A play opening on Christmas looks at the nuances of Ravana's character in Ramayana

While Ravana abducted Sita in the Ramayana, was he really all evil? Or was that a lapse of reason and character for which he paid with his life? In today’s times when we have begun seeing things in shades of gray, is it time to relook at this ‘villain’ of India’s oldest mythological epic?

A new take on Ravana – Lord of Lanka, which premieres in Bangalore on December 25 tries to do just that. A mix of the best of Indian dance forms, from classical to contemporary, the use of hi-tech methods will make the production a fusion of a movie with live characters on stage in this opera, says Meena Das Narayan, who has written and directed the opera being staged by Bangalore Club for Kathakali & the Arts (BCKA). “The story that many people have not heard is that Ravana ruled a land that was very prosperous and that he was a benevolent king, who made sure all his subjects were happy,” she says and adds, “Ravana’s 10 heads which are often a subject of ridicule in movies and plays, signify his strengths and his weaknesses; his knowledge in astrology, medicine, mathematics and astronomy, generosity, kindness, good administration as a king and the remaining three heads show his weaknesses, which were his ego, weakness for women and love for revenge.”

Narayan – whose documentary Making of a Maestro on the life of Padma Shri Kalamandalam Gopi received the prestigious Kerala State Award for best documentary – underlines how he authored several treatises like the Kumara Tantraya (on treatments for diseases afflicting infants), Arka Shastra (on ayurvedic medicine), created the first bow instrument and created several music compositions.

So is this an attempt to whitewash Ravana? She disagrees, adding, “When he abducted Sita he was only out to avenge his beloved sister Shurpanakha, who had been humiliated when Lakshmana cut her nose. But when he sees Sita’s beauty, he wavers and wished to possess her, despite protestations from his wife Mandodari. While that proves to be his downfall, it does not take away from what scholarly ruler he was.”

(dance rehearsals in progress for the play)

Narayan, who has in the past directed classical operas Cillappatikaram (based on a Tamil classic) and Karna the Invincible, points out how when Ravana is slain by Rama’s arrow, the prince of Ayodhya tells his younger brother Lakshman that there is a lot to learn from Ravana about the art of ruling a land justly. 

Musician-composer and singer Sunil Koshy who has composed the music and sung for the production says it was challenging. “Younger generations, exposed to world entertainment, expect slick products that are fast paced, meaningful and different. I have tried to keep the music contemporary with a classical mix which appeals to the modern generation.” Koshy, who has composed for several films in the South, says this was the first time he was composing for a production like Lord of Lanka. 

A mix of contemporary dance by Bhaskar Kittu and Karthik Tantri, with classical by renowned dancers like Aparna Paliyath, Nishanth Aravind, Paridhi Joshi, Reshmi Divakaran, Sindhu Nair, Shreema Upadhyaya will enliven the production which also uses the Kerala martial art form of Kalari (under Kalari expert Krishnapratap). Narayanan points out how working with various styles and genres when the production was being choreographed was tough.

“We had to ensure that everyone stays on the same page without sacrificing any of the grace, beauty or lyriciality of any form.”

While well known contemporary dancer Karthik Tantri plays the lead role of Ravana, Reshmi Divakan an established Odissi exponent plays Sita. Vikram Suri plays Lakshmana, actor-dancer Namitha Rao plays Mandodari, Aparna Paliyath plays Shurpanakha and Odissi dancer Paridhi Joshi plays Rambha. Renowned contemporary dancer Bhaskar Kittu and his team add the contemporary magic while other established Bharatanatyam dancers like Sindhu Nair, Kalamandalam Sumi Jayaraj also form a part of the team, which plans to take the production across the country and abroad too.