Musical saga

The battles and acts of heroism from the great epic of Mahabharata came alive on stage when Shree Idagunji Mahaganpathi Yakshnagan Mandali performed at FTII yesterday as a part of Spic Macay cultural fest this year. The troupe that revived Duryodhan Vadh the musical way drew the audience to the edge of their seats with the blend of sur and abhinay. The performance that lasted more than an hour had 12 artistes depicting various layers of the Duryodhan Vadh. The credit for a spectacular performance not only goes to the actors but also the make up artistes whose colourful masks turned the performance into a visual delight for the viewers. The fundamental features of the costumes and make up are its symbolic nature of representation. The very nature of the theme that Yakshagana deals with – the epic world populated by gods,demons and super human characters — precludes any possibility of realistic presentation.