Rangasthe theatre group from Bengaluru will premiere its new production ‘Droupathi Heltavle’ over the weekend.
It tells the story of ‘The Mahabharata’ from Draupadi’s perspective and will see four actors play the character.
Directed by Ganesh Mandarthi, the play, a musical, is adapted from the Kannada text of ‘Kumara Vyasa Bharata’ and folk versions of ‘The Mahabharata’. It is also influenced by the works of Lakshmisha Tolpadi and Sudha Adukkala on Draupadi.
Ganesh explains why he decided to revisit ‘The Mahabharata’ through a feminist lens: “There have been several retellings of the male characters of ‘The Mahabharata’ but very few of Draupadi. The play looks at several facets of Draupadi, especially in Kannada literature, with a folk touch.”
Ganesh hails from Udupi and has trained at Ninasam, a famous cultural insititution located in the Shivamogga district. After ‘Kamaroopigal’, this is his second production with a Bengaluru theatre group. This play has been in the works for two months.
‘Droupathi Heltavle’ on June 12, 3.30 pm and 7 pm, at K H Kalasoudha, Hanumanthnagar. Tickets available on sabhankosh.co