Single-handedly spearheading Adi Shakti, the world renowned theatre group that actually is nestled inside a traditional patch of land on the outskirts of Pondicherry, Veenapani Chawla is an epitome of strength and determination. After all, the same emanated from her four performers on the stage (the group performed at Prithvi Theatre recently) who delighted the audience with their powerful performances blending theatre, music, dance and puppetry spread over three hours.
The sexagenarian admits, “All my performers undergo rigorous forms of physical training involving hours of swimming, badminton, dance and a lot of work on the body. From voice training to breath craft, it is a daily routine for all.” The theatre group that weaves together contemporary theatre with ancient mythology lives and works together, growing their own fruits and vegetables, tending to a herb garden and practicing an art that is rich of the local tradition and culture.
After her stints at the Trinity College of Music, London and Eugenio Barba’s Odin Teatret at Holstebro, Denmark, Veenapani toured with her group through Paris, New York Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg and several other cities. With several international scholarships and awards in her kitty, Veenapani says it is still an effort to make
the West realise that Indian theatre is the not the synonym for a “spectacle”. She says, “Theatre enthusiasts in the West love spectacles. They want to see traditional Indian theatre. They think only they have a monopoly over cosmopolitan theatre.”
Meanwhile, Veenapani thinks that despite practicing modern theatre, there is nothing wrong in borrowing from our ancient epics, texts and scriptures. She points out, “The myths of the olden times lend themselves to the contemporary aesthetics. Straightforward interpretations do not interest me. It’s all things hybrid that define the pluralistic society of South Asia. It’s celebratory to not be purists.”
