‘Jaya’ blends rock music with mantras, Krishna’s flute, and Kalaripayattu drums to create a modern retelling of the Mahabharata!

When the Mahabharata was first penned, who could have imagined that one day, its timeless story would be re-imagined as a rock musical? Yet, here we are, with Jaya! The Victory! — a vibrant, contemporary retelling — taking the stage in Chennai. Time, that strange and unyielding force, is the only true witness to both the ancient epic and its re-creation today!

For actor and theatre practitioner Lillete Dubey, who has produced and directed Jaya, the journey to bringing it to life in Chennai has been shaped by time itself. The idea for Jaya — A Rock Musical of the Mahabharata began not yesterday, but in 1996, when Lillete, eager to venture into the world of musicals, discovered Sandeep Kanjilal. A self-taught musician and an MTech graduate from IIT Delhi, Sandeep had crafted a play on the Mahabharata — not in the traditional form, but as a rock musical! “I found the whole concept very exciting, very interesting,” Lillete recalls. “I thought, for a younger generation, it would be a great way to tell the story of the Mahabharata.”

This spark of inspiration marked the beginning of Jaya — a tale of triumph and transformation. Lillete threw herself into the project, spending two years shaping the production before unveiling it in Mumbai in 1998. “It was such a challenging project,” she admits. “When you work with a well-established musical, the process is mostly done for you. But with something new, like Jaya, you’re creating everything from scratch. It’s thrilling, but also nerve-wracking because you don’t know how it will turn out.”

Jaya made its debut in an open-air venue, a massive 10,000-sq-ft space with the stage set 40 ft above the ground. “It was spectacular!” Lillete exclaims. “We did several shows after that, but unfortunately, we never made it to Chennai.”

That was then. Now, nearly 25 years later, Chennai is about to witness the magic of Jaya, presented by Rotary Club of Madras, on stage.

But before this long-awaited revival, there was a pause — one marked by a “tragic incident” that forced the play to close in 2000, just two years after its debut. “Something happened in the group that upset everyone,” Lillete explains. “So we closed the play and ever since, I’ve wanted to bring it back”. Little did she know that the revival would take 24 years!

Now, with the power of hindsight and the wisdom of time, Lillete reflects on what makes Jaya so unique. “It’s an unusual, exciting, and unique play,” she says. “Some might remember Jesus Christ Superstar, which told the story of Jesus through rock music. It was groundbreaking, and Sandeep, being influenced by rock, wrote Jaya in a similar style. But I’ve added Indian elements, infusing it with colours, war sequences, and choreography that reflect our culture.”

The show’s aesthetic is thoroughly Indian, with the cast donning dhotis instead of pants. Interestingly, Jaya blends rock music with mantras, Krishna’s flute, and the powerful rhythms of Kalaripayattu drums to create a modern retelling of one of India’s greatest epics. At its core lies Krishna’s profound sermon on the battlefield from the Bhagavad Gita, culminating in an ending that is both deeply moving and profoundly inspiring. The characters, of course, sing in English — because this retelling transcends language, much like the Mahabharata itself.

It begins at the end of the Mahabharata, with Yudhishthira, the eldest Pandava, ascending to heaven. As he rises, one by one, his brothers fall, leaving him alone. “It’s such a poignant scene,” Lillete muses. “They fall like leaves.” As Yudhishthira reaches the top, there are these voices in his mind, questioning, ‘Why did they fall?’ It’s a moment of deep self-reflection, where Yudhishthira confronts his own doubts about his leadership, decisions, and fate. The play explores the inner turmoil of Yudhishthira, whose unwavering principles clash with the perspectives of Duryodhana and Karna. As the protagonist grapples with these moral dilemmas, we are offered a timeless exploration of human nature — love, ambition, duty, and spirituality.

A highlight of the show is a song sung by Draupadi, which explores the complex dynamics between the Pandavas. The poignant lyrics of A Woman is the Man in So Many Ways reveal the multifaceted expectations women often hold for the men in their lives, a reflection of both vulnerability and strength. Though not directly from the Mahabharata, it beautifully captures the spirit of the epic.

In Lillete’s words, “The script is lovely, strong, and tight. It’s amazing how Sandeep condensed the Mahabharata into two hours while keeping its essence intact.” Following the recent revival in Mumbai, Lillete has been urged by many to take Jaya to Broadway.

A monumental production, Jaya boasts world-class lighting by Lynne Fernandes, designer for the internationally acclaimed Nrityagram Dance Ensemble, stunning sets by Fali Unwalla, and costumes by Pallavi Patel, trained in London, music composed by Ashutosh Phatak, vocal coaching by Suzanne D’Mello, Kaliri choreography by Arpit Singh, and Kathak by Pooja Pant. The show also features cutting-edge sound design and extraordinary live performances by some of the finest talent in the industry. “After 2000, I revamped the whole production — brand new score, new costumes, and set design, because now it is being staged in a hall, not in the open. Jaya is my passion project, and I can’t wait for Chennai to watch it!” says Lillete.

Lynne, who designed the lighting for Jaya in its original run, reflects on the creative challenges of the current production. “When Lillete first asked me to design the lights in 1998, I had stopped doing lighting for theatre due to time constraints. But this show was different. The scale was so large, and I loved the challenge.” When Lillete decided to rework Jaya, Lynne was thrilled to return to the project. “My biggest concern was creating dynamic settings with static sets. The technical resources in India were limited, so I had to think outside the box. But the trust Lillete placed in me allowed me the creative freedom to experiment.”

Lynne’s lighting design embraces a dramatic, surreal approach, which complements the show’s high-energy rock score. She says, “The Mahabharata is more than just a story — it’s a profound exploration of the human condition. With themes of love, hate, ambition, duty, and spirituality, it’s a vast narrative. My job was to distill these themes through lighting, making them simple and direct for the audience. I have used bold contrasts and vivid colours to reflect the intensity of the rock music, while softer lighting underscored the emotional, personal moments. It was about creating an atmosphere that would resonate with the audience.”

Fact file: The light is a central protagonist in Jaya

“In a production like Jaya, where the story embodies grand themes, intense emotions, and complex characters, lighting can be more than just a technical aspect; it becomes an essential narrative tool. Lighting is one of those elements in theatre that can subtly shape the audience’s perception of the story, the mood, and even the characters themselves.

In Jaya, lighting is used to symbolise inner struggles, victories, or the forces of nature and fate that are at play. In my mind, Jaya suggests a journey to victory — perhaps of battle, self-realisation, or spiritual awakening — and lighting mirrored that journey. The transitions between different lighting states symbolised shifting emotions or moments of tension and release. Shadows were used to indicate mystery, secrecy, or an emotional weight carried by the character.

In a narrative that involves conflict — whether internal or external — lighting was used to dramatically heighten tension. Harsh, angular lighting created a sense of unease, while changes in colour (from cool blues to fiery reds, for instance) signalled shifts in tone or indicated approaching danger or climax.

Jaya involves larger-than-life themes and a heightened sense of drama, and the lighting became part of the spectacle itself. Moving lights, projections, or colour changes added to the grandeur of the production, adding visual layers that elevated the storytelling. Lighting even interacted with set design, enhancing the physical world of the play by giving texture, depth, or even magical realism to the scenes.

I guess in a magnum opus like Jaya, lighting was not just a tool for visibility, but a character in its own right. It brought texture, emotion, and depth to the narrative, guiding the audience through the journey. And I hope it was able to communicate the complex themes and ideas and complement the actors’ performances and the story’s unfolding drama.”

— Lynne Fernandes

Cast: Tirthankar Poddar, Vikrant Chaturvedi, Megan Murray, Asif Ali Beg, Sherrin Varghese, Varun Narayan,

Sunayana Sarkar, Sid Makkar, Girish Sharma, Ujjayinee Roy, Shagun Trisal, Vernon D'szouza, Mehmood Curmally & others

Duration: 2 hours plus 15 minutes of interval.

Tickets at INR 499 onwards.

Available online.

December 15, 4.30 pm & 7.30 pm.

At Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall, Chetpet.

Email: rupam@newindianexpress.com

X: @rupsjain