Actor Puneet Issar’s Mahabharata portrays Duryodhana and Karna’s perspective in a tale that has traditionally ignored the viewpoint of antagonists. By Sakshi Sharma
Mythology, just like history, often narrates a tale from the perspective of the victor. Mahabharata is no different. The very word conjures up images of an epic battle between siblings warring over Dharma. Told from the perspective of Pandavas by Ved Vyas, there have been as many versions of the epic as there are characters over the years. There is the perspective of Draupadi, or the powerful Bheem, warrior Karna, even that of his wife Uruvi and many more. There is also a series from Duryodhana’s point of view, a tale written from Bhishma’s perspective, and even a book that says that Lord Krishna was cursed.
So it was time that the antagonists came to the fore when actor-director Puneet Issar decided to portray this epic from the prism of wounded brothers, Duryodhana and Karna. He says, “I am a firm believer that history has always been written from the view of the triumphant. So I thought of making it from the antagonists’ perspective because their story needs to be told too. You can see that in Shakespeare, all the antagonists are important characters. But in our mythological tales, we usually ignore them. To someone, Draupadi would appeal while Bheem to someone else. Even a small and insipid character like Vikarna would appeal to someone.”
He adds that if you try to get into the antagonists’ head, you will discover that they consider themselves protagonists. So, their point of view has to come out very strongly in the play. Its focus is primarily on the friendship of Duryodhana and Karna that defies caste and class, a difference that is still a burning issue in the country. Narrated by Meghna Malik, who also portrays the role of Dharti, the play delivers a message that is relevant at every stage of life and across generations.
To distinguish the play from others, Issar made sure that he is a notch higher. So all his dialogues are in poetry form. It would not look like a normal Hindi play but rather poetic cinema. The LED background, live music, 3D effects and actors performing are likely to give you an adrenaline rush. The storyline and acting adds to the beauty of the play.
The actor grew nostalgic talking about Duryodhana’s role he played in the 1988 Doordarshan magnum opus. He says, “I became a household name after playing that. So I thought it’s time for payback. People have not forgotten the show and my role even after 31 years. I remember that whenever I did theatre, people came and asked me to render some lines of Duryodhana. They even asked why I didn’t make something related to it.” That was the time he realised that he should come up with a version of his own.
The reason that Mahabharata holds such a sway on the imagination is that is it a tale is about relationships and family dynamics, which are a crucial part of Indian societal system and human emotions. Each character in the tale has something to teach us. Bhishma teaches us the virtues of commitment, Duryodhana teaches us the pitfalls of unchecked ambition. While Gandhari teaches us the beauty of spousal love and sacrifice, Draupadi teaches us about the powers of a woman. Krishna is the epitome of enlightenment and Arjuna signifies the constant battle between the head and the heart. These stories are as relevant today as when they were written. Issar says, “People can relate to the epic in their everyday ordinariness. In every house, you will find a Duryodhana, Dhritarashta, Arjun, Shakuni, Krishna and almost all the characters. So it helps us to lead our lives.”
Since the tale appeals on every front, Issar finds it difficult to pinpoint at a single fact that made him undertake this. However, after struggling with words for a few seconds, he says, “The most appealing thing is that no character was completely white or black. They were all grey, even Krishna. Though he is Vishnu’s avatar but when he takes birth as a human, he also has faults.
Though Issar had earlier done the same show and role on TV but theatre has its own charm and challenges. “The best part about theatre, especially when it’s Mahabharata is that you can let people tickle their thinking bone as they have multiple options to think about,” says he. Though he has portrayed the tale from the antagonists’ perspective, he made sure that he did justice to other characters and maintained their gravity.
The 59-year-old actor guffaws talking about the challenges, “As age goes up, gravity pulls you down. Fortunately, my physical fitness, workouts and martial arts have helped me a lot. For this role, I went on a keto diet for almost a year and lost 23 kg. I want people to see me and say, ‘time has frozen for this man.”’
(The play will be staged on November 9 and 10 at Kamani Auditorium. Tickets are available on BookMyShow.)
