Dushala directed by Vinay Varma showcased the theatrical prowess of Prof. Dr. Alekhya Punjala, Chairperson of Telangana Sangeet Natak Academy in a 80-minute monologue taking the audience on a rollercoaster ride of emotions
– Rajeshwari Kalyanam
Dushala – the 101th offspring of Gandhari and Dhritarastra – the only daughter of the Kuru dynasty with Pandavas and Kauravas always at loggerheads – the character we just read about in a single sentence as an afterthought when discussing one of the greatest epics of our country – the Mahabharata – comes alive on stage.
Sutradhar’s Vinay Varma directed this stunning 80-minute monologue – Dushala- and Prof. Dr. Alekhya Punjala, Chairperson of Telangana Sangeet Natak Academy presented at Ravindra Bharathi. It was a memorable experience to watch the senior classical dancer clad in a red costume that she designed for herself as she brought to life Dushala in all her glory, misery, pain, joy and most importantly her loneliness and despair to a houseful of audience.
The already famous play Dushala was first written by the popular Pritham Chakravarthy who also acted in it. It is rewritten in Hindi without losing its flavour by the Sutradhar Acting Training Institute team under the guidance of the theatre Guru and actor Vinay Varma. Who can forget his outstanding Main Rahi Masoom – a monologue that binds you to your seats as you watch the the drama unfold. You once again get a glimpse of the directorial skills of this maverick when you watch Dr Alekhya Punjala touch our hearts even as she recreates the grandiose Mahabharata in front of our eyes regaling the stories that we know but perhaps haven’t ever seen it through Dushala’s eyes.
Watching Kuchipudi dance exponent and Guru navigate the stage, lamenting, shouting, crying, laughing, deriding and conversing – emoting the varied expressions moving from one part of the stage to another with spirited intent was delightful to say the least. The way she invoked the emotions of audience interspersing the drama with dance that’s part classical and part folk – with bits of Kuchipudi and spins of Kathak – just enough to not tamper with the original essence of the play is something that sets the Hindi version apart from the rest.
Professor Dr. Alekhya Punjala in collaboration with Trishna Kuchipudi Dance Academy and Sutradhar Acting Training Institute with Department of Language and Culture of Telangana presented this play recently at Ravindra Bharati.
The play establishes the renowned dance guru known for her abhinaya as a seasoned theatre actor even though this is her second performance as Dushala. She has created a distinct mark for herself with the play. As the younger sister of the Kauravas, the daughter of Gandhari and Dhritarashtra, the wife of Saindhav, the mother of Suratha, how Dushala like the many women in Mahabharata, was reduced to a mere producer of an heir; her lack of identity and her anguish unfolded on stage reducing audience to tears.
Commenting on the play Dr. Alekhya Punjala said this performance made her more happy than the first. She shared that women have been oppressed since time immemorial, and despite all these years of success in all fields, there has been no change in women’s freedom.
It was indeed a hall full of discerning audience, many amongst them women who journeyed with her through the emotional rollercoaster that was not just about Dushala but also the other women in the epic like Gandhari as much as it was about all the women out there who continue to fight for their identity. Commendable performance and direction that left the audience in tears.
