JOIN USPlay on the politics of death returns to city
Nimmy Raphel felt strongly about people’s sense of right and wrong before she conceptualised the play ‘Bali’, which she will stage in Bengaluru this weekend.
“It’s always black or white, there is no middle ground. So I decided to write a play that would challenge this notion. The plot is centered on king Bali’s death, which is narrated through multiple perspectives,” begins the writer and director.
The narrative, based on a section of the ‘Ramayana’, is a retelling of the battle between Bali, the king of Kishkindha, and Ram, the king of Ayodhya. The play talks about the politics of death, says Nimmy, and addresses questions surrounding the journey after death — of both the person who has passed on and the people who are impacted by his departure.
The production by Puducherry-based Adishakti Theatre seeks to interpret the significant event from the standpoint of prominent characters in the epic. Sugreeva (Bali’s brother who betrayed him), Bali, Ram, Tara (Bali’s wife), Angadha (Bali’s son) and Ravana put before the audience the thought processes and reasoning behind their decisions and actions. “Ram talks about why he resolved to kill Bali and Sugreeva explains his choice of siding with Ram, while Ravana delves into how the battle could have been avoided,” she reveals.
The episodic performance is told through a rich tapestry of Adishakti’s signature breathwork, elements from kushti (traditional wrestling), and original music composed by Vinay Kumar (artistic director of Adishakti).
“There are no props or scenography. The actors create the scenography in the mind of the audience. We trained with traditional wrestlers to make our performance realistic because Bali and Sugreeva were wrestlers too. And the characters don’t speak much, because words have more power when they are distilled,” shares Nimmy.
While the play has come to the city before, she believes that every performance is different in some ways. “The more a play is staged, the better the actors get. I believe the actors are able to connect with their characters better as the number of presentations increase,” says Nimmy, who is currently in the process of producing her new play, also based on the ‘Ramayana’. “It is the story of Urmila, Lakshmana’s wife, and deals with themes like consent and emotional violence,” she says, before signing off.
On March 3, 7 pm, and March 4 and 5, 3.30 pm and 7.30 pm, at Ranga Shankara, JP Nagar. Tickets available online.