A stylised play based on different versions of the Ramayana, directed by Ganesh Mandarthi, is being staged in Bengaluru on Thursday.
Director Ganesh Mandarthi, hailing from Udupi and influenced by the operatic art of Yakshagana, believes Bengaluru must break the notion that it cannot watch or perform stylised mythological plays like this one.
The 34-year-old director, trained at Ninasam and popular for directing Vaali Vadhe, Karna Sangatya, and other plays, says the Bengaluru cast and crew were “warm and welcoming” and helped him construct a play based on the Ramayana.
Keerthi Bhanu, actor and senior member of the 33-year-old theatre group Sanchaya, says getting back on stage after a hiatus of two years was challenging.
“We had five weeks when Ranga Shankara announced the dates. Sanchaya has performed realistic plays, so with the director’s stylised approach, the team got to learn a lot in terms of language and postures,” he says. An actor describes the journey from being afraid in the Covid phase to being on stage. “I had tested positive and lost my self-confidence even though I had recovered from the pandemic. This play helped everyone in the team overcome their fears”.
(Sanchaya presents Kamaroopigal, based on varied versions of the Ramayana, November 11, Ranga Shankara)