Anita Ratnam in ‘A Million Sitas’
| Picture Credit score: Parallax footage.
There’s a sense of interesting timelessness about epics significantly, the Ramayana. As a part of the Kutty Kutchery collection, Rasoham and Arangam Belief offered ‘1,000,000 Sitas’ on the Narthaki studio. The expanse of the garden grew to become the stage and the backyard additionally lent itself fantastically to turn out to be the entry and exit factors, as additionally to turn out to be the prolonged “totally different scene/ totally different location” metaphor.
That Anita Ratnam was at residence sank in deeply — for 3 a long time and three years, I’ve watched her in varied avatars, and on this efficiency, she introduced collectively all her life experiences. As she symbolically stuffed the cauldron of Sita, I felt an awesome sense of being that lady from the viewers who was as soon as referred to as Sita.
Uma Satyanarayana because the youthful lady added layers to the tempo set by Anita, and as she acted and sang, conversing with the older lady, there was the hole they bridged of their understanding of girls.
As somebody keen about theatre, I really feel emotion and dialogue supply are essential. What appealed probably the most in ‘A Million Sitas’, which was staged in an extended model at Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, was the absence of the “cultivated accent”, and what caught one’s consideration was the style wherein the 2 artistes bought below the pores and skin of the characters. The 2 artistes shared a straightforward camaraderie on stage.
Many people would have watched this manufacturing earlier than, but it retains its enchantment as a result of the efficiency represents the truth that Sita herself continues to evolve — from little one bride, princess, hermit and a girl kidnapped to being a girl abandoned and a single mom.
Uma Satyanarayana and Anita seamlessly bought below the pores and skin of the characters.
| Picture Credit score:
Parallax footage.
The interweaving was full at varied ranges — the stage itself was the best illustration of the Outdoors and the Inside (particularly when carried out on the studio house). And, this performed out within the characters as they internalised after which expressed externally.
Though participatory theatre would contain direct dialogues from the viewers, this too felt participatory as a result of there have been many unstated questions, feedback and dialogues from the viewers. This was a high-quality instance of latest theatre from the viewpoint of dialogues, props, costumes, stage and the narrative itself.
Travelling internally and externally are essential for development. To watch, take in and adapt jewelry, costumes and tales from throughout cultures and pour in these influences with an understanding and sensibility undoubtedly name for expertise, not simply publicity. And Anita has each in abundance.
The usage of props and the collectibles from totally different elements of the world spoke a couple of international outlook that may even make it extra inclusive to audiences in all places.
The proper use of props, units, lighting, music and costume added to the work’s enchantment.
| Picture Credit score:
Parallax footage.
Among the many extra attention-grabbing props was a long-stemmed lotus, which doubled up as a strolling stick or a Chettinad basket, which when positioned over a bent Mantara grew to become the hunch.
The 10 baskets with 10 mangoes lent a way of boundary, symbolising totally different cities and the bridge to succeed in Lanka.
The interpretation of the 10 pairs of eyes to reference Ravana additionally reminded certainly one of Indra, who was cursed by Ahalya.
Of their mesmerising performances, Anita and Uma narrated a much-known story in 1,000,000 methods, with 1,000,000 variations, representing 1,000,000 Sitas throughout cultures and bounds. Two ladies representing totally different generations, but tied by classical dance and music, wrapped themselves into the recognized pains of womanhood as single moms and lived the expertise of Sita in 1,000,000 methods.
The irony was not misplaced on me after they spoke aloud: Haven’t moms shunned naming their daughters Sita, just because they didn’t need their very own daughters to undergo!? I remembered my very own delivery identify of Sita being altered to Hemalatha.
The lighting by Victor Paul was poetic and added a lot depth and magic to the night’s efficiency. Stay and recorded music lent an extra dimension.
Evolving as an artiste is about private development, understanding one’s strengths and profiting from it. This efficiency was about one such evolution.