Exploring the diverse performance traditions of the Ramayana

A new book situates modern Ramayana renditions within the secular context of contemporary Indian theatre

Paula Richman and Rustom Bharucha are the perfect combination to explore the ideas that are brought together in Performing the Ramayana Tradition: Enactments, Interpretations and Arguments — Richman with her vast and varied knowledge of the many Ramayana stories that dot the sub-continent and beyond and Bharucha, with his lifelong commitment to dramaturgy and the diverse performance traditions that animate some of our best known and most loved stories. Richman and Bharucha locate this book and its inspiration in the three-year long Ramayana performances festival that was held under the auspices of Adishakti, the performance repertory company in Puducherry, founded by Veenapani Chawla.

But, in fact, the essays they commission go far and beyond what was seen, experienced and discussed by performers, critics and lay audiences during those festival years. The project of the book itself is massive and the volume opens with several caveats about the extent and intent of the editors and the other contributors. Be the caveats as they may, there is much to enjoy and a great deal to learn from what is presented.

The contributions are a marvellous mix of photographs, play scripts, interviews with practitioners and theatre-makers as well as essays by critics and scholars, all of which serve to remind us just how rich and diverse this performance tradition is. It also tells us of how many ways there are to know, to read, to interpret and enact this ancient tale of a morally grounded prince, who is soon elevated to the status of a god, and the trials and challenges that he must face during his time in the world of humans.