Vadodara: A play directed by city-based theatre practitioner Dr Chavan Pramod was staged at the 25th edition of Bharat Rang Mahotsav, the International Theatre Festival of India organized by the National School of Drama (NSD).Titled ‘Sita No Vesh’, the production was developed through a three-month workshop with 25 students of the Upasana School of Performing Arts, Gujarat University.
Adapted from Mahakavi Bhavabhuti’s 8th-century Sanskrit classic Uttararamacharita, the play revisits events following Rama’s coronation.The narrative juxtaposes two parallel strands — a washerman who expels his wife, Chhaya Sita, from his home, and the same washerman casting doubts on Sita’s chastity.“The attempt was to engage with the classical text while making it relevant for contemporary audiences,” said Dr Pramod, a national award-winning theatre director and post-doctoral fellow at the Faculty of Arts, MSU.As part of the workshop, students were trained in Indian and Sanskrit theatre traditions, including practical exposure to Yakshagana and Bhavai, elements of which were incorporated into the staging.The festival was held across more than 40 cities this year. ‘Sita No Vesh’ was presented in Surat, Daman and Ahmedabad.
