mukherji. He has been active in the social sector as a street theatre activist. As a member of Workshop Theatre, Theatre Union and Prayog, Khushalani has participated in street plays taking up major social issues such as dowry, bride burning, Sati, banned medicinal drugs and communalism. Dario Fo’s Accidental Death of an Anarchist and Can’t Pay Won’t Pay, both directed by him, received rave notices from critics and audiences alike. Other plays directed by him include Badal Sircar’s, Sagina Mahato and Boris Vian’s Empire Builders for Ruchika Theatre Group. Khushalani has also acted in a few films such as Sudhir Mishra's Hazaron Khwaishen Aisi , Shoojit Sircar’s Madras Café and Pradeep Krishan's Annie Gives Those Ones. He is an Animator & Graphics Designer and has directed a number of documentaries. He also held a number of Honorary positions and was President of North India Films Association, He was the Chairman of  Jury for UGC CEC Educational Films Competition and has been on their Preview Committee since last many years. He was on the preview committee of Door Darshan Channel 3, was a visiting Professor at National School of Drama, New Delhi, and Film & Television Institute of India, Pune, AJKMCRR, Jamia Milia Islamia and Professor in Media at FICT, Delhi  He has judged a large number of Drama Competitions and conducted a number of Theatre / Management Games Workshops with Institutions such as AIIMS, NTPC, CWPRS, NWA, Karve Nari Prakshishan Sansthan, FICT, IIT, MAMC, Gargi College, KNC, Tagore International School and Vivekananda School. He is a Theatre Critic for IIC Diary, has also been a Columnist with Midday and Pioneer Daily and wrote Column's Called Culture Cocktail and Footlights Respectively. He was also the Guest Editor for an issue on Folk Theatre of ICCR Journal Horizons. He has written for Times of Indian, Hindustan Times, Blitz, Hard News, Hindu Business Line, Theatre India & Art Times. He has designed dams and hydraulic structures for the Government. He is a programmer and has developed Engineering design software in Fortran. He is a co-author of Irrigation Practice & Design (Vol 1 to5 - 1500 pages) published by Oxford & IBH and sponsored by National Book Trust. He has been a Director, Environment and Sociology, at the National Water Academy, Khadakwasla and Director, Environment Management Directorate, Central Water Commission and Member Secretary, National Environmental Monitoring Committee for River Valley Projects. He was also Director of Instrumentation Directorate in the Dam Safety Organisation. He was Chief General Manager and Head of Water Resources at Scott Wilson and is an accredited consultant with numerous other organizations He is a Delhi Public School, BITS Pilani, IIT Delhi and FTI Pune Alumini. He was also the President of BITS Pilani Alumni Association, Pune.

You may also like...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *