Girish Karnad's last play Rakshasa Tangadi / Crossing to Talikota , which depicts the fall of the Vijayanagar empire, will première on stage this week in Kannada and English. Mr. Karnad passed away in June this year.
While Rohini and Nandan Nilekani Philanthropies will present a lavish mega production in English, directed by noted director Arjun Sajnani, the Kannada production is part of the Ninasam Tirugata, performed by students of the Heggodu-based theatre school.
Arjun Sajnani, who has earlier produced three of Karnad's plays – Tughlaq , Fire and Rain and Bali – was initially overwhelmed by the play and its scale when Karnad gave him the manuscript for production. “The main challenge was its scale, to give the play the platform it deserved. My forte has been big productions, but even to me, this was big,” he said, adding that funding by Rohini and Nandan Nilekani Philanthropies made it possible.
The play is a nuanced take on the fall of the Vijayanagara empire in a war with the Sultans, often painted in communal colours.
Mr. Karnad had, in an interview, told The Hindu that he researched the subject for three years and he “invented very little in the play as everything was very much there”. The play argues that it was more of geo-politics and the personality of Aliya Ramaraya that led to the downfall of the empire.
Mr. Sajnani said the play has a lot of resonance to today's times. The cross-cultural references in the play, Ali Adil Shah being adopted as a son by Aliya Ramaraya, paint the India that was and indicate what we need to find again, he said. “The play also deals with power and authoritarianism, a quest for land, the forsaking of humanity that such a regime seeks from its subjects, which finds resonance with today's times,” he added.
Both Mr. Sajnani and Venkataramana Aithal, director of the Kannada production, observed that the structure of the play resembled a film screenplay, with scenes flowing into other scenes, many vignette-like scenelets, and the use of flashback.
“In fact, my initial response to the manuscript was that it would make a great film,” Mr. Sajnani, also a filmmaker, said.
While the English production is true to the source material, some additions have been made in the Kannada production. “There are no songs in the original play. But we have added many songs, five Purandara Dasa keertanas and six songs from Ibrahim Adil Shah's Kitab-e-Navras, a book on music, both of which are from the same larger time period and region, to indicate the larger ideals and mood of the times,” said Mr. Aithal.
The two productions have a diametrically opposite cast.
The English production has several veteran English theatre artists essaying the lead roles, with Ashok Mandanna playing the lead character of Aliya Ramaraya. “It is a fascinating complex character that I have tried to interpret in my way, making small changes. But the role gives ample scope for airing a range of emotions,” the actor said.
Karnad had initially approached senior Kannada actor Anant Nag to play the role in the Kannada play, but was turned down.
“Here is a play with mostly old people, made for us,” laughed Mr. Sajnani.
But on the other hand, all the roles in the Kannada play are essayed by students, mostly in their 20s. “Even the role of a 100-year-old lady is essayed by a young girl,” said Mr. Aithal.
Crossing to Talikota will be staged at Chowdaiah Memorial Hall from October 2 to October 6 and on October 20. Rakshasa Tangadi will premiere at Ninasam in Heggodu on October 4, and will be staged in Bengaluru on October 12 at Rangashankara and on October 16 at HN Kalakshetra.
