Guru-shishya’s woven friendship of Sita and Draupadi

CHENNAI: Female friendships are powerful. They are powerful enough to reform lives and shape the narrative of the society. How often do we celebrate such narratives with an ode to female friendships? Famed tales have always been narrated through the voice and stance of the powerful. Indian mythologies, for instance, have predominantly glorified male characters.

Can we canvas Sita, who was born from earth, and Draupadi, born from the flames, face-to-face in a conversation about their lives, told through their voices? Well, dancers Jyotsna Shourie and Aneesha Grover from the Keelaka Dance Company certainly have.

“Sakhi is a unique amalgam of Bharatanatyam, contemporary dance and numerous other art forms, which will take the audiences of Chennai on an extraordinary journey as the two relive their stories through live dialogue and dance,” elucidates Jyotsna Shourie, who has directed Sakhi.

The tale of Keelaka Dance Company located in New Delhi is not so different. It was woven from the friendship of the Guru-shishya pair, Jyotsna Shourie and Aneesha Grover earlier this year. In the Bharatanatyam mudras, Keelaka denotes ‘love’ or ‘friendship’.

“I was seven when I met Jyotsna ma’am. This must have been back in 1995,” recounts Aneesha. “I vividly remember meeting her. It was my first class at Jyotsna Shourie Dance Society. She was the most welcoming guru, who has been committed to her art for over six decades now,” she adds. Jyotsna and Aneesha have cherished their Guru-shishya bond, moreover best of friends for over 30 years.

The core value of their partnership lies in the aim to make Bharatanatyam accessible to newer audiences without compromising on the intricacy and complexity of the art form. Jyotsna highlights, “We direct ourselves to tell ancient stories through a modern lens by experimenting with different storytelling formats, blending different art forms, and incorporating diverse theatrical elements. At our core, we believe in creativity, collaboration, and progression, while creating an ecosystem that empowers dancers at all levels.”

How would Sita describe her abduction at the hands of Ravana? Would Draupadi describe the Mahabharata differently if given the chance? Sakhi aims at finding answers to these questions.

Though Sita and Draupadi lived in different eras, they lived very similar lives. They both had miraculous births, both even spent time in exile. Fire was central to their storylines- Draupadi was born from a sacrificial fire, whereas Sita went through an agnipareeksha to prove her chastity. As a result, Sita is seen as a symbol of purity, and Draupadi, labelled as fiery and aggressive.

“Draupadi’s multiple roles as wife to five husbands, queen, and as a woman wronged by the Kauravas reflects her multifaceted nature showing that a woman can embody both compassion and strength. Sita symbolises loyalty to her husband and the quiet strength that comes from living according to one’s principles even in the face of immense suffering. Together, both portray powerful and complementary images of womanhood which was what I wanted to capture through the drama,” says Jyotsna.

Their stories show that duty and righteousness are not always straightforward, but require personal sacrifice and sometimes even a defiance of societal norms.

Aneesha opines, “While scripting, we couldn’t help but wonder if this fire is symbolic of a patriarchal society that has molded these two women into ‘ideal’. If we really think about it- Sita lived in the treta yuga, Draupadi in the dvapara yuga, and we are in the kali yuga. But we continue to be moulded and labelled, often answerable to society as women.”

How beautiful would it be to explore the Ramayana and Mahabharata through the eyes of Sita and Draupadi? And what better way to recite their stories in a candid manner than to make them friends?

“Hence, we have used artistic license to place them on the same stage and exchange their stories through their voices. So many nuances of these great epics would come to light if these two extraordinary women were to narrate the epics from their point of view,” she adds.

Sakhi will see Sita played by Aneesha herself, Nandita Kalaan portraying Draupadi, who is also a well-trained Bharatnatyam dancer. Joe Mathew will play Lord Rama, who has incorporated contemporary and various other dance forms in his choreography. Sagar Vashisht plays Ravana, while Aadya Jain will be seen as the Hanuman, and Benjamin Jacob, in his portrayal of Arjuna.

Having staged Sakhi in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, the team is all set to perform in Chennai on October 18, starting from 7 pm, at Medai- The Stage, Alwarpet.