Tamil play Draupadi: Familiar scenes enacted well

The Mahabharata and the Ramayana are so deeply embedded in popular imagination that they continue to be a source of inspiration for creative minds. Premiered recently, Draupadi by Komal Theatres, directed by Dharini Komal, is one more addition to the long list. As the title suggests, this Tamil play portrays the Pandava queen as a symbol of women power.

The play begins with Aravaan Koothu festivities at a Draupadi Amman temple in Velachery. The rituals culminate in narabali (beheading) of a life-size effigy. What at the outset seemed to be a play based on a social theme turned into a mythological production on the lines of Tamil historical theatre.

Well-researched script

“It was a long-held dream of mine to do a play based on Bharati’s Panchali Sabatham. During the pandemic, I did a thorough study of this popular work and also read various texts on the Mahabharata,” says Dharini. “I wanted the younger generation to understand Draupadi. How she was deceived by circumstances to be the wife of the five Pandavas, being caught in the power struggle and ego clashes of men, and her will and courage to fight and establish Dharma.”

A scene from the Tamil play Draupadi.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Beginning with the emergence of Draupadi from the fire (well-crafted stage setting ) in the yagam performed by her father, king Drupada, to her swayamvar and marriage to the Pandavas, the game of dice and her vow to punish the Kauravas, the play travels along the storyline familiar to most viewers.

The first half of the script has been written in classical Tamil by poet Satish Kumar and the second half has been adapted from Panchali Sabatham. Musical score is by Rajkumar Bharati.

A play of this nature needs to be backed by a strong team of technicians and artistes. The cast of the play manage to keep the viewers engrossed with their performance, impeccably delivering the dialogues.

Playing the role of Draupadi, Krithika Shurajit, a talented dancer uses her expertise in abhinaya to portray every emotion with conviction. She sustains the momentum throughout with her powerful acting, clarity of diction and expressions.

A surprise element is the role of Krishna being enacted by dancer Balagurunathan, in his first attempt at acting. With a twitch of his eyebrows, a mischievous smile, a dancer-ly gait, a dignified stance and gentle dialogue delivery, he captivates the viewers with his performance.

Duryodhana the spiteful, villainous Kaurava, played by Vignesh Chellapan, is greeted with thunderous applause in every scene for his powerful dialogue delivery. But at some points crudity mars its impact. Kannan Rudhrapathi as Shakuni impressed with his body language and appropriate expressions.

Making a mark

Vivek Raju as Dushasana makes a mark with his acting skills. Anand Sahasranamam, Kishore Kumar, Siddharth, Sri Krishnan and Balakumar as the Pandavas, and Anand Ram as Karna are equally impressive despite the limited scope of their roles; the Kauravas are the dominant players here.

The background LED setting design by Kathir, Thyagu and Mritunjay adds depth and dimension to the scenes. It is a delight to see a perfectly mounted screen.

Special effects and props (Mallikraj and Thangapandian) and music execution by Vishwajay enhance the viewing experience. The bright costumes and colourful jewellery are designed to appeal to popular taste. A more subtle colour palette would make it look more aesthetic .

While revisiting epics, instead of following the oft-trodden path of a costume drama, it would be good if playwrights can make their interpretations socially relevant, along with fresh perspectives in design and presentation.