Like most characters in the Mahabharata, Karna is a deeply complex character and can be a hero or a villain, depending on the reader’s perspective. As part of its endeavour to bring art and community closer, Ahum, is launching an intimate concert series at Swastika Studio, GKVK Layout, Jakkur. It will feature a theatrical performance in Hindi based on poet Ramdhari Singh Dinakar’s Rashmirathi . Written in verse, Rashmirathi narrates the story of Karna through the epic battle and beyond. It attempts to capture the myriad emotions that Karna goes through as a result of his affiliations – both filial and effectual. It will be brought to life on stage by V Balakrishnan, artistic director of Theater Nisha and an alumnus of Sri Ram Centre for Performing Arts and the National School of Drama.
Talking about the upcoming performance, Balakrishnan says, “It is my eighth performance of this story. I have enjoyed it so far. It is a dramatic performance of the famous poem by Ramdhari Singh Dinakar and is almost an hour and 20 minutes. When I first began to work on this text, editing the content to fit it into the timeframe was a tough ask.”
He adds, “Apart from Karna, characters such as Kunti and a few others make an appearance in this telling. I have used a traditional storytelling format with a musical score composed by Pandit Sameer Rao from Mysuru. It took me a couple of months to create this performance.”
Does he let his own views of Karna influence his performance? “Not really. It is a retelling of a poem. I have tried to follow the source material. Moreover, the Mahabharata is filled with complex characters and plots, that cannot be typecast in the binaries of good and bad.”
Anuradha Venkatraman, one of the organisers of the show says, “It is part of our efforts to bring art and community together. We have also conducted music concerts at the Jakkur Lake. We hope this will be a success too.”
Rashmirathi will be held at Swastika Studio, GKVK Layout, Jakkur from 7 pm onwards on March 3. Entry is free for all. Registrations are needed. To register please mail contact@ ahum.in or SMS 9663317731
