HYDERABAD: Under the enchanting glow of the full moon, with a gentle breeze weaving through the air, amidst the bustling crowd still finding their perfect spots, the curtains of the stage gracefully rose for the timeless drama ‘Mayabazar’ at Saptaparni, recently. Presented by the Sri Venkateshwara Surabhi theatre group, as part of Saptaparni’s 20th-anniversary celebrations, the evening unfolded as a memorable tapestry of traditional storytelling infused with modern effects.
Held on two consecutive days, the Surabhi theatre group transported the audience back to an era of classic drama with their presentations of “Mayabazar” and “Bhaktha Prahalada.” The narrative unfolded with little Narada’s descent to Earth, delving into the intricate love story between Lord Krishna’s elder brother Balarama’s daughter, Seshirekha, and his sister Subhadra’s son, Abhimanyu. Balarama is keen to marry off his daughter to his nephew Abhimanyu, but his wife comes under the influence of Narada and plans her daughter’s marriage with Duryodhana’s son Lakshman Kumar. Owing to the pressure from his wife, he rejects the proposal to marry his daughter to Abhimanyu.
Dejected, Abhimanyu along with his mother Subhadra goes to meet his father Arjuna in Agnathavasa. While moving in the forest, they come across Ghatodgaja, the son of Bheema and Hidimbe. He comes to know about the love story of Abhimanyu and Seshirekha and also the unwillingness of Balaram to the marriage. Seething with anger, Ghatodgaja takes an oath to marry them off. He goes over to Dwaraka and meets Krishna, begging for his assistance. After this, by his magical power, he kidnaps Seshirekha and hands her over to Subhadra. Then, by his magical power, he disguises himself as Seshirekha and marries Duryodhana’s son Lakshman Kumar. Later on, Balaram repents for not marrying his daughter to his nephew.
The Surabhi theatre’s rendition captivated the audience with its mesmerising special effects, including Narada’s celestial descent, the epic confrontation between Ghatodgaja and Abhimanyu, and the symbolic clash of fire and water in their duel.
In the parallel tale of “Bhaktha Prahalada,” the story unfolds with Hiranyakashyapa, the Rakshasa king who wants to kill Lord Vishnu, his rival. Hiranyakashyapa had won a boon that he couldn’t be killed by any weapon; by any human or animal, on land or water, and at day or night. With the help of such a powerful boon, he defeated Devendra, made the Ashtadikpalakas his servants, and proclaimed himself as God. Due to Narada, the son of King Hiranyakashyapa, Prahlada is born with prenatal wisdom and devotion for Lord Vishnu. Hiranyakashyapa tries to change him first with love and then with fearful punishments. Prahlada is thrown from the hill, pushed into fire, thrown into the seas, thrown in front of violent elephants, hanged, and poisoned. But Prahlada refuses to give up his bhakti for Lord Vishnu. One day, enraged, Hiranyakashyapa compels Prahlada to show his Lord in the pillar and breaks it with his gada (mace). From the broken pillar, miraculously, Narasimhavathara emerges. Narasimha lifts Hiranyakashyapa, places the King on his lap, on the threshold, at sunset, and kills Hiranyakashyapa with his nails piercing into the stomach.
“I had seen the show in 2017. I liked it and thought of bring ing it to Saptaparni, but we didn’t have enough space for accommodating the display, but we just thought we’d try. However, it’s quite an experience. People just sitting on the wall, sitting down but really thoroughly enjoying it—was a very delightful experience for us. We started with an idea. We had fixed things about what we wanted to do, but it evolved over time. And, we are always open to providing space for new ideas,” says Anuradha Gunupati, founder-director of Saptaparni.