Plays to catch in Bengaluru this weekend

Margazhi and Kabuliwala Calling will be staged in Bengaluru on February 26, 27

The play Margazhi, produced by Theatre Nisha, and directed by V. Balakrishnan, traces the life of a Bharatanatyam dancer and gives audiences a glimpse of exploitative culture that dancers are forced to work in.

Through Vaidehi, an accomplished dancer, Balakrishnan, 48, explores the murky waters that dampen the art form. “Bharatanatyam is a divine art form, but dancers have to sometimes make ungodly decisions. This play tries to talk about the journey of a dancer to whom her art is bigger than anything else,” he says, on the phone from Chennai.

In the play, Vaidehi realizes that her accomplishments and hard work are not enough to enter the big league, where foreign junkets, major festivals and awards are all for sale.

“Vaidehi has grown up the hard way, and when she has to choose between her art and recognition, she is in a quandary, and this forms the premise of the play,” Balakrishnan says.

For Balakrishnan who has worked closely with Bharatanatya dancers the story of the play is not fictional. “Being a man, I may not have endured this myself, but I have seen dancers who have. The Margazhi festival organised in Chennai every year offers slots to dancers for their performances, and there is always some kind of politics at play — this is what I have tried to bring to the fore.”

With Margazhi, Balakrishnan hopes to provide a platform for artistes to question the rules that have come to dictate art. “I believe that it is a different kind of abuse when an artiste does not have the freedom to practise her art,” he adds.

Anuradha Venkataraman, 42, who portrays Vaidehi in the play, has been a Bharatanatyam dancer for over 20 years. She feels that Vaidehi is a reflection of many artistes, who have gone through similar experiences. “Vaidehi is a complex character, and her journey is influenced by various events that take place in her life, and the people she meets,” she says.