BENGALURU : I nspired by a talk by Sri Sri Ravishankar on how Kaikayi and Manthra have been depicted through the ages, Pankaj Mani has written and directed a one-hour-twenty-minute musical, Ram Lala Ki Mata. Contrary to the story of the Ramayana we hear, Pankaj has attempted to depict how Kaikayi and Manthra were the most crucial characters and how they were instrumental for Rama to attain his present-day lordship.
The play is staged and designed with the help of a Mandali, or a musical group, which includes a cast and crew of 18 members and six musicians who play live on stage. Keeping with the core ideas of the theatre group ‘Ashram Mandali’, the play has been scripted in such a way that it leaves behind a social message, connects with the audience and at the same time, has comical elements.
Staging Ram Lala Ki Mata for the fourth time in the city, Pankaj says, “Based on a talk by Sri Sri Ravishankar, we wanted to do something different, giving a different perspective to the same story we’ve grown up hearing.”
The director says that there is an element of humour and modern-day references to make the play relatable to the current generation. “We use an element of humour to ensure it does not get too heavy for our audience. Using theatre we’re trying to get this message across to a larger audience. We have been getting requests to perform in other cities as well. We’re planning to work around that soon,” adds the director.