Tagore’s Chitrangada comes alive in Chennai through Sanhita Basu Ghose’s odissi performance

Popular Odissi exponent Sanhita Basu Ghose is set to bring a slice of Rabindranath Tagore to namma Chennai with her upcoming presentation of Chitrangada – The Warrior Princess. The recital will be staged as part of the Vasant Utsov Dance Festival, a ten-day celebration of classical arts, where Sanhita has been a regular performer for nearly two decades.

“I have been performing Odissi Bharatanatyam choreography (OBC) at the Vasant Utsov Dance Festival for nearly 20 years now. This year as well, the festival has scheduled my performance on May 9, which once again aligns with Tagore’s birth anniversary. So I thought it would be meaningful to present something from Chitrangada – The Warrior Princess.”

Sanhita Basu Ghose brings Chitrangada to Chennai at Vasant Utsav Dance Festival

Drawing from the Mahabharata and reimagined by Tagore, the production traces the journey of Chitrangada, a warrior princess raised as a prince in the kingdom of Manipur. Trained in warfare, hunting and leadership, she grows up embodying strength and authority, even as she quietly grapples with her identity.

Sanhita elaborates, “It follows Arjuna during his 12 years of brahmacharya, when he was travelling across different regions and arrives in Manipur. Chitrangada meets him during a hunt, and for the first time, she experiences love. It unsettles her completely, and she begins to question everything she has known about herself. When Arjuna, bound by his vow of celibacy, turns her away, Chitrangada seeks the help of Lord Madana, the god of love, and is transformed into a woman of striking beauty. In this new form, she wins Arjuna’s affection, but the victory is bittersweet.”

Sanhita explains, “She is deeply conflicted. She knows that this is not her true self. As their relationship develops, she struggles with this duality, between who she is and who she appears to be.”

The narrative takes a poignant turn when Arjuna hears of the missing warrior princess, described as both fearless and compassionate, and begins to admire her unseen, authentic self. This moment of realisation becomes central to the story’s emotional arc.

“Eventually, she reveals her truth. She refuses to be idolised or diminished, and instead asks to be accepted as an equal. That is when Arjuna truly understands her.”

For the dancer, the story’s relevance lies in its enduring message. “What I find most powerful about this story is that it is not merely a love story, but one about identity and acceptance. It reminds us that true connection lies beyond physical beauty. It is about seeing and valuing the person within. That is what I hope to bring out through my performance this year.”

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