HYDERABAD: The dance ballet, Menaka, by Bharatnatyam dancer Rajeswari Sainath, is a narration by Menaka - the celestial dancer. She takes us through her journey with her tryst with the sage Vishwamitra. She narrates us her version of the entire story. Not only her story but also that of her daughter Shakuntala, Rambha, and Mamta. The ballet focuses on the story of these women from the view of a feminist drawing parallel to the lives of women all over. Now, the story of Menaka - she tells us that hers was not a story of seduction or love as we are made to believe. Instead she was a mere instrument sent to distract the sage who was on the verge of attaining the highest level of brahma rishi and, the Gods feared competition. And she narrates that the sage was enraged for having given in to the charms of Menaka. It was his own failure at not being able to restrain himself that made him plant his seed in the womb of Menaka. And like many men who plant their seed in a woman’s womb and then go away never to return, leaving the woman lonely and desolated sage Vishwamitra did the same. He went away to resume his penance. Earlier too, when he could not stick to his mediation and was enticed with Rambha, he turned her into a stone in fury. Men whether they are sages or mere mortals find it easy to vent their anger on women. Menaka not bound by the duties of an earthling gave birth to a daughter and went back to resume her duties in the heavens.
And she narrates the story of Shakuntala whom she sees from a distance. Shakuntala whose story we know to be a love story again finds a different version here. Shakuntala who has never seen a man in her life gives in to Dushyant’s lust. And the king leaves her to go back to his kingdom with innumerable promises of a reunion. Shakuntala waits and waits…. The destiny of so many women. To wait for the men who in the name of love use the women and go back leaving behind only memories and false promises of a reunion. Similar is the fate of Shakuntala - whose wait seems endless. And again conveniently he remembers Shakuntala when he wants an heir to the throne!! So the son born to Shakuntala ‘Bharat’ is crowned king. “It was thought provoking. All these stories we hear from the male perspective and don’t care to think otherwise. That the violence against women is not of recent times. It is not a modern day phenomenon…but pictures even in the mythology. I just wanted to show the sufferings of a women and how they are wrongly interpreted every time," says Rajeswari Sainath.