After successful runs across the country, Rajadhiraaj Yatra: Krishna Leela Aapke Dwar is now going to be staged at the Prestige Centre for Performing Arts, Bengaluru, every evening during this weekend. With over 100 performers, 40-plus dancers, 20 original compositions and hundreds of costumes, the musical blends storytelling, choreography and stagecraft into a sweeping visual experience. Director Shruti Sharma says this one came with a very different kind of responsibility. “We were dealing with something deeply personal and yet shared by everyone. Each person has their own image of Krishna in their head. That makes it a very delicate space to work in. We all have our own image of Krishna. Our job was not to reinterpret, but to beautify it. We realised that what we all share is love for Krishna. If that comes through honestly, the audience will accept it as their own,” she adds.‘People don’t congratulate us after the show, they bless us’That emotional connection has been reflected strongly in audience reactions. “This is one show where people don’t come and shake hands. They come and bless us. That, for me, is the biggest victory,” Shruti recalls. Choreographer Shampa Gopikrishna describes the journey as a celebration. “Every show feels like an experience — from rehearsals to the final applause. We’ve performed in so many cities, and every time the response surprises us, the love feels pure and sacred,” she says. For choreographer Bertwin D’Souza, one of the most striking things has been how audiences describe the production. “People share videos online, but they never use the word ‘show’. They call it an experience, or say it felt like Vrindavan came alive,” he says. ‘Surrendering to a greater power has been the biggest learning’Despite the scale and technical precision involved, the biggest learning for the team has been letting go. Shruti reflects, “I come from a very practical mindset, but this show taught me surrender. I realised I was borrowing everyone’s love and putting it together.” Bertwin agrees. “We approached it technically at first — how should Krishna move, what will people accept, but beyond a point, there are no clear answers. You give your best and surrender.”
