Hayavadana

Hayavadana, a play written by Girish Karnad was staged at RangaShankara yesterday. I had heard a lot about this play and was very keen on watching it. I had a faint idea about the plot but that certainly did not interfere with, the rich and grand portyal of the play enacted by Benaka. Nagabharana as 'Bhagavataru' was fantastic; this was the first time I witnessed his performance as a theatre artist. Benaka is one of the oldest theatre group in bangalore set up by Late B.V.Karanth. Havayadana has had 100 shows and this show was dedicated to Girish Karnad who turns 70 on May 19th. The story revolves around Devadutta, Kapila and Padmini. The emotional upheavels they face because of transposing of heads. Running parallel is the story of Hayavadana, a horseheaded man who is seeking fullfillment and completion. As far as what I understood I think the story has a larger theme of identity and the power of the mind over the body. Characters had a lot of complexity in it.
Humour was aplenty in the play. Right from bhagavatru to Goddess Kali's irritation of having been invoked during sleep, they made the audience laugh. The music in the play was excellent, especially, the lead female singers and her voice modulation must be greatly appreciated.
Also worth mentioning are the two children who played the role of dolls. Their innocence and attempt was simply beautiful. Their performance made me want to act in a play. Dialogue delivery and accent was done well and even the confusion after the headgear of one of the dolls rolled on the floor was funny and made an instant fan out of all of us watching the play.
Overall, the play entertained, enlightened and enchanted me beyond words. A must watch for art lovers.