Play to depict Krishna's life beyond Kurukshetra

CHENNAI: Alawyer by profession and a theatre director by passion, SBS Raman is back with his captivating play, Krishna. “This is not mythology. There is historical evidence about the Kurukshetra war. So, I don’t want to use the word myth for this play,” he begins.

Directed by SBS Raman, the play is produced by SB Creations. The theatre company was founded in the 1960s by Padma Bhushan awardee, veena exponent, and filmmaker S. Balachander. His son, SBS Raman, is continuing the legacy by reviving the theatre group in 2016. Although their primary focus is on patriotic, motivational, and educational content, we were quite intrigued by their exploration of Lord Krishna’s life story.

“Krishna embodies dharma, the one who upholds the path of ethical and moral duties. He is a complex personality,” says SBS Raman, who was joined by his wife, Dharma, the mind behind the initial research for the play. “I believe that Lord Krishna’s character is quite fascinating, and he never claims to be a paramatma. He considered himself to be an ordinary man. A great son, lover, husband, politician, strategist, and mentor, he excelled in everything. Even now, his teachings inspire the world to give our best in whatever we do,” she adds.

There are widespread depictions of Lord Krishna’s life. “We referred to the Bhagavatham and a few more books to explore his life thoroughly. It is our conscious decision to focus on the parts that have not been discussed much. Until Kamsa Vadham, everything is widely talked about. Our focus is on his life after the Kurukshetra war,” Dharma shares.

SBS Raman assures that the play will definitely transport the audience to another world. Madhusudhanan Kalaichelvan assumes the role of Lord Krishna. Vivek Bharathi has penned the script, while GJR Krishnan has composed the music. “As we focus on the Lord’s journey after a certain period, his early life will be conveyed through a medley of songs, choreographed by Manasvini KR,” adds the director. Not to be missed, there will also be stunt sequences to bring to life the Mahabharata episodes.

The team has meticulously scripted the play to avoid any factual inaccuracies. “To reach a wider audience and establish a connection with the spectators, we decided to use colloquial Tamil,” he states.

Talking about the growing theatre scene in Chennai, SBS Raman is delighted that the space is evolving. “It is quite vibrant. Yes, there was a break in the middle. But young audiences and artistes are keeping the field alive. Short-form plays are gaining popularity. But one issue I observe is that many expect them to be free. What I would like to say is that the ticket prices for plays are reasonable and definitely worth their time and money,” he notes.

Adding to that, he also observes that complex topics are now being staged with gripping scripts, and theatre is not here to decline.

Enter the cosmic world of the Tamil theatre production Krishna, which is scheduled to be staged on November 23 at the Narada Gana Sabha. The second show will take place on November 27 at Rasika Ranjani Sabha.