QUEEN'S ROAD:A Kathak performance that explores the character of Surpanakha in Ramayana and its various versions will be staged at The Park, Bengaluru, at 7.30 pm on Friday. Dancer-choreographer Ashavari Majumdar, a disciple of Pandit Birju Maharaj, received a grant from Indian Foundation for the Arts, under its New Performance programme in 2010, for this piece.
The performance will combine traditional Kathak with monologues and multimedia, with additional recorded and live video productions. “There are over 300 versions of Ramayana in the world. And characters and events occur differently in each of them. The Buddhist version is supposed to be more rational with fewer supernatural elements. In some others, Sita is a more powerful character and Surpanakha had a lot more to do in the scheme of things. In my performance, I attempt to create my own version of the epic, with Surpanakha as the central character,” says Majumdar.
Through the performance, which will begin with the scene where Surpanakha has her nose cut off by Lakshman, the artiste will portray the character’s relationship with Ravan, Sita and Ram. “Surpanakha had a power struggle going on with her brother Ravan. With Sita, she had more in common as they were both victims of the patriarchy. And she admired Ram while also harbouring sexual feelings for him,” she explains.
Surpanakha-Explorations in Kathak, The Park, Bengaluru, Friday, 7.30 pm. For more information about the event, call 2341 4681.