Someday, voice of wisdom will be heard

Someday we will all listen to the voice of reason...”, with curtains drawn and silence pervading through the hall, the narrator’s voice cuts through the darkness, paving way for the dance drama, Drona.

What ushers in next is a spectacle of lights, warfare and the universal battle between dharma and adharma exploring the life of one of the greatest gurus, Dronacharya.

Shri Ram Centre was teeming with theatre lovers on the evening of September 30 as Natya Ballet Centre’s students came forth to put across a tantalising dance drama, weaving snippets from the life of Guru Dronacharya. Interspersed with an audio-visual background, an entourage of around 17 dancers led by choreographer Krishan Verma enacted the journey of Guru Drona. The choreographer played the role of the protagonist, Drona and wowed the audience with his inimitable Mayurbhanj Chhau moves.

Walking us through different stages of Drona’s life, they portrayed that Dronacharya was the revered guru of the Pandavas and the Kauravas, the princes of Hastinapur. With Arjuna being his favourite disciple, he vows that Arjuna’s skill would have no match in the world. As the legend goes, there comes Eklavya, the son of a tribal chief who self-trains in the craft of archery and practices in front of a clay image of Dronacharya, the guru who had rejected him because of his humble background.

At this juncture, a silhouette of guru Dronacharya rises up on the projection screen leaving the audience gasping at its magnitude. When the guru and his disciple finally meet, Drona asks for his guru dakshina Eklavya’s thumb, leaving the viewers saddened at the sacrifice followed by a round of applause at the
enactment.

Henceforth, the story goes on to relay the life of Karna, Pandavas and Kauravas and takes us through the raging battle of Mahabharata where Dronacharya plays a pivotal role. It’s a great commentary on student-teacher relationship as both “the Pandavas and the Kauravas had the same guru but they chose separate ways. The battle that ensued was one of dharma versus adharma. The guru gives us knowledge but it is upto us to use it or discard it. The guru gives us wisdom but cannot force us to apply it. In the little battles we fight every day and larger battles that nations and people fight every day. Someday the voice of wisdom will hopefully be heard,” says Radhika Hoon, the chairperson of Natya Ballet Centre.

Radhika revealed that the student-performers delivered this grand spectacle within a month and a half of rehearsals, much to the surprise of the viewers. With dazzling lights and shadows projected intermittently, the expanse of the production engulfs you.