To remember our nation's martyrs on the occasion of Kargil Divas, dancer-actress Shobana and her troupe performed Krishna: The Soldier & The Statesman, in association with the Flags of Honour Foundation. It was a vibrant dance-drama, based on the many facets of Lord Krishna and a wonderful rendition of the epic of Mahabharata.
"Down South, not much importance is given to an issue like our war heroes and martyrs. Anything for the sake of remembrance must be valued. It was fabulous to see something like this with beautiful girls retelling the story of our epics," says Col B M Cariappa, who was present at the show.
Every single person in Chowdiah Memorial Hall watched silently throughout the programme, as the merging of dialogue with classical, folk and Bollywood dance forms unfolded in front of them.
One was taken through the popular as well as lesser-known stories of Krishna's life through the magical production.
Shobana danced, smiled and acted just like Krishna probably would have if he had had Madhuban Meh Jo Kanhaiya or Dhoom Machale for background music back in his days.
"It was a great blend of Shobana's bharatanatyam performance with a contemporary feel to it," says Bindu Sanyasi, a classical dancer who came to watch the show. "What normally happens is that a classical dance performance becomes regional in its appeal. But people of all ages could appreciate and connect with this," she adds.
Having written a script that draws from the Bhagavad Gita, the Mahabharata, Osho, Bengali songs and other popular texts, Shobana successfully managed to take the viewer through the various motions — Krishna as the child, teacher, messenger and negotiator. The fact that it is in english allows a universality to be applied to the blue god and for subtle humour to be incorporated.
"It was powerful, innovative, imaginative and altogether perfect," says Lakshman Rao Gutta, a member of the audience. "I found it extremely good and have never seen anything like it."
From the raas leela with the gopikas to the peppy Bollywood numbers; from dialogues like Radha's "My lover wears wild flowers in his head, not a crown" to Krishna's "Let this body dissolve in the raga of love", the show was an insightful entertainer unlike any other.
"Bangalore is my greatest audience. This has been the best show I have done," says an exhausted Shobana, after the two-and-a-half-hour-long show.