Director Arundhati Raja’s play Bali: The Sacrifice makes a return to the stage
An English adaptation of Girish Karnad’s Kannada classic Hittina Hunja, Bali: The Sacrifice will be performed at Jagriti Theatre on August 30, 31 and September 1
By Reema Gowalla
Back in 2021 when Arundhati Raja-directed Bali: The Sacrifice premiered at Jagriti Theatre, it marked the return of live theatre in Bengaluru after months of ‘everything went online’ in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. An English adaptation of the late Girish Karnad’s 1980 Kannada masterpiece Hittina Hunja, the 90-minute play is a tribute to the legendary playwright. Cut to 2024, Bali is ready for a new round of shows in the city on August 30, 31 and September 1. The latest version promises a fresh perspective, complete with thoughtfully done set design, music and a couple of new cast members.
Varun Kainth and Leenaz Samad Bicha played the king and the queen in the first edition of Bali. They are now replaced by Avinash Muddappa and Swati De respectively. Meanwhile, Mayura Baweja continues in her role as the queen mother and Vivek Vijayakumaran as the mahout. The play is about a king who is caught between his Jain wife, the one who refuses to harm life, and his mother, who believes in sacrificial rites. The narrative focuses on how the king struggles to reconcile his love for the women in his life, his position as a ruler and his faith. Bali takes the audience through a “night of pathos, anger and laughter, unravelling barriers of caste and religious beliefs”.
Known for his work both on stage and screen, it’s Avinash’s first time being part of an Arundhati Raja directorial. Speaking about his experience, the actor said, “I had always wanted to work with Mrs Raja, and Bali provided me with that opportunity. A few years ago, I started reading for a role in one of her plays, but couldn’t continue on it due to a clash of dates. Then suddenly one day out of the blue, she messaged me saying that Jagriti is doing a Karnad play and she wanted me to be a part of it. I instantly said yes, adding that I had been looking forward to working with her. As a director, she knows exactly what she wants and she knows how to get the best out of her actors. Plus, the members of the cast also had the artistic licence to explore and bring out their perspective after reading the character. So in that sense, it’s been an absolute pleasure working with her.”
Describing his character in the play as intense, layered and attractively complicated, Avinash said, “The king was not just a stoic man. When it comes to his emotions, he’s quite vulnerable. To portray these emotions in one stretch, where he almost goes through a roller-coaster ride, is what I found to be very appealing about this character.”
Although premised in a bygone era, one can’t help but notice the play’s timeless value and modern evocations. “Bali is quite a relatable piece. For one, the king is always met with choices while making decisions in his life. While growing up, he was allowed to choose between following his own traditional rituals or converting to Jain Dharma, under which he cannot harm a life and make sacrifices. Later, when he comes to the junction where the play is set, he has to decide whether he wants to forgive his wife or go back to his own religion and rituals. I like how the king is completely influenced by the female characters, and almost all his choices are driven by the two women in his life. In spite of being the head of the kingdom, he doesn’t actually call the shots. He’s always influenced by the female characters. It draws parallels to the present world, where women empowerment is such an important factor,” the actor elaborated.
Meanwhile, Swati — who has previously portrayed the character of Sharmishta in Karnad’s Yayati, another Jagriti production helmed by Arundhati — feels that it’s interesting to play the female roles in his dramas. “I found Sharmishta to be very strong and different. Coming to Bali, I had watched the play in 2021. But when I got the script in my hands this time, I could figure the complexity of this character of the queen. During the first reading session itself, one realises that the queen is going against the flow, because the narrative starts with her having sexual intimacy with a mahout. Later, as I was getting into the character, I understood the aesthetics of a little princess being brought up at her parents’ place, which was all about asking each other riddles and proverbs. Thus, it gives a very different impression of her upbringing and how she perceives lifeform. Then, to be married into a household that believes in animal sacrifice and violence was an absolute turnaround for her, making her feel increasingly lonely and terrified in that setting. She was so cornered and isolated that even a simple tune made her cross boundaries and give in. For her, killing somebody is not nature, but allowing something to grow is natural. That’s something which came out very strongly as I got more into the readings and then started with the rehearsals.”
According to Swati, the script focusses a lot on the aspect of loneliness and the urge to foster and protect human connections, so much so that you stand up for the choices you make irrespective of its consequences. “The lack of understanding among people and absence of empathy that the story talks about is also something very contemporary, I feel. These are the timeless learnings that one may find in Karnad’s writing. While he underlines concerns over religious practices, violence and nonviolence in the play, that the female voice is often not heard is what becomes the focal point of the queen’s character. With all these things, I found this play to be complex, interesting and with a lot of depth,” she explained.
So, how was it joining as new cast members? “In the past, I’ve worked with the former cast members (Varun and Leenaz) in other plays, and I must say that Varun has left me some big shoes to fill. The play is beautifully written and my character is pretty intense. That said, when Swati and I joined the cast, it wasn’t very difficult for us to sync into the piece. The other actors, Vivek and Mayura, were very welcoming. So, we managed to set into our roles and quickly become a team. I sincerely hope that I do justice to Karnad’s writing, and people who come and watch Bali, even if they have seen it before, go back with a different sense of viewing and a whole new perspective on this play,” Avinash said.
Music for the play is composed by Ananth Menon, while Rebecca Spurgeon is in charge of set design and light design is done by Arghya Lahiri. Other members of the crew includes GS Jayanthi (costume design), and Binod Bihari Mishra and J Raj Manoj Kumar as technical support.
Commenting on the set design and music, Swati said, “The set mainly concentrates on the inner sanctum, and it’s beautifully designed by Rebecca. It’s a very sensitive design, done in a simplistic way. This confining inner circle also helps in bringing out a lot of emotions, particularly for the queen’s character who was feeling rather trapped within the royal household. Her role in the family was only to deliver an heir. In that sense, the sanctum sanctorum holds great meaning in the story. On the other hand, Anant’s powerful background score has added to the overall experience of the play. The music complements the script and it stays with you long after you have left the auditorium.”
Catch the shows of Bali: The Sacrifice at Jagriti Theatre on August 30 (7.30pm), August 31 (3.30pm and 7.30pm) and September 1 (3.30pm and 7.30pm). You can book your tickets here.
