A Ramayana show with
a difference?

By K G Suresh?

Notwithstanding the cultural invasion by West inspired television programmes and copycat entertainment models spread all over, the ancient epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata continue to enthral audiences and inspire generations even to this day.

If  Andha Yug, a period drama based on the aftermath of Mahabharata war and set in the backdrop of the Ferozeshah Kotla ruins was a runaway hit among Delhiites last month, the  Glimpses of Ramayana  show performed by the talented artists of ‘Nrityakirtanam’  in the capital last week left the elite audience asking for more.

The live show showcased Sri Ram and the entire Ramayana in its most entertaining and engaging form. The group, whose talents have been widely acclaimed, was established by the well known Bharatanatyam artist and creative performer Rahul Sinha, who had started learning Bharatanatyam at the age of four.

Nrityakirtanam has on its rolls more than 150 aspiring artists, who are experts in Kuchipudi, ballet and other forms of creative performances. The group has performed in more than hundred shows in different parts of the country.

Inaugurating the show, noted film actress Smt Poonam Dhillon expressed concern over the decreasing focus of film and soap opera makers on historical stories. “The trend of television serials and films has shifted from historical figures and has confined to Sas-bahu type serials for which TRP and financials are  the main reason. But there is a great scope for more innovative approaches and new experiments in Indian epics,” said Smt  Dhillon.