Ambe: Rebel against royal customs

N

ama Tuluver Kala Sanghatane, Natkadur, Mudradi, has come out with their new production Ambe written by Saraju Katkar.  I got an opportunity to watch the period drama -   perhaps the second show of the production - at Sri Bhuvanendra College, Karkala recently.

     The play offers a fresh perspective to the oft-told old story from the epic Mahabharat.  Vividly unfolded are the apprehensions and grit of Ambe, the eldest daughter of the King of Kashi.  The rebellious Ambe, despises the prevailing system of swayamvara.  She views it as auctioning of brides with little consideration to their opinion. Whoever has the capacity, be it young or old, can win a princess, but not necessarily her heart.  She longs to have a life of a commoner instead of entrapped in royal customs.

     Father, having resigned to the situation and King Salva who had kindled a spark of warmth in her heart rejecting her, Ambe finally tries to embrace the situation thrown at her by asking Bhishma to marry her.  When Bhishma refuses the offer, being taken the oath of celibacy, she is overwhelmed with a feeling of revenge against Bhishma, whom she blames for the impasse she has landed in. She self-immolates only to be born as shikhandi, a eunuch, forcing grandsire Bhishma to renounce arms; eventually leading to his death in the battle of Mahabharat.  

     Using puppets for minor characters is a new experiment in the play directed by Salian Umesh Narayana.  A prominent puppeteering hand in the background is symbolic of the control of others over the lives of the sisters Ambe, Ambike and Ambalike.  The credit goes to Chandranatha Bajagoli.  Music by Digvijaya Heggodu has succeeded in reinforcing the emotions.

The performances of Vani Sukumar in the role of protagonist Ambe and Sukumar Mohan as Bhishma are flawless. Sugandhi Umesh Kalmadi, could transform into various roles with ease. Every actor in the role justified his/her role. However, the role of a present-day couple look irrelevant to the plot and they dancing to the tune played by a transistor fails to gel with the period drama. Sage Parashurama’s appearance would have been made better as he looks a bit gauche with awkward makeup and costume. 

                                                

                                                                                                      - Sanoor Indira Acharya