Kalyani Kalamandalam’s latest play, Meyeder Mahabharat (meanin women’s Mahabharata), written & directed by renowned thespian Shubhashis Gangopadhyay, focuses on the female characters of the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata.
Women are always deprived from everything. The same happens even in the case of the female characters of world’s greatest epic. The play, trying to interpret the epic in a new light, revolves around the almost unknown stories of the five mothers (Angana, Radha, Nishada Mother, Hidimba and Gandhari) who are relatively sidelined in the Mahabharata.
Here’s a brief description of each of the five characters mentioned above:
1. Angana: Angana is not a very prominent character in the Mahabharata. She was the wife of Sage Brihaspati, who was the preceptor of the devas (gods). She is not extensively mentioned in the epic.
2. Radha: Radha is the foster mother of Karna, not his birth mother. Although Kunti is his birth mother, Karna grows up believing that he is the son of Adhiratha and Radha. Kunti, as a young girl, was given a boon that allowed her to invoke any deity and have a child by them. Curious about the power of the boon, she invoked Surya, the Sun God, and Karna was born to her. Due to societal norms and personal circumstances, Kunti decided to place Karna in a basket and set him afloat in a river. He was found and raised by a charioteer couple, Adhiratha and Radha, who raised him as their own son. This complex family dynamic is a significant aspect of Karna’s character in the Mahabharata.
3. Nishada mother: This refers to the the mother of the five tribal brothers who were killed in the house of lac (Jatugriha) by the Kauravas. The incident involves the Kauravas inviting the Pandavas to stay in a palace made of lac in the city of Varanavata. The palace was designed to be set on fire, with the intention of killing the Pandavas. However, the Pandavas, guided by their uncle Vidura, manage to escape the burning palace and go into hiding. However, the Nishada brothers, who were invited by Kunti in the palace, were planfully made caught in the fire and thus lost their lives.
4. Hidimba: Hidimba is a rakshasi (demoness) princess mentioned in the Mahabharata. She falls in love with Bhima, second of the five Pandava brothers, and their union leads to the birth of Ghatotkacha, a powerful warrior.
5. Gandhari: Gandhari is a prominent character and the queen of Hastinapura. She is married to Dhritarashtra, the blind king. She is known for her devotion and her decision to blindfold herself in solidarity with her husband, even though she could see.
These characters are often not given as much attention as some of the other well-known figures, mostly male characters, in the Mahabharata, but their stories carry significant cultural and moral messages. The play Meyeder Mahabharat focuses on exploring these lesser-known stories and perspectives within the epic.
