Pune show to stage Mahabharata through eight classical dances, half of ticket sales for drought relief

Eight classical dance traditions will share one stage in Pune on November 22, presenting different episodes of the Mahabharata. More than 50 artistes from across the country will take part. The programme is being organised by the Pune Art and Culture Foundation (PACF).

The event also has a social purpose. PACF has decided that 50 per cent of the money collected from ticket sales will go towards drought relief work in Maharashtra.

The production is titled "Ashta Bhav, Ashta Nritya - Mahabharata". It will be staged at Balgandharva Rangmandir and will begin at 5.30 pm. Using eight classical dance styles, it will show eight episodes of the epic. The production is based on the nine emotions, or navarasas, linked to the ancient Natya Shastra.

Several key turning points and characters of the Mahabharata will come alive on stage. These include the humiliation of Draupadi, Abhimanyu's last fight in the chakravyuha, Karna's life and his dilemmas, and the confrontation between Bhima and Dushasana. Episodes on Lakshagriha, Chitrangada and Arjuna, and the Virat Roop Darshan will also be presented.

Dance gurus and their students from Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Assam and West Bengal will take part. Those listed include Kuchipudi artiste Guru Vasant Kiran, Odissi artiste Guru Rasika Gumaste, Bharatanatyam artiste Guru Arundhati Patwardhan, Kathakali artiste Renjish Nair and Kathak artiste Guru Leen Ketkar. Vasant Kiran is a Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee.

Sattriya dancer Dr Devika Borthakur will play the sutradhar, or narrator. She will link the different episodes and tie the eight dance presentations together.

Explaining the concept, PACF director Gayatri Mishra said the aim of the production is to bring India's different classical dance traditions together in one place, and to bring out the emotions and human dilemmas seen in the Mahabharata.

She said the initiative is an attempt to make classical dance easily accessible to audiences. For this, familiar stories from the epic are being presented through different art traditions.

The programme is also inspired by the national initiative Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat. It will showcase the country's cultural diversity through the performing arts.

The programme begins at 5.30 pm on November 22. For more information, call 9226955491.