Over 100 students of the BKC-based Mount Litera School International (MLSI), staged a performance of the classic Mahabharata, but with a different perspective. The tale was narrated through the point of view of the female characters Gandhari, Kunti and Draupadi, on Friday.
The audience was given another way of looking at the tale as the perspectives of its three leading ladies were frequently highlighted.
"Some of the strong messages from the play were about the strength of women. It started with Gandhari -- if the husband is blind, why does the woman have to forsake her senses? Why aren't women empowered to take individual decisions. Then there is one line where Draupadi tells Kunti, 'You have good sons, but are they really good men?' We wanted to bring out these messages," said Mona Seervai, principal of the school.
Interspersed with dance and music sequences, the two-hour-long play aimed to familiarise the young generation with the mythological classic and saw the participation of all the students of Classes VI to X.
Following the school's inquiry-based learning methodology, the play attempted to imbibe Indian values in the students and showcase human frailties, character flaws and highlight follies of the great and mighty. The school roped in a professional theatre artist, Kriti Sharma, to direct the play and dance choreographer Raul Brady, to create the dance sequences, which were inspired from Yoga and Kalaripayattu, a martial art form that has origins in Kerala.
"We strive to provide our students with holistic education in an innovative manner. This production was not only about what was staged today, but the efforts that were put behind this play by the students in the past two months. The theatre is a collective co-operative effort and encourages students to learn to think on their feet and solve problems together," said Seervai.
Tigmanshu Dhulia, National award-winning filmmaker and actor, who was the chief guest for the occasion, said, "Theatre needs to be made part of the school curriculum. These days youngsters are all busy on their smartphones.
This will encourage them to shed their inhibitions, just by coming together for theatre. The actors who played Duryodhan and Gandhari displayed a lot of confidence. The play was in English, had it been in Hindi, it would have been more powerful."
Holistic Education
“We strive to provide our students with holistic education in an innovative manner. This production was not only about what was staged today, but the efforts that were put behind this play by the students in the past two months,” said Mona Seervai, Principal
