Shiva, directed by Daya Sakrepatna, tells the story of a young poet who opens up through letters and poems to his mother. The production combines spoken language theatre, Bharatnatya, poetry and Carnatic music. Daya says there were two reasons for creating the production. "I wanted to use an artistic expression that is close to me. There is also a personal aspect. I was born and raised in Mysuru and then I went to Sweden for 13 years. I wanted to distance myself from anything that is Indian. In Mysuru there was some type of openness. Overall, I felt inhibited in terms of living out my true self, a male Classical dancer struggling with his identity and sexuality. I had no references or anyone to talk about it. A friend suggested I go the West where I will be accepted. It was the urge to get assimilated and accepted that led me to go to Sweden."
Daya, a Bharatnatya dancer, theatre artiste and playwright, holds a professional certification in performance arts from Arts College in Gothenburg, Sweden. He is now based in Bengaluru and has performed at Jagriti Theatre, Bangalore Little Theatre, and KYAAT (Kalasinchanam Yogasthala Ancient Arts Trust).
In Shiva, every letter the poet writes has a theme. “Each theme deals with a certain emotion that helps him get closer to outing himself. The themes are explored through stories he has read, seen or heard that have influenced his thought process. One story is about the conviction of a male Bharatnatya dancer. There is a sutradhar who assumes different roles in the dancer's life."
The challenge was to use mudras and abhinayas for other stories. "One of the stories is about fear. The boy is afraid of the consequences of coming out. This plays out in a story of a woman who thinks that the only way she can love another woman is to transform into a man. Through mudras and abhinayas she conveys her fear of people getting to know about her sexuality."
The character of the young poet has parallels to Lord Shiva, who takes on various forms. "Such as Ardhanarishvara. He is also Nataraja. And the same Shiva is Adi Shiva. The parallels drawn with Shiva is done in a very respectful way."
Daya and like-minded artistes comprising of Sneha Ram, Madhura Srinivas, Pratima Mishra and Shrikar Marur, started the Arts collective Anima and Animus to include the community in a broader way. Through Shiva, Daya hopes to trigger a starting point for dialogue and meeting point for the entire community. Shiva will première at Shoonya, Lal Bagh Main Road, on January 20 and 21 at 7.30 pm. Tickets are on BookMyShow and at the venue.