The problems of woman’s desires, autonomy, fulfillment and transgression was wondrously performed on stage here on Wednesday
The Punjabi tale by Girish Karnad, ‘Naga Mandala’ marked the second day of Aadranjali, theatre fest being organised in the memory of BV Karanth.Directed by a noted theatre director Neelam Man Singh Chaudhary and was performed by ‘The Company’, Chandigarh.
The story revolves around an unhappy bride who fills her lonely hours by conjuring fantasies, dreams and illusions to give meaning to her life. These stories then acquire a life of their own and start happening independently of her. Such is the power of the unconscious that a frivolous wish or fantasy can take on a life of its own, and Karnad uses the format of a folk tale that was narrated in an innovative manner.
The story in the play about a snake becoming a lover after drinking a magic potion can be interpreted at many levels. There is the literal narrative – a snake assuming the role of the husband. At a completely different level, the transformation of the husband into the snake assumes a philosophical tenor.
To unravel the characters not only on the basis of what they are doing, but also what they are not doing, is what creates the dramatic tension. Each character in the play has an unarticulated gesture and action. The audience is invited to look beyond the action represented, to an alternative world; a world where a chorus of flames speaks more eloquently than humans, and where a snake takes human form.
“Naga Mandala was a play I first directed in 1989. During its direction, I was assailed by many questions. But, I have always been more interested in process than in result. For Naga Mandala, the actors were told to pick up whatever object attracted them, which enabled them to discover the character in all its infinite possibilities,” says Neelam Man Singh Choudhay.
The audience was overwhelmed with the performance filled with perfection and astonishing acts. It was a real treat for the theatre lovers of the city.