Nirakarane, a solo performance by Shruthi Adarsha, based on a short story written by Veena Shantheshwara, received an impressive response from the theatre-lovers at Rangayana Shivamogga on Sunday (Sept. 3). Hongirana, the theatre troupe that has been active since 1996, presented the play.
Shruthi Adarsha, a trained Bharatanatyam dancer, played multiple roles besides being the narrator of the story of Shakunthala. With her postures and expressions, she kept the audience captivated for over an hour. She shifted from one character (the narrator) to another (Shakuntala – Dushyantha – Vishwamitra - Indra – Kanva – Bharata, and other characters) with ease.
The play is a soliloquy by Shakuntala, who narrates her story, of course, with critical comments on characters that play a major role in her life. She is critical of Vishwamithra, Indra and other characters besides Dushyantha. Her mother, Menake, became a pawn in the hands of ‘big people’, she argues.
The play ends with Shakuntala’s refusal to take King Dushyantha’s offer to be with him. In fact, she waited so long for this moment that she refused to accept it when it actually arrived. Interestingly, whenever the audience found her argument valid, they responded with a round of applause.
Shruthi Adarsha won the hearts of theatre lovers with her expressions and dance. Her training in Bharatanatyam seems to have helped her do the job effectively.
Dr. Sasvehalli Sathish, the director, adapted the short story for the stage. He elaborated on the text by adding context to make it a play. The director had discussed with the original author how to make suitable changes in the course of the adaptation. His design and direction have to convey the message intended in the original story. The troupe has expressed willingness to stage the play on invitation.
