As the Prithvi Theatre Festival kicks off tomorrow (November 5), a Hindi presentation called Rashomon Blues may be of particular interest to many theatre aficionados. A stage adaptation of Akira Kurosawa’s classic 1950 Japanese film Rashomon, the act has been staged across many countries as an English opera.
But what’s special for Indian viewers is that the play will be among the first Hindi productions to be staged in the musical format. Produced by Ranga Theatre, and under the direction of Bijon Mondal, Roshoman Blues aims to raise profound questions and concerns about humanity in a civilised society. It revolves around a sword fighter and his wife, who are assaulted by a notorious criminal, which results in rape and a murder.
“This play depicts today’s world, which is characterised by the lack of truth and degradation of morality. We have been working on the modernisation of this classic drama for over six years to make it comprehensible and relevant for today’s generation,” says Mondal, adding that while he has retained the core message of the classic, he has also taken it to a different level with the help of contemporary fusion music and language. “I am glad the original survived for so long. We have tried to expand its reach by giving it a little twist in the form of a Hindi musical,” he says.
The lyrics and voice are by Salone Mehta, who is also part of the cast. The play also features actors Nagesh Bhosle, Kirti Kulhari, Vineet Sharma, Shreyas Pandit, Shailesh Singh, Samiksha Bhatnagar and Ritika Murthy.
The music, which is the highlight of the production, along with the sound designing, is by Rohit Das and Gautam Dhanu respectively.
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