Kintsugi with Mahabharata

 

In connection with this show, I learnt that Kintsugi ("golden joinery") is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. This makes the repair itself a beautiful, visible part of the object's history, rather than something to hide.

My curiosity got the better of me as I wanted to know how it intersected with the Mahabharata. It then peeled like an onion to learn that the "rupture" is caused by the incidents in the epic, which were showcased like a tapestry on the stage. Four scenes were re-imagined to create a 60-minute, once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The Performance

A screen in the background embellished every scene, starting with Ekalavya and Dronacharya discussing the gurudakshina, followed by the Game of Dice. The third scene captured the mother’s dilemma of Kunti’s first-born son and Arjuna torn between duty and love. The last scene was Gandhari lamenting about the 100 sons she couldn’t see, while ignoring her daughter Dusshala in front of her.

The dance-work was brilliant in bringing the epic to life for us to reflect on in current times. The dancers—all experienced in Bharatanatyam and based in Canada—danced in an enchanting manner leaving the spectators breathless. While they danced, they took a breath and rolled out their dialogue without missing the light, showing the desired emotion on their faces commensurate with the scene as originally visualised by Vedavyasa.

Music and Aesthetics

The music score, composed by a groupd called "Trayam" featuring  Varijashree Venugopal, BC Manjunath, and Praveen D. Rao, was mesmerising and mirrored the bhava in the play. It was probably the longest period I have seen Varijashree on stage without singing, but she didn’t miss a beat with her flute.

The costumes were mainly three colours—not very bright—but had the gold thread running along the fabric, much akin to powdered gold on the lacquer in the Kintsugi art form. Overall, the work was breathtaking and left me wanting more. Post the play was the crème de la crème: an interview by Prakash Belavadi with the artists and the makers of Kintsugi. Thanks to Belavadi, the focus was on the entire Mahabharata and its true essence rather on the picky four selections in this drama-work.

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A Note of Appreciation

To the Performers: > Your ability to bridge the ancient depth of the Mahabharata with the delicate philosophy of Kintsugi was truly masterful. The physical stamina required to maintain the grace of Bharatanatyam while delivering powerful dialogue is extraordinary. Thank you for showing us that there is profound beauty in the "rupture" and for bringing such technical brilliance and emotional honesty to the stage.

The show is a production of Sampradaya Dance Creations, from Canada led by Lata Pada.