BENGALURU: If Bhima were alive today, would he be a loyal middle management warrior who is the engine of the company but never its CEO? This is one among the many questions the drama Bhima explores, by looking at the life of the second Pandava brother from Mahabharata.
It was the live sound design of the play scored by Sachin Gurjale, that won the team ‘Best Innovative Sound Design’ META award last year. The composing was done in integration with the actor’s use of Kutiyattam, a 2000-year-old classical theatre form originating from Kerala; recognised by UNESCO as ‘masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity’.
“It is not background music but a conversation with the performer. It is contemporary with no electronic music but only use of folk instruments. As per the mood of the character, I play the Djenbe, Tamte, Jingle and Didgeridoo,” says Sachin.
He takes his position on stage, alongside the actor Vivek Vijayakumaran.
“I trained in Kutiyattam with the support of the Inlaks India Theatre Award, 2012. It is an extremely codified theatre form with mudras and eye movements but no dance,” says Vivek who also devised the concept.
“Bhima is a strong, mighty guy and the play revisits the idea of his masculinity. My interest is not about him being a hero but his character. Some scenes from the mythology are enacted with this perspective,” Vivek adds.
While the play was first performed in 2015, director Anitha Santhanam stepped in three months later and refined it. Since 2016, this version of the play directed by her has been staged completing 28 shows.
The English and Malayalam drama will be staged on August 19 at 7 pm, in The Atelier, Sarjapur Main Road.