A stirring reimagination of Sita as a warrior queen through a powerful confluence of classical Indian art forms.
A packed audience in the Thrissur Regional Theatre, held its breath and burst into intermittent applause while watching the 70- minute ‘Sita’, presented by the Navaneetham Cultural Trust recently.
Never before a play has embraced such a tapestry of performing arts including Kalarippayattu, Kathakali, Bharatanatyam, Kathak and Sattriya which made it a landmark production. The inspiration for creating such a unique show has been Amish Tripati’s famous work, ‘Sita – Warrior of Mithila’.
Widely known for his mythological fictions, Amish has etched an unconventional image of Sita, known more as an obedient wife of Rama.
Conceived and directed by Belraj Soni, himself an accomplished Kalarippayattu artiste and Guru, Sita emerges as an able ruler, a trained warrior, a strategist and a visionary in this play.
The play begins with the entry of Sunaina, the would-be mother of Sita and her Sakhi in the garden. As the childless Sunaina conducts Siva puja, she hears the cry of a baby tucked under the wings of vulture. Responding to the request of Sunaina, the bird gives the baby to her. An overjoyed Sunaina disappears from the scene.
Dance, drama, and daring duels
Sita’s entry in the next scene unfolds through an evocative Bharatanatyam sequence, where her intrinsic virtues are vividly portrayed through intricate jatis.
Sita, Samichi (her confidante and Ravana’s adopted daughter), and Jatayu appear next in a martial training scene using the ottakkol of Kalarippayattu—a vehement demonstration of strength and agility.
Sita’s acumen as a ruler is also highlighted as she efficiently solves the country’s challenges. Samichi, entrusted with the safety of Mithila, continues to display remarkable dexterity in martial art.
Ravana’s entry is all fury, arrogance and physical strength . Samichi prostrates before him and receives his blessings, foreshadowing complex allegiances.
Rama’s appearance, his handling of the Thrayambakam bow, and his marriage to Sita are next. The jubilant village folk join the couple in celebration. Watching this from afar, an enraged Ravana storms in wielding his ven mazhu (white axe). But Sita, matching him in fury, counters with the same weapon in an awe-inspiring fight.
As Ravana nears defeat, Rama steps in with his bow, forcing Ravana to retreat. But Sita, sensing an incomplete justice, is disappointed.
A quiet moment of romance between Rama and Sita follows, set in the depths of the forest—arguably the only tender interlude in the otherwise action-packed narrative.
The clash between Soorpanakha and Sita in the next scene is a standout. Sita, unyielding, disfigures her attacker with the very knife intended to kill her.
Outraged by his sister’s plight, Ravana charges forward, only to be intercepted by Jatayu. In a heart-wrenching moment, Ravana slashes the bird’s wings. As Jatayu dies in Sita’s lap, she prepares for the final confrontation.
Ravana enters again, all fire and vengeance, with his army. In a clever twist, Samichi disguises herself as Sita to protect her, allowing Ravana to abduct the wrong woman after a fierce kettukari fight.
A dispirited yet resolute Sita reappears, hurling a spear at Ravana and eventually kicking him down. Twice she’s about to strike again, and twice Samichi intervenes.
A finale of fire and light
A commendable feature of the presentation is the use of light to highlight the actions as well as the change of the scenes. Further the whole play is performed with captivating instrumental music in the absence of any lyrics. Both Shymon Cheladu (lights) and P K Sunilkumar (Music) deserve special mention.
As for the cast, director Belraj appeared very choosy. Each one has exhibited their artistry to the hilt. They included Rutuja Kumar Marne (Sita), Kalamandalam Neeraj (Ravana), Dilna Sreedhar (Samichi), Kalamandalam Nimisha (Soorpanakha), Vinita Venugopal (Lalitha), Kalamandalam Ashik (Rama), Prajil Kumar(Jatayu), Aditi Tamuly
(Susaina) and Shirali Shah (Susaina’s Sakhi). T V Balakrishnan was the theatre-consultant.
