HYDERABAD: The 130-year-old Surabhi Nataka Mandali, a celebrated Telugu theatre company, is going digital. Renowned for their theatrical performances, their popular works namely Maya Bazar, Jai Pathala Bhairavi, and Bhakta Prahalada will be shot and uploaded on YouTube to reach a worldwide audience.
Eleven Point Two, a Hyderabad-based event management company, has partnered with the Telugu Association of North America (TANA) in taking this mythological theatre online. The dates of the plays are October 11, October 18, and October 25.
Surabhi is a family theatre group. The group performs plays based on stories from Hindu mythology and the Puranas. The Surabhi theatre is unique in its style when compared to other theatre companies. It’s a genre on its own. Its visual and special effects make it stand out from the rest. A lot of importance is given to the sets, lighting, and special effects. Currently, there are four chapters who are still doing theatre. That means about 150 families or about 700 people who are dependent on theatre for a living.
The Surabhi theatre took its roots in the village called Surabhi (originally called Sorugu) in the Kadapa district of AP in 1885 when they were invited to host a live drama by the village elders of Surabhi on the occasion of a wedding. In 2013, the group staged plays outside India for the first time, with performances at theatre festivals in Paris.
However, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and the cancellation of all public shows since March, members of this family, at least 700 artistes, have lost their livelihoods. “The series of shows have been planned so they can regain their livelihood,” said Sandeep Gudi from Eleven Point Two. The plays will be free to watch. Those who wish to support Surabhi can buy them groceries on Donatekart.com, informed Sandeep.
— Tamanna S Mehdi tamanna@newindianexpress.com @tamannamehdi