‘Otta-Nilanilpinte Pratishtham’ to be staged by Thudippu – a human collective at Kerala Arts and Crafts Village in Thiruvananthapuram
‘Otta-Nilanilpinte Pratishtham’ to be staged by Thudippu – a human collective at Kerala Arts and Crafts Village in Thiruvananthapuram
When you are pushed over the edge, you resist. How resilience becomes a tool for survival is the motto of ‘Otta – Neelanilappinte Pratishtam’. , Thudippu – A dance-theatre production by A Human Collective. The Kochi-based group will premiere their production today at Kerala Arts and Crafts Village (KACV), Kovalam as part of the International Dance Festival.
‘Ota’ Founded three years ago by Ponnu Sanjeev, Anjali Krishnadas and Divakaran Aravind, Thudippu is the first independent production. While Ponnu and Anjali are disciples of veteran Mohiniyattam dancer Kanaka Relay, Aravind is a kalari businessman.
Scene from dance-theatre production ‘Otta’ | photo credit: special arrangement
The story revolves around three characters from the Mahabharata – Bhima, one of the Pandavas, Hidimbi, the demon whom he marries during his exile in the forest, and Ghatotkacha, his son, and how they manage their lives both internally and externally. fight the fight. When Bhima leaves Hidimbi in the forest, she herself brings Ghatotkacha. Later, Ghatotkacha joins his father in the battle of Kurukshetra against the Kauravas, wreaking havoc on the enemies before being killed. Ponnu, Anjali and Aravind play the three lead characters.
inner turmoil
“We explore the minds of the three characters. Almighty Bhima is humble; he is indecisive about leaving Hidimbi and goes through a series of emotions when he first meets his son on the battlefield. Meanwhile Hidimbi is in love with Bhima, even though he has killed her brother Hidimba. A strong woman, she brings up Ghatotkacha herself. Growing up in the forest with her mother, Ghatotkacha fears going to another world, where she Going to meet my father for the first time,” says Anjali.
While the characters of Bhima and Hidimbi are presented through Mohiniyattam, Ghatolkacha is staged through Kalaripayattu. “We have used this mix of how Kalaripayattu conditions an actor’s body and his fighting techniques. In the Mohiniyattam segment, we have moved away from the traditional lasya-oriented format,” says Anjali.
Scene from dance-theatre production ‘Otta’ | photo credit: special arrangement
She further says that the inspiration for ‘Otta’ came from a temple dedicated to Hidimbi in Manali, Himachal Pradesh. “He is like a guardian angel to the devotees. In ‘Otta’ we have tried to show that she is no ordinary woman. But the work is not just about these three characters and their struggle. It is dedicated to the communities that are fighting for survival. We are talking about how they use resilience as their weapon when those in power are cut off from social, political and cultural spaces,” she explains.
The 25-minute production has lyrics and dialogues by Ganesh Malayath and music by Vishnu Shivshankar.
, ‘Otta’ will be staged at KACV, Kovalam today at 7.30 pm.