CHENNAI based theatre group, Theatre Nisha, is turning Devdutt Pattnaik’s acclaimed novel The Pregnant King into a stage production. Devdutt who deals with mythological subjects in most of his novels talks about an entirely different period in this one. The story revolves around Yuvanashva, a childless king who accidentally drinks the magic potion intended to make his queens pregnant, the child later grows up to be Mandhata, a great ruler. A work of fiction, the book now a play with a mix of narratives and dialogues attempts to dissolve the lines of gender divide. “Your physical birth as a man or a woman may not always define your gender and traits”, says Balakrishnan, Director, Theatre Nisha. “Also we have not considered gender as a basis of casting. Women have been cast in men’s roles and vice versa. To make the gender divide less evident we are using black body suits as costumes for everyone.
The actors then will wear their respective costumes on top of these suits,” he adds. The story line is intriguing with sub plots and chanting in the background of the Garbhoupanishad that signifies pregnancy and motherhood. The movements in the play are centred on four square wooden planks that serve as the sets. Much of the story proceeds by means of action as opposed to heavy narratives, pushing it forward. With a massive cast of 16 members and a rehearsal time over a month and a half the production renders itself quite a large scale. The play after its many sequences moving towards the death of the king ends with a recital by the entire cast. “This is to ward of evil. Every Sanskrit play that has an unpleasant end involves such a mantra in the end”, Bala says. The play will be staged at Alliance Francaise Madras from April 23 to April 26 at 7 pm and 3:30 pm on 25 and 26.
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