Chakrayuh’s Chennai debut scripts success

CHENNAI: A magnificent chariot perched atop the stage awaited us as we entered the performance hall at Madras Music Academy. Lighting rigs illuminating the stage with vibrant hues, the fog machine doing its job of creating a whimsical background, and epic music, set the mood for what we were about to witness. 
Five years since its premiere and 90-odd shows across 25 cities later, Chakravyuh, a 110-minute Hindi drama directed by Atul Satya Koushik and produced by The Films and Theatre Society, was staged in Chennai for the first time on Friday. Organised by the Chennai chapter of Gandhi Peace Award winner ‘Friends of Tribals Society’ — part of Ekal Abhiyan, the play delved into the ideologies, myths and philosophies hidden in the narrative of the strategic chakravyuh (the 13th day of the Kurukshetra battle). 

A full house erupted in applause as Nitish Bharadwaj’s silhouette appeared on stage. Illuminated by soft monochrome lights, the actor (reprising the role of Krishna after 25-odd years) grabbed the audience’s attention with his introductory monologue, interspersed with philosophical questions and the what’s and why’s of life, setting the stage for other characters — the Kauravas, the Pandavas, and Abhimanyu — around whose life and martyrdom the story revolves, to present a stirring visual spectacle.  

Almost an hour into the play, we slip into a daze and forget that we are seated in a cushy chair inside an auditorium. Impeccable acting, visual allegories, shimmering costumes, bamboo weaponry and well-written narratives had transported us to the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Earlier, Atul had mentioned that the play is not just a reenactment of the epic but a narrative that goes beyond the surface of the ancient tale. True to his words, the depiction explored the chakravyuh maze — one within which every being is stuck at different stages of life, fighting their way out to understand the ways of the universe. It also explored the challenges a single mother faces by interlacing the lives of Subadhra, Kunti and Uttara in its narrative. “Single motherhood is a very relevant topic in today’s age and time and it is one of the aspects that we wanted to address.

It is interesting that single motherhood has always been existent but people often choose to overlook certain aspects in epics and only revisit what they already know,” said Atul to CE. His offering subverts the very idea of the portrayal of epics in the arts. He subtly zooms out the focus from weapon-wielding muscular men, their victory, chivalry and martyrdom and zooms in on the battles women fight every day. Perhaps such a layered portrayal is the need of the hour to dilute and destroy existing social conditioning.