Hyderabad has become the new destination for theatre, especially for companies and thespians from Bengaluru. Following the crowd is Veena Basvarajiah who brings her play Mooki to the city over the weekend. A noted contemporary dancer and choreographer, Veena has been steadily growing her repertoire as a young artiste to look out for. Awarded the Young Achiever’s award in 2007 and an empanelled artiste of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, this independent performer has only just begun to explore the extent of her creative capabilities.
With the designation of a ‘movement director’, Veena finds her strength in dance and choreography and is currently working with theatre companies to bring contemporary dance to the spoken word.
“I like experimenting with different styles of movement; I’ve always felt that movements have a self-constructed language. Besides, I think that dance theatrical will convey the message better to the audience,” explains the 31-year-old.
Part of her exploration in the dynamics between theatre and dance is the play Mooki, which translates to mute in Kannada. Inspired by Rabindranath Tagore’s short story Subha, Mooki revolves around a dumb girl who is ironically named Subhashini (which is Sanskrit for one with the ability to speak beautifully).
“Mooki was first staged in Bengaluru a few times, and the response was really good. The play is special because it’s emotionally very intense and most individuals can connect with it. Most everyone has faced some sort of abuse, either from loved ones or society, and that is the connect. I wanted to take this message beyond, which is why we’re staging the play in Hyderabad as well. An interactive session will follow the play where we’ll encourage the audience to come forward and share their stories as well,” she says.
Mooki addresses the issue of freedom of speech provided to the public in a democratic space. If language has helped in overcoming barriers, it has also brought in a hierarchy in the basic structure of society. It showcases the misinterpretation of voices which are often unheard and classified as marginalised, drawing from the experiences of its performers. Bengaluru-based artists Akhshay Gandhi, Abhisheka Krishna Gopal, Purnima A Kumar, Ravishankar BT, AN Vinay Kumar and Shreekanth Rao form the riveting cast.
Besides Mooki, Veena has written a couple of other dance theatres, however, what sets this apart is use of movements to direct a dance-theatre. “Being a contemporary dancer, I view dance-theatre as an evolution of the existing forms of art. Dance and movement have a language and grammar of their own, which when combined can convey a message beautifully,” she believes.
Mooki will be staged on Decemeber 21 and 22 in the city at Our Sacred Space (Sardar Patel road, Secunderabad) and Lamakaan (Road No 1, Banjara Hills) respectively. Tickets will be available at the venue and on bookmyshow.com. For more details, contact 91 78297 65688.