Kissago's ongoing play depicts passion as it converges with the societal aftermath

Ravi Kumar Pathak from Hyderbad’s Kissago theatre company introduces politics to a romance narrative for the very first time
Poster from the play
Poster from the play

In Hyderabad, there are many theatre acts illustrating how widely divergent the art form can be. As theatre societies prepare for live performances, the galleries and venues are filled with loud applause and cheer. For one, Ravi Kumar, from the city-based theatre company Kissago, has brought an ongoing play, Nagaram themed around love. Ravi who has about 8 years of theatre experience, has lent his actors a sense of dynamism their characters would impassion in his piece. 

We are all acquainted with Romeo and Juliet's courtship. “The plot of the play is very similar to that,” Ravi tells us, revealing what the audience can expect. This play is distinct from his earlier works, which feature satire and politics as recurring motifs. He is infusing politics into a love story for the first time. “For example, previously, I directed a satire called Taj Mahal Ka Tender. Before that, there was a revised play based on migration during the pandemic. We got people from all across the country like Kerala, West Bengal and Assam, to name a few. The current play is a bit different,” he adds.

The emotional outlines of this Telugu theatrical adaptation of Jab Sheher Humara Sota Hai (when the city sleeps), authored by Piyush Mishra, are upheld by shifting a range of sets, some of which are gleaming with intricacy and radiant lighting and others of haunting minimalism. “The play has lots of emotions with a political angle to it. Plus, it’s a musical – we’ll be having live music. The story starts with a dramatic entry, with love gradually turning darker. Similarly, the lights turn from being animated and bright to dark,” Ravi reveals to us about the set designs. 

Ashwini Ayaluru as Tarana
Ashwini Ayaluru as Tarana

Later, we catch up with Ashwini Ayaluru, who portrays Tarana in the narrative. As the love interest of Aabhas in this play, portrayed by Arjun Jawabnavis, her layered character harbours innocence, empathy and strength. She faces an array of conflicting emotions and circumstances that are sudden. She is caught between her love for Aabhas and her respect for her family, which affects how she responds to the hardships that come her way and the difficult choices she must make. In order to get into the skin of her character, she says, “Once we read the script, we learned that there are plenty of references that we can take – West Side Story is one of the basic sources to see how the characters have developed.”

The cast includes Ashwini Ayaluru and Arjun Jawabnavis as protagonists. At Rangbhoomi Spaces & Events, Gachibowli on December 9 and 10 at 7.30 PM.
 

E-mail: chokita@newindianexpress.com

Twitter: @PaulChokita

Related Stories

No stories found.
Indulgexpress
www.indulgexpress.com