When a centuries-old ritual meets questions of conscience, belief and human choice, Girish Karnad’s Bali: The Sacrifice unfolds as a compelling examination of contradictions within society and the self. The acclaimed Chennai-based theatre company Theatre Nisha brings this thought-provoking work to Bengaluru under the direction of its artistic director, V Balakrishnan.

“Bali explores questions of violence, non-violence, desire, power and redemption. But for the actors, the play begins with very human wants and needs rather than philosophy. The deeper ideas reveal themselves gradually as the story unfolds. While the themes certainly resonate with the world we live in today, we are not interested in telling the audience what to think. Instead, we want them to connect with the characters, understand their choices and perhaps question their own ideas of right and wrong,” V Balakrishnan begins.

Originally written as Girish Karnad’s own English translation of his 1980 Kannada classic Hittina Hunja, the play continues to resonate through its exploration of desire, morality, power and the complexities of faith. “We have spent many years studying and performing Girish Karnad’s works, so his influence is already a part of our artistic. language. I have never found his stage notes restrictive; they serve the play rather than limit interpretation,” he shares.

Featuring Muthalagi Eswaran, Shakthi Ramani, Meera Sitaraman and Niveditha V, Bali: The Sacrifice delves into the tensions between non-violence and blind faith, personal desire and moral responsibility, while examining the power structures and gender roles that shape human relationships. “The plot of the play follows four characters in a single space: the elephant keeper who has slept with the queen, the queen who finds herself drawn to the elephant keeper, the king who wants his queen back and the queen mother, who wants to sacrifice more than a cockerel made of dough. The plot of Bali is the king’s quest to seek redemption, the queen’s to assert hers and the queen mother’s to deny both,” he reveals.

Trapped between duty and societal expectations to produce an heir, the queen sees intimacy transform into a cold obligation, which drives her towards the mahout. The irony of purity lies in the king’s pursuit of moral and spiritual perfection, which ultimately alienates the people closest to him.

Through its stark storytelling, the play invites audiences to reflect on the choices we make, the beliefs we inherit and the sacrifices demanded in the name of tradition. “The focus is on the tension between the characters and the emotional intensity of the story. All the roles in this production are performed by women, which brings an additional layer of politics to the play and its themes,” he explains. The play argues that substituting a real animal with a dough replica does not erase the violence; the intent to sacrifice and kill remains fully present in the minds of those participating.

₹400. June 26, 3.30 pm & 7.30 pm. At Ranga Shankara, JP Nagar.

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