Jaya, a rock musical based on The Mahabharata by Lillete Dubeycomes to Chennai

Jaya, the famed rock opera based on The Mahabharata by Lillete Dubey, tells the story of the epic through song, kalari and Kathak. It will be staged in Chennai on December 15

This is the story of a musical that was born almost three decades ago. 

And as with every story, this one too, has a prologue. 

As someone who stepped on stage as early as in the 1970s with the likes of Barry John (the English-born Indian theatre director who has gone on to mentor many Indian stars like Shah Rukh Khan), Lillete Dubey has had a long, vast exposure to the ever-evolving medium of theatre. Yet, it was only upon setting up her own Primetime Theatre Company in 1991, was she able to actualise her longtime dream: platforming original Indian writing in theatre. 

“You wouldn’t believe the difference it makes when you are a Mira and not a Martha on stage,” she begins, “The relatability it brings to the actor and the audience cannot be explained. That became the raison d’être for setting up my company.” English was chosen as the primary language of expression to showcase Indian work widely.  

Before long, Lillete’s love for music set her on a quest to find an original piece of work that had music. This is where Sandip Kanjilal, an MTech from IIT and a self-taught music composer, came into the picture. “He had this beautiful, tongue-and-cheek body of work called Jaya based on The Mahabharata. As we know, Jaya was the original title of The Mahabharata and also means victory. But at what cost? Whose victory?” The questions were aplenty.  

In 1998, Jaya opened to a full audience. It was a hugely successful open air production; a spectacle no less. But after 40 grand shows, the curtains came down due to an unexpected tragedy. 

“It is my passion project. It is my blood, sweat, tears, money and love for music invested in this play,” says Lillete, adding, “This play had to come back.”