In 'Hidimbi', a woman is seen searching for her son among the dead. She is Hidimbi, the wife of Bhimasena and the sister of demon Hidimba who ruled the forests of old. Fate was cruel to her despite her being a woman of many strengths.
Though her husband is the all-powerful Bhimasena who has won many a battles, she loses her son Ghatotkacha in the Kurukshethra war fought by the Pandavas, leaving her to mourn her son's death.
Backed by hi-tech stage crafts and digital sound effects, Kalanilayam Drama Vision staged the poignant tale of the forest Rakshasi who gives up her way of living for the love of her husband, at the Kochi Fine Arts Hall here the other day.
Though she had many strengths, including being the first daughter-in-law of the Pandavas, she remained ignored all her life. By portraying her pain, frustration and anguish for not getting the respect she deserved,
Kalanilayam Ananthapadmanabhan holds a mirror that reflects the emotional quotient of the society today.
The play ends with a woman of the modern era who is searches for her son among the dead and the situation of today.
According to Sangeetha, joint head of Maaya Creations who organised the event, 'Hidimbi' tries to connect the plight of women of the present era with the similar fate of the Rakshasi despite her strong familial backings. This is arguably the first time that the theatre group is using 3D effects and LED background to stage the play.
"Kalanilayam has come a long way from the past when staging plays required setting up props for nearly a month in advance. This could be the first time that a theatre group was using 3D props. It only took a day to set up the entire event," adds Sangeetha.
Gayatri Govind, daughter of Kalanilayam Ananthapadmanabhan plays Hidimbi, while danseuse and School of Drama student Neetu Das voices the modern woman.
Written and directed by Girish P C Palam, the play Hidimbi is strongly backed by melodious compositions penned by S Rameshan Nair, Engandiyoor Chandrashekharan and Kakkoor Somarajan and composed by Vidyadharan master.