Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A large number of theatre buffs gathered at Bharat Bahwan in the city to watch a play ‘Ravan Vadh’ at Purvayan, an open stage of the institution on Thursday evening. It is said that play presented at the open stage after a gap of around 25 years. Audience watched the play sitting on thatch on floor. It was like a scene like a village where the audience watches Ramleela sitting on the floor.
Everything was live, whether it was music or make-up. Symbolic set was designed using bamboo, cane and leaves of bananas. It was part of the third -day of the eight-day event, organised by Bharat Bhavan to mark its 42th Foundation day. Directed by Pavitra Raba, the musical play was presented by students of Bhartendu Natya Akademi (bactch 2022-24), Lucknow in "Khulya Bhaurya – a one-thousand-year-old folk art form of Assam.
Around 90-minute play was presented in Assamese with some Hindi dialogues. But the interesting part of it was that none of the artists knew the language. The Ravan Vadh," also known as "The Death of Ravana," is a pivotal and dramatic episode in the ancient Indian epic, the Ramayana. “The play was prepared in a one-month workshop in Assam. It was the second show of the play. The first show of the play was staged in Bharangam in New Delhi recently,” director Pavitra Raba. Arghya Samant who essayed the role of Ravana said that it was quite challenging for the artistes of Hindi Belt to stage the play in Assamese in less time. “But we accepted the challenge to do justice with the play. We learnt the language after listening to the recorded voice of Assamese,” he said.
