Friday, May 8, 2015

Asil Rais performing in production of 'Flowers' in Paris.

Girish Karnad's Flowers

The play is a dramatic monologue about a devoted and pious priest who violates both his ‘dharma’ and his ‘bhakti’ because of his love for a courtesan. Torn between his love for his God and his love for Chandravati, between his duty to the king and his duty to his wife, the priest tells the story of his life after matters have come to a head and all his loves and duties collide on a single night. Girish Karnad takes a folk tale about the human condition and refreshes it with a contemporary sensibility that embraces love, loyalty and honour.





Playwright’s note

“Flowers” is based on a folktale from the Chitradurga region of Karnataka. The tale deals with the metaphysical dilemma that would result if God were truly merciful and all-forgiving. Would God’s grace ignore moral turpitude? What has greater weightage in the cosmic order of things – faith (bhakti) or morality?

It has been pointed out that the Indian philosophical tradition has never treated what would be called moral philosophy as a separate discipline. But the painful moral concerns are very much alive and find expression in epic stories or narrative literature or as here, in tales orally handed down.

Related Links : 
http://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/showcase-transcending-moral-dilemmas/article3711179.ece
http://www.mumbaitheatreguide.com/dramas/reviews/flowers.asp
http://vagabondmind.blogspot.in/2007/06/flowers-by-girish-karnad-dissolving.html

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Uney Purey Shahar Ek by Aasakta Kalamanch, Pune (More Info)


About Play :  
The most anticipated play is the Marathi Uney Purey Shahar Ek, written by Girish Karnad and directed by Mohit Takalkar. It is Karnad’s most recent play and was written originally in Kannada as Benda Kalu on Toast and translated by him into English as Boiled Beans On Toast. Takalkar says he was drawn to the solid classical structure of this very contemporary play. “It was a contemporary play with a classical approach which means that it reflected present day issues. It went against the notion that a contemporary play has to be either inaccessible or fall back on the devices of physical theatre”, says Takalkar. Recognising elements of his own city in Karnad’s play on the paradoxical incompleteness of Bangalore as it grows, the play has been translated from English into Marathi by Pradeep Vaidya. It has a range of characters from a three- year-old girl to a 70-year-old woman of different classes and backgrounds and required a wide set of 19 actors who could play all the parts.

About Aasakta Kalamanch, Pune:
AASAKTA is one of the leading theatre organisations in Marathi Theatre. The most defining characteristic of the group has to be our fearlessness to experiment – be it in form or in substance. The desire to experiment gave us the courage to break away from traditional moulds and create fresh idioms in theatre. The constant urge to seek out the new, create something afresh, ensured that, in all our productions, we deal with contemporary aesthetics and unique, contemporary content. Our absolute insistence on innovative and exclusive production value and precision in technique make our productions visually appealing too. Aasakta's core strength is, undoubtedly, its talented and motivated members who are pivotal players in our growth and success. Thus far in our journey we have produced several Marathi productions, a couple of Hindi plays for children and a couple of English productions. In the span of 10 years the group has so far had approximately 300 performances of all plays that it has produced. Apart from the several awards that we have won at various state level competitions and performances at National Theatre Festivals throughout our journey, Aasakta has received accolades from audience and critics alike. Aasakta’s plays have been selected and performed at National School of Drama’s Bharat Rang Mahotsav and TIE’s Jashne Bachpan, Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards, Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theatre and Satellite Theatre Festivals With each new play Aasakta attempts to venture into previously unexplored territory. For us at Aasakta, the journey still remains the true destination.

About the Director : MOHIT TAKALKAR
Mohit Takalkar (born August 18, 1977) has been a film editor, scriptwriter for film projects and documentaries. He had his first exposure to theatre at PDA before setting up his own theatre group Aasakta in Pune. He has been active in various aspects of theatre for the past nine years earning a reputation for the group and him, with his works; widely acclaimed by both the audience and the press. His plays have toured the length and breadth of Maharashtra and have also been invited to National and International festivals. He started his career as a director with his first play ‘Yayati’ in 2000 and then continued with ‘Nanephek’ (’01), ‘Pratibimba’(’03), ‘Chotyashya Suttit’(04), ‘Fridge Madhye Thevlela Prem’ (05), ‘Chandralok Complex’ and ‘Tu’(06), ‘Poornaviram’ ‘Charshe Koti Visarbhole’ and ‘Matra Ratra’ (07), ‘Bedke Neeche Rehne Wali’ ('08) ‘Letter to Tendulkar’ (08), ‘Chaitra’ ('08) , ‘Garbo’ ('09), ‘Aanandbhog Mall’ ('09), 'Kashmir Kashmir' ('09), 'Necropolis' ('10), 'Little Prince' ('11), 'Gajab Kahani' ('11) and 'Comrade Kumbhakarna' ('11). He has been awarded Aditya Vikram Birla Kalakiran Puraskar 2010 and Amrish Puri Award for contribution to experimental stage along with Sahitya Rangbhoomi Fellowship for the year 2007, Zee Gaurav Puraskar, Mama Varerkar Puraskar, State Award etc. He was the Charles Wallace Scholar under which he acquired a Postgraduate degree in theatre Practice from the University of Exeter, UK with distinction under the guidance of Prof. Phillip Zarrilli.


Uney Purey Shahar Ek - (Marathi) | 31st Mar | 6 & 9 pm

This is a city now. It used to be something else and that something else is history now. The history of this city is the chain of events, ambitions, aspirations, frustrations and efforts of the people who loved it even when it was a mere piece of land. They built a town over it that later ruled the country. The history of this city made it worth becoming what it is today - a city ! People`s dreams made it grow bigger. Dreams...they bring people here. More and more people with more and more dreams ! However, the dreams of people on this piece of land no longer form a part of the future of this city. The city has begun thriving on the dreaming people themselves and not their dreams. The dreams do not matter to the city. The cytoplasm of this city is now full of vacuoles. A vacuum that believes itself to be living. People are engulfed by their own vacuum, their incompleteness. But the city continues to feel complete. It is a complete city full of incomplete people.

Book Your Tickets : http://in.bookmyshow.com/plays/uney-purey-shahar-ek/ET00013443#ixzz3U9VwdStv


More Info: 
http://girishkarnadhandle.blogspot.in/2015/03/uney-purey-shahar-ek-by-aasakta.html

More Links :


















Thursday, February 5, 2015

Girish Karnad to Inaugurate Attakkalari India Biennial


Girish Karnad will be inaugurating the Attakkalari India Biennial  on the evening of the 6th at Chowdiah Memorial Hall, Bangalore.
Attakkalari India Biennial 2015 was launched at a press conference at the Alliance Fançaise de Bangalore on Jan 20 amidst a star-studded panel of guests, FACETS mentors and choreographers. Tickets available at the Attakkalari office, Wilson Garden and for shows at Ranga Shankara, tickets are available at the venue as well. Book tickets online here.More information on the festival here 

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Nagamandala - Play Directed by Abanti Chakraborty


Nagamandala, play written by Girish Karnad will be staged at "Bharat Rangamahotsav" at National School of Drama Festival on 12th February 2015. The play is directed by Abanti Chakraborty from Calcutta. 
Venue : LTG Auditorium 

About Nagamandala :The multi-ethnic and multi-caste communities of the Himalayan regionare today witnessing the revival of ethnic and religious consciousness leading to widespread social and political upheaval. This collection engages with the rapid social change and acute religious and identity crises that have emerged in an area extending from Gilgit to Eastern Nepal.

About Director's previous show :
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/on-love-and-space/article5248950.ecehttp://www.telegraphindia.com/1140322/jsp/opinion/story_18103158.jsp#.VM3WLHWUcnQ

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Girish Karnad at Jaipur Lit Fest 2015




Girish Karnad to be Jaipur Literature Festival 2015 .  The Festival will be held from 21-25 Jan 2015.
For more info : 
http://jaipurliteraturefestival.org/program-2015-2 
http://jaipurliteraturefestival.org/2015-festival/2015-speakers 
http://jaipurliteraturefestival.org/girish-karnad-5426.html


He will be talking to actor Naseeruddin Shah about the new autobiography, and later launching the Murthy Classical Library series with Sheldon Pollock (more on that here: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/03/books/murty-classical-library-catalogs-indian-literature.html)