ಸತ್ತವರ ನೆರಳು - ನಾಟಕ, ೫೦೬ನೇ ಪ್ರದರ್ಶನ.

The Theatre group, BeNaKa (Bengaluru Nagara Kalavidaru) celebrated three-day festival in memory of Late B V Karanth, theatre personality on 19th, 20th and 21st Sept 2014 at Ravindra Kalakshetra, Bengaluru. It was to celebrate his 85th birthday, tagged "B V KARANTH-85, RANGOTSAVA"

"Sattavara Neralu" (Shadow of the dead) Drama, Play wright: G B. Joshi, Directed by B V Karanth was presenting its 506th edition by BeNaKa artists headed by Director T. S Nagabharana. on the last day of the festvities. The 2 hour play is brilliantly presented on stage with number of songs from PurandaraDasa and powerful delivery of dialogues by the artists including Nagabharana. As it was concluding day of the 3-day festival and it was Sunday, the auditorium was packed to the capacity. Luckily we reached 6pm for 7pm show and bought Rs 50.00 tickets and doors were not open and a long line of theatre enthusiasts waiting. 

VRINDAVANA....

Sattavara Neralu shakes the stable philosophical base and intellectually inquires into the eternally rooted and firm beliefs in our society.
Narayana is forcibly pulled into Sanyasa and made seer of a Mutt. A ventri vogue of king maker Krishnacharya, Diwan of the Mutt, seer is ashamed of his pretentious celibacy unable to suppress his un-satiated worldly desires and suffering the onslaught of intellectuals thronging at Mutt seeking philosophical and spiritual clarity subjected to scrutiny and judgement.
Diwan manages to send seer on a pilgrimage and receives news that seer moved heavenward. Diwan immediately builds a Vrindavan in the name of the deceased seer and carries on Mutt activities many years. But seer turned Narayana, actually alive, returns to confront Diwan, Diwan manages to maintain that dead seer is in Vrindavan. Frustrated seer reversed to mortal Narayana threatens to reveal the truth, but incorrigible Diwan challenges that devotees would blindly believe what they practice for ages in deference to and total disbelief of what is blabbered by Narayana because mortal Narayana is now bereft of the seer in him.

BeNaKa Kalavidaru

The timely lyrics of Purandara dasa literature like "illiralaare allige hogalaare","kurudu naayi santhege banthanthe","aachaaravilladha naalige","aadhadhella oLithe aayithu","Donku baaladha naayakare","Lolalotte" to suit the mood of play enlivens Sattavara neraLu's theme
.

with T S Nagabharana

It was a brilliant presentation of songs and dialogues and stage play. Khudos to BeNaKa artists, Bengaluru.
written Monday 22nd September 2014, 5.30am