The 1957 classic Maya Bazaar — which entered cinematic history for its long run in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu — has now been recreated in the form of an English play.
The 60-year-old epic movie tale will now be staged by the Bangalore Little Theatre (BLT) at 12 venues and 17 shows across the city in November and December.
“ Maya Bazaar, as a big screen version, was an adaptation from the original Telugu ballad Sashirekha Parinayam , an offshoot tale of the Mahabharata where Krishna and Ghatotkacha try to reunite Arjuna’s son, Abhimanyu, with his love Sashirekha, Balarama’s daughter. BLT’s English drama version is a roller coaster ride of dramatic ingenuity, loaded with wit and wisdom and is ideal for young audiences and contemporary thinking,” says BLT.
This play hopes to capture some of the “Maya” back on stage, according to playwright Sridhar Ramanathan. “The English version is also part of an on-going project to contemporise the art of storytelling. Just as a grandmother spices it up with today’s terms so that the grandchild gets the story without losing the intent, we have taken liberties with the original script,” Mr. Ramanathan added.
While Mr. Ramanathan had fell in love with the movie as a kid, he was surprised to see that his children could not relate to the humour, even though the narrative is a simple one based on Indian mythology. “That is when I thought a modern version would be great,” said Mr. Ramanathan who has brought in several laugh-out-loud lines punctuating the play, albeit with a tight pace through the two acts.
BLT’s English Maya Bazaar will be presented in association with the Indian Cancer Society, The Hindu and the Amar Chitra Katha. The proceeds from ticket sales will be used for treatment of paediatric cancer, with focus on the needy and low-income group.
The public shows will be held at New Horizon College Auditorium (November 26 and 27); Alliance Francaise (December 1 and 4); Purandara Bhavana, Indiranagar (December 3) and Ranga Shankara (December 23 and 24) apart from special school and college shows.
Tickets are available on Bookmyshow.
