THE message in thinly veiled ascontemporary images and episodes from ancient mythological history alternate in a racy narrative about Lord Rama depicted in "Kathakar"style Kathak dance drama. Directed by Shyamanand Jalan and presented by Calcutta’sPadatik Theatre Group and Padatik Dance Centre, RamKatha/Ram Kahani is an attempt attotal theatre and seeks to re-establish faith in Lord Rama as an importantguiding principle in modern life.
The idea for the show was sparked off when theJalans, Shyamanand and Che-tna, visited Ayodhya in August 1992 and wereintrigued by the turmoil the city had been plunged into. Rama’s story neededto be retold, they felt, and launched into research before starting work on theplot.
Ram Katha/Ram Kahani reflectsthe influ-ences of various storytelling traditions which marked the teachings ofpreachers like Murari Bapu and Ram Sukh Das Maharaj. The script by the Hindipoet Nawal has incorporated strands from Valmiki’s Ramayana,Tulsidas’ Ramcharit-manas andthe poetry of Bharatendu Harish Chandra, among others. The mix is decidedlyeclectic and the producers have made an intrepid endeavour to structure theplay.
And since Chetna Jalan, who is a Kathak exponent, has chosen the Kathakarstyle, the sutradhar (narrator) holds centrestage, emotes anddances and communicates the theme of the performance. This is signific-ant asLord Rama’s character, for instance, isn’t played by a single performer;Laksh-mana is played by more than one actor too. Therefore, the narrator’sparticipation in the course of events role is especially sensitive and impartscoherence to the act.
But what really makes the production stand apart is theadmirable success in the mix of inputs from diverse sources. Choreographed byChetna Jalan, the texture of the show is defined by innovative dance sequencesand music. Equally interesting is the quality of musical fusion. On the onehand, it features musical inputs by Suman Chattopadhyay, a Bengali urban folksinger whose lyrics are marked by commonplace images. On the other hand, there adaptations, popular songs like Humma Humma, thumris, ghazals, rap, besides bha-jans known to the average listener of devotional music. Explains the director: "We have used popular songs since the show is an attempt to generate faith in Rama."
Beginning with the Lord’s birth, the show ends on a happy note with the marriage of Rama and Sita. As the narrative progresses, there are fleeting references to the perils posed by modernity which make conviction in God take the backseat. Enron is an obsession,goes the Suman Chattopadhay number. Against the backdrop of a swayamvar,"ILU ka matlab I Love You" provides an entertaining metaphor for modern couples who seek emotional reciprocity. That superficiality has become a motivating force in ordinarily led lives is hinted at, and so is the common man’s attention towards issues that are political: the Babri Masjid demolition and the Jharkhand dilemma, for instance.
Yet, the production successfully avoids being clamorously didactic. Sri Nawal’s script is such that the focus keeps on returning to the main story of Lord Rama’s life. There is an emphasis on the need to recognise the Supreme Being, but the text bears no resemblance to a sermon. It is a lively plot with an accent on Indianness which, as Jalan says,is "the difference between Bharata and Aristotle, Rasa and Catharsis, Hinduism and Christianity; and between Hum Apke Hain Kaun and Schindler’s Listor Shakuntalam and the Greek tragedies." The motive behind the presentation reflects in his subsequent addition: "That Indianness is found in kajri, thumri and Madhubani paintings, in the women singing and the girls stealing the shoes of thebridegroom as a part of the marriage festivities."
An interesting perspective, but that’s not the only reason why Ram Katha/Ram Kahani is a production with a difference. Though its sophisticated interweaving of strands distanced in time cannot be ignored, it is not just another another sample of remarkably directed theatre highlighting the culture of classical dance forms. On the contrary, the performance makes a statement of faith at an age when arms control treaties have eclipsed the memory of God in the mind of the modern, educated, politically ‘conscious’ man.
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