The Mahabharata and the Ramayana are so deeply ingrained in the popular imagination that they remain sources of inspiration for creative minds. Recently premiered, Draupadi Komal Theaters directed by Dharini Komal is another addition to the long list. As the title suggests, this Tamil drama portrays the Pandava queen as a symbol of feminine power.
The play begins with the Aravan Koothu festival at the Draupadi Amman temple in Velachery. The ritual culminates in the narbali (beheading) of a life-sized effigy. What initially appeared to be a play based on a social theme, turned into a mythological production on the lines of Tamil historical theatre.
well researched script
“It was a very old dream of mine to do a drama based on Bharati” Panchali Sabatham, During the pandemic, I studied this popular work thoroughly and also read various texts on Mahabharata,” says Dharini. “I wanted the younger generation to understand Draupadi. How she was deceived by circumstances to be the wife of the five Pandavas, mired in the power struggle and ego struggle of men, and her will and courage to fight and establish dharma. “
Tamil drama scene Draupadi, , photo credit: special arrangement
Beginning with Draupadi’s own swayamvara and marriage to the Pandavas, a game of dice and her vow to punish the Kauravas at a yagna performed by her father, King Drupada, the play travels with a story familiar to most viewers.
The first part of the script is written in classical Tamil by the poet Satish Kumar and the second part is adapted from Panchali Sabatham, The musical score is by Rajkumar Bharti.
A play like this needs to be supported by a strong team of technicians and actors. The actors of the play manage to captivate the audience with their performances, delivering the dialogues in an impeccable manner.
Playing the role of Draupadi, Kritika Shoorajith, a talented dancer, uses her expertise in acting to convey every emotion with conviction. She keeps the pace with her powerful acting, clarity of speech and expressions.
A surprising element is the role of Krishna in her first attempt at acting by dancer Balagurunathan. With his twitching brows, a mischievous smile, a dancer-song gait, a dignified stance and gentle dialogue delivery, he enthralls the audience with his performance.
Duryodhana’s spiteful, villainous Kaurava, played by Vignesh Chellapan, is greeted with thunderous applause in every scene for his powerful dialogue delivery. But at certain points rudeness takes its toll. Kannan Rudrapati as Shakuni impressed with his body language and appropriate expressions.
make a mark
Vivek Raju as Dushasan makes a mark with his acting skills. Anand Sahasranama, Kishore Kumar, Siddharth, Sri Krishnan and Balakumar as Pandavas, and Anand Ram as Karna are equally impressive despite the limited scope of their roles; Kauravas are the main players here.
The background LED setting design by Kathir, Tyagu and Mrityunjay adds depth and dimension to the scenes. It’s a pleasure to see the fully mounted screen.
Special effects and props (Mallikraj and Thangapandiyan) and music performance by Vishwajay enhance the viewing experience. Bright apparel and colorful jewelery are designed to appeal to popular tastes. A more subtle color palette would make it more aesthetic.
When revisiting epics, rather than following the path of a costume play over and over again, it would be nice if playwrights could make their interpretations socially relevant with new perspectives in design and presentation.