Dvijottamar/த்விஜோத்தமர்- V. Balakrishnan/வி பாலகிருஷ்ணன்/தமிழில்-நரசிம்மன்

Rs. 120.00

நேர்மைக்கும் கடமைக்கும் நடுவில் சிக்கிக்கொண்ட ஒரு மனிதனின் கதைதான் துரோணருடைய கதையும். பாண்டவர்களை வீழ்த்த வேண்டும் என்றும், துரோணர்தான் களத்தில் மற்ற வீரர்களைவிடச் சிறந்தவர் என்று தெரிந்தும் துரியோதனன் அவரை குரு படையின் தளபதியாக நியமிக்கிறான். தன்னுடைய நடத்தையின் மீது தமக்குள் பொங்கும் அருவருப்பு உள்ளூர அவரைக் குத்திக் கொன்றாலும், அந்தத் தலைசிறந்த ஆசான் போர்க்களத்தில் இரண்டு அக்ஷௌஹினி வீரர்களைக் கொன்று குவித்தார். தனது உயிரை தானே துறந்துகொண்ட துரோணரின் உயிரில்லா உடலிலிருந்து தலை திருஷ்டத்யும்னனால் துண்டிக்கப்படுகிறது.

எதிர்காலம், தற்காலத்தைப் போலவும் கடந்தகாலத்தைப் போலவும், வெறுமையாகத்தான் தெரிகிறது. ஒரு சாபம் சபிக்கப்படுகிறது. அமைதிகூட இன்னும் மௌனமாகிறது. இப்படித்தான் பாலா, நம் இதிகாசக் கதைகளுக்குத் தனக்குரிய தனி பாணியில், புதிய ஒரு பரிமாணம் கொடுக்கிறார். அந்த அற்புதமான கதைகளைத் தற்காலத்திற்கேற்ப அழகாக வடிவமைக்கிறார். அவர் எழுத்துகளிலும், தயாரிப்புகளிலும் பெரிய பலமாகத் தென்படும் அந்த “மினிமலிசம்” - மிக எளிமையான நடை. ஆனால், அதில் ஒரு ஆழம், அமைதி. ஆனால் அதில் ஒரு குமுறல். அவரின் படைப்புகளில் அவ்வப்போது தென்படும் கவிதைகளைப் படிக்க சுவாரஸ்யமாக இருக்கும். அதே சமயம், மேடையில் அரங்கேறும் நடனமும் காண அழகாக இருக்கும். இவை அனைத்தையும் விடவும் மிக முக்கியமானது, சமகால இந்திய நாடக உலகில் பாலா ஒரு முக்கியமான நாடக ஆசிரியரும், இயக்குனருமாவார் என்பதில் எந்த மாற்றுக் கருத்தும் இல்லை.
சுரேந்திரநாத் சூரி
இயக்குனர், நாடக ஆசிரியர்.

God's Will- V Balakrishnan

Rs. 200.00

A crime has been committed against a 13-year-old girl. Her grieving family demands justice, but as the state alternates between offering temptation and making threats, her mother is left fighting a lone battle. Will her stoicism bear out the government machinery that is working against her? Or will she succumb too? In this story of how class and caste play into ordinary lives, V Balakrishnan explores urban poverty and a woman's resilience in this context.

***

God’s Will is a diamond in the rough. It portrays the pain and suffering [of a woman's loss] and the inhumanity of the ministers handling this, who see paying money as a salve. The author has crafted this sad tale well. His dialogue weaves a picture of the tragedy of being poor in India, especially in a big city.

- Keith Stevenson

(Excerpted with permission from the judges' citations for the Sultan Padamsee Award)

Amrapali-V.Balakrishnanan

Rs. 150.00

Born around 600-500 BCE, to unknown parents, the ‘Nagarvadhu’ of Vaishali fell in love with King Bimbisara and made him cease hostile intentions towards Vaishali. Other legends talk of Ajatashatru desiring her and how he massacred the entire republic of Vaishali but spared Amrapali. She had the honour to serve food to the Buddha on his last visit to Vaishali. Later, she renounced her life as the Janapada Kalyani and embraced the way of the Buddha.

My play endeavours to trace Amrapali’s conflicts and strifes as she walked towards her awakening, towards her liberation and joy.

Gallantly Fought The Queen- V.Balakrishnan

Rs. 150.00

Rani Lakshmi Bai rose above the patriarchal norms of her times. She had to make remarkable decisions at every page of her life, and she had to stand for what she believed in and cherished. This play juxtaposes her valour with her personal, so the audience can afford respect for the legend and the person.

Hugh Rose, in the report of the Rani's final battle, commented that ‘Rani Lakshmibai is personable, clever and beautiful’ and she is ‘the most dangerous of all Indian leaders.’ Colonel Malleson too is said to have written - ‘Whatever her faults in British eyes may have been, her countrymen will ever remember that she was driven by ill-treatment into rebellion, and that she lived and died for her country. We cannot forget her contribution to India.’

The Peacock Prince-V Balakrishnan

Rs. 100.00

The story of Amba, reborn as Shikhandi is one of hurt, humiliation, rage and resentment. Amba desires the death of Bhishma, but the men she approaches are not able to accomplish it. Undone by Bhishma, she burns herself in a funeral pyre, and is reborn in the house of Drupada as a girl, but is brought up as a boy, Shikhandi. She undergoes a transformation to get the genitals of a man to save her city. Later, chance takes Shikhandi to the field of Kurukshetra where he sets out to achieve what he promised himself in a previous birth, as Amba.

The future is as blank as the present or the past. A curse is cursed. Even silence is silenced. This is how Bala deconstructs or reconstructs, if you prefer, the known classics in his own inimitable style. Time and again he has revisited the classics only to reset them in his/our time. Bala knows his strengths-minimalism, in his writing as well as in his productions, simple yet powerful, silent yet screaming. I have always cherished reading ‘poetry’ in his plays, watching ‘dance’ in his stage versions. Of course, he is one of the most important playwrights and directors of contemporary Indian theatre.

- Surendranath Suri, Director and playwright

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Krishnas Dark Son- V Balakrishnan

Rs. 150.00

Born by the grace of Shiva when he is in his Ardhanaareeshwara form, Samba is the prodigal son of Krishna who becomes the conduit for Gandhari’s curse, spoken in her agony after the bloodbath at Kurukshetra. Her grief finds voice in a wish for the destruction of the race of Krishna, which will be orchestrated by the birth of Samba.

The future is as blank as the present or the past. A curse is cursed. Even silence is silenced. This is how Bala deconstructs or reconstructs, if you prefer, the known classics in his own inimitable style. Time and again he has revisited the classics only to reset them in his/our time. Bala knows his strengths-minimalism, in his writing as well as in his productions, simple yet powerful, silent yet screaming. I have always cherished reading ‘poetry’ in his plays, watching ‘dance’ in his stage versions. Of course, he is one of the most important playwrights and directors of contemporary Indian theatre.

- Surendranath Suri, Director and playwright

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Dvijottama- V Balakrishnan

Rs. 150.00

The story of Drona is the story of a man caught between duty and righteousness. Desiring victory over the Pandavas, and knowing Drona to be superior to all the warriors fighting for him, the Kuru prince Duryodhana anoints Drona as his commander-in-chief. The teacher slaughters two entire akshauhinis, even as he is slowly felled by his own disgust at his unethical actions. He gives up his life, and Dhrishtadyumna cuts off his head from a lifeless body.

The future is as blank as the present or the past. A curse is cursed. Even silence is silenced. This is how Bala deconstructs or reconstructs, if you prefer, the known classics in his own inimitable style. Time and again he has revisited the classics only to reset them in his/our time. Bala knows his strengths-minimalism, in his writing as well as in his productions, simple yet powerful, silent yet screaming. I have always cherished reading ‘poetry’ in his plays, watching ‘dance’ in his stage versions. Of course, he is one of the most important playwrights and directors of contemporary Indian theatre.

- Surendranath Suri, Director and playwright

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The Curse of Urvashi- V Balakrishnan

Rs. 150.00

Arjuna’s life has been a non-stop preparation for war, but the curse of Urvashi forces him to drop the bow and become a teacher of dance and music. The muster with which he grasps his bow in the war at Virata, fails him at Kurukshetra. Arjuna seeks succour in the words of Krishna, but redemption is far off, as he is accused of “unmanly” tactics to kill his opponents. Does the curse of Urvashi follow Arjuna for life?

The future is as blank as the present or the past. A curse is cursed. Even silence is silenced. This is how Bala deconstructs or reconstructs, if you prefer, the known classics in his own inimitable style. Time and again he has revisited the classics only to reset them in his/our time. Bala knows his strengths-minimalism, in his writing as well as in his productions, simple yet powerful, silent yet screaming. I have always cherished reading ‘poetry’ in his plays, watching ‘dance’ in his stage versions. Of course, he is one of the most important playwrights and directors of contemporary Indian theatre.

- Surendranath Suri, Director and playwright

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Based on 1 review Write a review

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