Expressions

So wrote Bhasa, one of the most celebrated names in classical Sanskrit literature. His play, Vasavadatta, translated in English, is being staged in the city. Surely, as The sun burns sharply… the cultural activities are `drying up’ along with mud, not to mention lust! Kids of course have never had it so good with plays like Ramu Ramanathan’s The Boy Who Stopped Smiling enacted mainly at Prithvi day after day. But not much for adults. So what can one do on a hot day? Head for the water-parks; and if you’re fortunate, the youngsters may get a bit of culture along with an overdose of Disney characters.

Nishiland, a few km from Panvel, is the newest fantasy for Mumbaikars. What may set it apart from the others is that the culture of each Indian state will be highlighted in permanentpavilions, with occasional live performances. Why not add some Indian characters as well? It is better to be greeted by Hanuman than Donald Duck.

New age

Reiki, T’ai Chi.., expect the creative bunch to try out `new’ techniques to get those juices flowing. The Sunken Garden at the NCPA thronged with eager-to-learn actors, dancers and others at a workshop on `T’ai Chi Chuan’ conducted by Sandeep Desai.

It turned out to be a hands-on-session, and unless you were already quite fit, you’d have found it difficult to keep up with the master, who preferred to speak as little as possible. Fair enough, words can distract when one is trying to focus. In any case, it was just an introduction and those relaxing circular movements must have done a world of good to over-heated cells. At another workshop, also organised by the Chauraha last year, American playwright, Irene Fornes, ensured that writing exercises were preceded by a set of body movements. They helped us not only relax, but get in touch with oursub-conscious. Perhaps the ever-innovating organisers at Chauraha will plan more intensive sessions with smaller groups in the near future.

Cast imperfect

Sri Aurobindo’s work has inspired many theatre personalities. Savitri was staged a couple of years ago, and now we have his adaptation of Vasavadatta directed by Janak Toprani. The rasa or flavour of the play, with rati or love as its dominant theme, was enhanced with excellent music by Nandu Bhende and sets/lights by M S Sathyu. If only one could say the same for the cast dominated by model-turned-actors.

Bhasa’s other play based on the legends of King Udayana is Pratijna Yaugandharayana. If adapted to English it may interest directors, but I doubt if a translation is available. Also Toprani’s production has revealed the difficulties in staging classics: lyrical scripts are not easy for actors; poetry has its own language just as history has its own drama. In our regional theatre, many plays are drawn from epics andthis trend is emerging in English theatre too as we are turning to our past with plays like Jaya. As a new breed of seasoned actors and directors emerge, we may see more finesse in such ambitious productions.

Opening doors

As we celebrate our 50th year of Independence, Alliance Francaise celebrates its 60th Anniversary. Dropping its image of a learning centre, the Alliance has moved towards promoting more inter-cultural events, and in the coming years, as they go hi-tech, the Mumbai cultural community will find an enthusiastic partner. A practical strategy, for as we return to our roots, we’ll have less time for others; unless in some way, interacting with them will help us preserve and develop our own culture. While interaction with other cultures expands vision, let’s not wear blinkers as far as our home-grown happenings are concerned.