The saga of lord Rama narrated through the play Uttara Sita Rama Charit was staged here on Friday, at Antrang Hall, Bharat Bhavan. Originally written in Sanskrit by Bhavabhuti, the play was presented by the students of Madhya Pradesh School of Drama (MPSD) batch 2013-14 as a part of their annual presentation. The play is directed by CR Jambe.
Notably the play deals with the history of Rama’s later life, beginning with his coronation, the abandonment of Sita, and their final reunion. The original play primarily works along the lines of three rasas: karuna, shringar and veera. Ofcourse it is known for its karuna but the other two rasas are also there, lying latent to sprout into meaningful dimensions in the production. We worked to bring out the beautiful triangle of these rasas and the poetic images assume creative sub-textual dimensions. It helped in bringing into open the conflict of being Rama.
He is Rama that is why he will have to suffer, he is Rama that is why he will love, he is Rama that is why he will have to protect his people. But being all these he is endlessly out of equilibrium. That is why his stories are told, and being Sita is also to live in this triangle. She is Sita that is why she will love, she is Sita that is why she will have to suffer separation, she is Sita that is why she will have to face the loneliness in forest with courage.
Notably, the play is much different from what Bhavabhuti has written as the play when adapted met various manipulations that made the play appear gloomy and striking. The performance was like a treat for the art lovers as they appreciated the play and artists whole-heartedly. The students gave an enthusiastic performance and wonderfully met the individuality of each character. The costumes were eye catching and added a different effect to the play. The make-up and accessories, including the strong performance by the artists, added a specual effect to the presentation.