<p>Sita and Draupadi – the two iconic women of the Hindu Mythology - Ramayana and Mahabharata have seen their own share of plights, as we all are aware of.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Though both belong to different decades, it was their agony that interconnects them. It becomes clearer when Bharatanatyam dancer Joytsana Shourie intersects both Sita and Draupadi’s life and interlinks them through her dance drama ‘Face to Face’. <br /><br />In over an hour, this dance drama captured the highlights of two vastly different myths of contrasting tones of dharma and adharma pertaining to two different ages. It started with the birth of Sita and Draupadi, who represent mother Earth and fire respectively. <br /><br />With an English voice-over in the backdrop, the dancers translated those words in their dance. With beautiful and sophisticated mudrayeins, they presented a unique blend of Bharatanatyam and drama. <br /><br />The conversation progresses to Sita and Draupadi’s marriage and how the two had to leave the comforts of their kingdom, wander in forests with their husbands. It had Sita’s abduction by Ravana and Draupadi’s memories of the Kurukshetra war, the infamous game of dice, and their deaths.<br /><br />Shourie’s students Aneesha Grover as Sita, and Nandita Kalaan as Draupadi were successful in narrating the story through the power of their expressions. While performing, one narrated the episodes of her life and the other enacted them to simplify the story of the two women who suffered in a patriarchal world.<br /><br />Shourie has used the ekaharya-lasyanga approach with Draupadi, wherein a solo dancer performs all the characters, whereas in the case of Sita, it was more of a dance ballet.<br />Other dancers such as Ishita Matharu and Supriya Malik provided the body for the group sequences and took on several fleeting roles. Abhimanyu, a guest artist, for instance essayed the fleeting roles of Arjuna, Ravana and Rama.<br /><br />The dance drama got its depth with OS Arun’s Carnatic music, like Ennai tangum annai Bhumiya, Sita Kalyanam Vaibhavame, describing a flying Hanuman in Deemaha Maruti; a Sanskrit Mama Sita Mama Suta Pativrita; hymn Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu as Draupadi defeats the Kaurava attempt to disrobe her; a Panchali curse in Tamil, or a Tulsidas bhajan Sri Ramachandra Kripala Bhajamana, to hold attention of the audience . Voice-overs by Aftab Seth and Sharmila Livingston added intensity to the drama.<br /><br /></p>
<p>Sita and Draupadi – the two iconic women of the Hindu Mythology - Ramayana and Mahabharata have seen their own share of plights, as we all are aware of.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Though both belong to different decades, it was their agony that interconnects them. It becomes clearer when Bharatanatyam dancer Joytsana Shourie intersects both Sita and Draupadi’s life and interlinks them through her dance drama ‘Face to Face’. <br /><br />In over an hour, this dance drama captured the highlights of two vastly different myths of contrasting tones of dharma and adharma pertaining to two different ages. It started with the birth of Sita and Draupadi, who represent mother Earth and fire respectively. <br /><br />With an English voice-over in the backdrop, the dancers translated those words in their dance. With beautiful and sophisticated mudrayeins, they presented a unique blend of Bharatanatyam and drama. <br /><br />The conversation progresses to Sita and Draupadi’s marriage and how the two had to leave the comforts of their kingdom, wander in forests with their husbands. It had Sita’s abduction by Ravana and Draupadi’s memories of the Kurukshetra war, the infamous game of dice, and their deaths.<br /><br />Shourie’s students Aneesha Grover as Sita, and Nandita Kalaan as Draupadi were successful in narrating the story through the power of their expressions. While performing, one narrated the episodes of her life and the other enacted them to simplify the story of the two women who suffered in a patriarchal world.<br /><br />Shourie has used the ekaharya-lasyanga approach with Draupadi, wherein a solo dancer performs all the characters, whereas in the case of Sita, it was more of a dance ballet.<br />Other dancers such as Ishita Matharu and Supriya Malik provided the body for the group sequences and took on several fleeting roles. Abhimanyu, a guest artist, for instance essayed the fleeting roles of Arjuna, Ravana and Rama.<br /><br />The dance drama got its depth with OS Arun’s Carnatic music, like Ennai tangum annai Bhumiya, Sita Kalyanam Vaibhavame, describing a flying Hanuman in Deemaha Maruti; a Sanskrit Mama Sita Mama Suta Pativrita; hymn Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu as Draupadi defeats the Kaurava attempt to disrobe her; a Panchali curse in Tamil, or a Tulsidas bhajan Sri Ramachandra Kripala Bhajamana, to hold attention of the audience . Voice-overs by Aftab Seth and Sharmila Livingston added intensity to the drama.<br /><br /></p>
