An imaginary conversation on the sidelines of the battleground between Arjuna and Achilles, iconic warriors from the epics Mahabharata and Iliad, turns into an epiphanic inquiry into the premise and purpose of war, and whether heroism and valour could be antithetical to empathy and humanism.
Premiered at the Alliance Francaise, ‘He-Rose’ a co-production of Adishakti and École Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Techniques du Théâtre (ENSATT), a national drama school in Lyon, France, presented a profound inquiry into war as it challenged popular-lore notions of glory and the very nature of heroism.
The event was organised during the recent visit by Ambassador of France to India Thierry Mathou.
In depicting Arjuna and Achilles at their most war-weary and vulnerable moment as they yearn to become ordinary men again, ‘He-Rose’ subverts the usually grandiose, larger-than-life narrative about war conquests and trophies and the heroism trope, by pointing the spotlight at the untold stories of war, of soldiers martyred for the “benefit of a few”, women widowed and children orphaned.
The exchange between Arjuna and Achilles involves questions such as for whom the war is waged, for man or the Gods, the agency of commanders over their destiny, and what constitutes true virtuousness and heroism.
Though the epics of Mahabharata and Homer’s ‘Iliad’ span different cultures, timelines and story arcs for the two central figures, there are intersecting points too, from both being reluctant warriors to swapping gender (Arjuna disguising as Brihannala/Achilles as Issa) that are also signifiers of a feminine side.
In the end, the warriors change not just the rules of the game, but abandon the game itself; returning to their true selves and embracing what they truly believe in, or take simple pleasure from.
The making of ‘He-Rose’ was an exception to how difficult artistic collaborations can be, said Vinay Kumar, Adishakti Artistic Director and managing trustee, who directed the play.
“Collaborations can easily turn a nightmare because of so many things going wrong, culturally, temperamentally, or in terms of work methods. But, in this case, within a week, we all felt deeply connected and found a convergence of political ideas, worldviews and cultural values”, he said.
“This was not an easy piece to write...because of what’s happening around us in the world makes us reflect as to where we are heading as humanity, our thoughts about war and our notions of heroes”, said Nimmy Raphel, Adishakti artiste and managing trustee who wrote the play.
While being an Indo-French collaboration may have dictated the portrayal of Arjuna and Achilles — protagonists familiar to consciousness — it is also a reflection on how collective dread of failure pushing the human race down a path where even the certainty of heavy collateral does not pre-empt a pursuit of victory, she said.
“We are, in a way, also celebrating the notion of failure and stimulating a candid reassessment of what we want to propose as individuals and as heroes,” said Ms. Raphel.
‘He-Rose’ will embark on a multi-city tour across India, France and Bangladesh with the support of the French Embassy, said Laurent Jalicous, Director of Alliance Francaise in Puducherry, who was instrumental in facilitating the collaboration.
The cast featured Julie Cecchini, Mathilde Briet, Marius Pinson and Elsa Fafin from ENSATT and Meedhu Miriyam and Sooraj S from Adishakti. The ENSATT technical team comprises Calliste Lestra (light design), François Landureau (scenography), Lolie Mortreux (sound), Canelle Charlanes (costumes) and Arnaud Guennad (assistant director).
‘He-Rose’ will open the 10th Remembering Veenapani Festival at Adishakti on April 1.
