A dense forest, a sunlit palace, and 3 intrepid soldiers… by Sameeksha Subedar

The exquisite land of Manipur - laced with mountains, dense forests, and gushing waterfalls. The story of a princess who grows up in her grand palace amidst this magical world. A fierce hunt led by the brave princess. Spring bringing in hues of red, yellow, and green. A poignant cry out to God. A battle, a conquest, love, illusion.

Chitrangada will take you through all this and more. Creating this imagery on stage under the arc lights constituted the extremely intensive, albeit very creative task that lay in front of my team – the Stage Décor team for Chitrangada comprising Archna, Bikas and me.

Here's the latest update - my house looks like a studio (or weird version of what could have been a studio) - huge cans of paint, canvas, brushes; a conglomeration of props - all claim territorial rights on my living space. Am now very used to funny, unsure glances from my poor unsuspecting neighbors as they see me carry huge random things in. Here's how I define a weekend -- 3 groggy-eyed souls, sketching, painting, brainstorming, fighting, and looking like seasoned laborers for hours on end.

The behind-the-scenes perspective is a very interesting one too, what with the quest for the desired "look" propelling us to scavenge theatre repositories around the town, making  art shops recognize our faces, risking one’s manager’s ire (yes that too!) and just making sure that the last prop is not forgotten.

Actually, let me share some insider secret, the scenes for Manipuri dances and spring colors are the best ones. Why, you ask? Let’s see…. maybe because I’m dancing in them…. ahem, well maybe .. just a possibility…. Anyway we have the stakes open and you are free to vote on your favorite one. So have you taken the best seats yet??

Join us in this artistic journey and we hope you’ll be transported into Chitrangada's world as she takes you along in the story of her life. At the end of the day, a quality experience for you will bring a smile on the faces of 3 groggy-eyed soldiers!!

Sameeksha

Moving out of our Comfort Zone by Nitya Gupta

I first heard of “Chitrangada” in Dec last year in my living room, when Mou (show director) brought the idea of doing a classically inspired show. Not just any classical story, but one of Rabindranath Tagore’s most famous tales. I instantly loved the idea, but……Will it really work? Having put out successful Bollywood style productions in the last 2 years, I thought Pratidhwani had found its “niche”. It’s easy to make people laugh, but to portray one of Tagore’s strongest plays in a dance ballet is HUGE!! Were we up for the challenge, I wondered? And so we set sail on this unknown voyage....a few brave souls...

However...as the days passed, more talent started pooling in, the choreography became more breath-taking, the set design became more intricate, and the production became bigger and grander. And now when the show is at our door step, I just sit back amazed…..I am proud of the awesome Pratidhwani team for undertaking this unique project. With this production, we are not only taking Pratidhwani to new heights, but are providing a platform for many talented artists to perform in one of the biggest dance productions ever to be staged in this area.

As if the production wasn’t challenging enough, I also have the opportunity to perform one of the toughest forms of Indian Martial Arts, Kalaripattu from Kerela (NO, being married to a Malayali has nothing to do with this :P), choreographed by Sunil Sharma. Additionally, I have the challenge of depicting the emotions, antics and strength inherent in Kamdev (God of Love) exclusively through classically inspired dances which is interesting for someone like me who is not classically trained.

To sum it all up folks, please don’t spend most of Aug 22 listening to your friends talk about the fabulous show you missed the previous night. Find a babysitter, finish your laundry, tell your boss that you are not working that weekend and take your better half to experience the grandest ballet production this side of town.

Nitya