Ever thought of Shakespeare's Shylock as tragic and defeated or Dickens' Fagin as a loveable old man with a disagreeable trade? Difficult isn't it? Famous characters in literature have often suffered a one-dimensional character because of our inability to think of them beyond black and white and as hero or villain.

Our interpretations of these men and women needs to be a challenged just a little and the Little Jasmine is coming back into town to do just that with its production of Kalidas's masterpiece Shakuntala.

After a freak accident during their last showing led to a painful exit, Kirtana Kumar and Konark Reddy along with ValueDesign re-introduce us to their version of the tragic love story in an energetic collaboration between an actor, a musician and a kalari artist.

The feminist in Kumar strongly protests against Dushyantha as an innocent king who fell a prey to a curse.

Instead she says, "While Kalidas chose to portray him as innocent bystander, Vysa saw him as just a man who has very convenient excuse out of a tricky situation. There are many versions of the love story which are not nearly as popular and this is ours."

But for all its references from known traditions, the play uses an interesting mix of metaphors to depict the contemporary world around us.

"It is all inclusive play and each member in the audience will be able to interpret the play according their sensibilities," says Kirtana. For those who have watched the play before, she promises a whole new level of dramatic quotient and technical wizardry.

Perception is indeed a very tricky thing. So if you are in the mood to push cultural dictums and personal beliefs during this weekend catch Little Jasmine's Shakuntala in Ranga Shankar on 17, 18 and 19 with a special matinee at 3.30 pm on August 19.

Tickets are priced at Rs 150 and are available at KC Das, Sankar's Book Stores and at the venue. For details contact: 98450-11177/ 98866-87671/ 25559291/ 25585395.