From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Nov 19: To mark the golden jubilee of the Jnanapith award winner’s play ‘Sri Ramayana Darshanam’ by renowned writer Kuppali Venkatappa Puttappa, popularly known as Kuvempu, the state-run theatre repertory Nataka-Karnataka Rangayana has produced four and half hour long play.

The play was staged for four shows at Bhoomigeeta auditorium of Rangayana from November 15 and response was overwhelming. With a view to reach out the ambitious play to Bengalureans, Rangayana will be staging the play for two-days at Ravindra Kalakshetra on November 23 and 24.

The play will be inaugurated by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and online booking will from Tuesday.

“While 50% of tickets will be reserved for online booking and rest will be sold across the counter,’’ said N.R Vishu Kumar, Director Department of Kannada and Culture. Rangayana.

After the Bahuroopi theatre festival of Rangayana, the repertory will tour across the state and stage the play.

Sri Ramayana Darshanam is the major production of the kind, after nine-hour Malegalalli Madumagalu directed by C Basavalingaiah.

Rangayana, which staged Kindarijogi of Kuvemu-its first production is staging Sri Ramayana Darshanam to mark its 30th year of existence.

According to K G Mahabaleshwar, who directed the play; the total time duration of the play is five hours including interval of 15-minutes and over 90 plus artistes essays various characters of epic work of Kuvempu.

"To abridge 900-page work with 20,000 lines to 110 pages with 2000 lines was really a big task. It took some three months to read, learn and internalise the verse of the work. We asked K G Mahabaleshwar, an exponent in adapting classics to theatre and renowned scholar in linguistics to direct the play,’’ said Vishukumar.

Refusing to term the work as Halegannada style, Mahabaleshwar classified it as; "Kuvempu Kannada".

On the importance of the play, Mahabaleshwar said, ``the play is not only about the known things of Ramayana. It depicts conflict of three cultures of Ramayana time; civilised Aryan, native culture of forest and glorified rich culture of Lanka.’’

"Audience can experience Rama without a bow (Billu) Hanuma without a tail (Bala). They can have a slice of civilised, tribal and Srilankan culture through authentic costume and music (Ravi Murur)and theatre design by artist H K Dwarakanath,’’ said Jagadish Manevarte organiser of Rangayana.