KOCHI: The pandemic-induced lockdown has forced people to explore different avenues and platforms. From producing live performances to now staging virtual plays, theatre groups have also started exploring the digital medium to stay afloat in difficult times. One among them is Kalanilayam, a theatre group which has kept alive various genres of drama through its renditions. For the first time, the group will present live streaming of its production ‘Hidimbi’ on the Facebook page of Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, High Commission of India, Colombo.
It was in 1963 that Krishnan Nair founded Kalanilayam which is perhaps the first permanent theatre group in the state. Its first play was held in Putharikandam Maidan in Thiruvananthapuram. ‘Hidimbi’, Kalanilayam’s first production having 3D effects under the banner of Kalanilayam Stage Craft premiered in 2014. “This is the first time that the play is being staged in English with the title ‘Hidimbi: An arrow from the past’ translated from the original work in Malayalam. Also, the two-hour play which has been shortened to a duration of just 45 minutes, will be captured on a mobile camera,” said Anandapadmanabhan, son of Krishnan Nair.
Scripted and directed by Gireesh C Palam, the play is set to undergo another transformation sans 3D effects and multimedia projections in its virtual avatar. Gayathri Govind, the daughter of Anandapadmanabhan, who has been playing the titular character since 2015 will reprise her role again.
Gayathri says, “Unlike the previous productions which incorporated many contemporary themes in the portrayal of Hidimbi, a character from Mahabharata, as a modern woman, the 45-minute monologue will only focus on the character by depicting her life and sacrifices which remain unglorified unlike the other characters in the epic.” “Hidimbi the demoness is portrayed as an ugly woman who is married to Bhima, one of the Pandavas.
She loses her husband, her brother Hidumba as well as her son Ghatotkacha but her sacrifices are never talked about. Positioning her as the central character also aims to break down the narrow beauty stereotypes present in society,” adds the theatre actress. Explaining about the virtual production, Gayathri, a trained classical dancer says, “This is an ‘experimental’ attempt. There won’t be any props or set this time. I know that it cannot give the same experience as watching a live performance but I am ready to explore this new medium.
More than the financial aspect, it is quite depressing for an artist to stay idle without shows. I hope this attempt will also help in motivating other artists to adopt alternative methods to continue their passion for art.” Gayathri is also an assistant professor of computer science at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore.The performance will be live-streamed on Saturday at 5.30pm on https://www.facebook.com/ICCRSriLanka.