BENGALURU: Theatre enthusiasts in the city are in for a truly unique treat. Come December and the National School of Drama (NSD) will stage a nine-hour long play ‘Vachana Kalyana’ that will encompass the entire Vachana Movement of the 12th century.
This is the first time that a play of such width and breadth on the subject is being staged in the state and the country, says C Basavalingiah, director, NSD, who will direct the play.
Scheduled to be performed in Kalagrama in Jnanabharati campus of Bangalore University, one of the unique aspects of the play is that fact that it will be performed in four "different" stages.
"When I say stage I mean a mobile stage. In that sense, it will not be a stage in the true sense of the term but in the sense that a particular setting of a scene will be the stage itself. People will have to move with the stage," adds Basavalingiah.
The Vachana Movement that began around the 11th century and flourished in the 12 century is a very important part of the state and country's history, one that has shaped art, literature, philosophies and various aspects of life for generations together. Some of the most well-known poets and personalities of the age are Basava, Akka Mahadevi to name a few.
The play will have as many as 120 artists from NSD and other from outside participating in it. It will be staged in two hours shift with small breaks in between. Various parts of the space at the Kalagramma will be used as a stage space for the play. The Ministry of Kannada and Culture is collaborating with the NSD to stage the play.
Basavalingiah says, "The Vachana Movement is all about common people talking about philosophies and giving expression to their feelings using poetry. There is no parallel to such a movement in India or anywhere in the world. When you talk about even civilizations of places like Greece or Rome it was usually the elite class that used the medium of poetry and literature for social commentary and to give expression of their thoughts."
Basavlingiah further adds, "The movement itself rose against the caste rigidity and against the ills plaguing society during that time. That beauty lies in the fact that people from a cross society - from an upper caste Brahmin like Basava as well as commoners such as a cobbler and prostitute contributed to the movement."