Invoking Durga in times of gender violence

October may yet be a few months away, but in Delhi, it was already a magnificent Durgotsav last weekend! Holy smoke emanating from burnt coir and camphor, girls and boys dancing in spiritual frenzy to the beats of drums, the deity was herself present in Kamani auditorium.

Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra staged the powerful dance-drama Shree Durga in its 11th year of ‘Ballet Festival,’ that left everyone who came to see it, enchanted and overwhelmed.

A huge stage flanked by a mask of Goddess Durga on one side and one of Kali, her destructive avatar, on the other, and the larger Durga mask hanging overhead – the decoration gave away the scale on which Shree Durga had been planned. Soon arrived a group of young dancers, performing what can aptly be described as a mix of Mayurbhanj Chhau, Kathak and some contemporary elements, to extol the virtues of Durga, the divine feminine.

Shobha Deepak Singh, the matriarch of Delhi’s premiere cultural organisation Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, who has helmed several productions over the last 30 years, says, “The idea of staging a presentation on Durga was dormant in my mind for over two decades. In fact an icon of Durga has adorned my office for as long as I can recall. However, seeing the recent incidents of brutalities against women, I was convinced that the tale of Durga, the warrior Goddess vanquishing asuras, needs to be brought back to public consciousness.”

The episode of Mahishasur-mardan commenced the show. Durga is furious at Mahishasur, the buffalo demon who is tormenting Gods and humans, intoxicated by the boon that he is invincible to all opponents but a woman. She leads an army of female combatants against Mahishasur’s all-male force. What ensues is a battle involving exciting leaps and jumps, typical of Chhau and sword fighting techniques employing Kerala’s martial art Kalaripayattu.

As has been the tradition in the past few editions, the Kala Kendra’s Durga is a man! The otherwise quiet and soft-spoken Shiburam Mohanta does a fantastic job of essaying Durga, packing in energy that probably would come easier to a man. Speaking to Metrolife Shiburam informs he has “played roles in almost all the ballets produced by the Kendra so far, but Durga is the toughest. It takes me four hours to put on the make-up and get into the skin of the role. I have to be feisty and aggressive but measure my steps and gait like a woman.”

This male energy is then perfectly complemented by Molina Singh who plays the blood-thirsty Kali. Raktabeej conquers her, again, blessed to be reborn of every drop of his blood that falls on the ground. Molina, trained in various dance forms, does full justice to the role of Kali, first confounded with the various clones of Raktabeej emerging of the falling blood and then devouring it all to prevent any reincarnations of the asura.

Molina explains, “I have played Kali before but in a very different way. Kali does not speak, so I had to convey all her fury through the body language and facial expressions. To tell you honestly, I channelled all my anger at the recent incidents of crimes against women through this performance. I am not a politician. So this is the only way I can speak up about them.”

Shashidharan Nair, the veteran choreographer at the Kendra, says, “Our attempt is to renew our ballets every year. This involves new actors, reworked scripts and a fresh choreography. Durga this time was very different.

Next year, you will find it unique again.”