Indian playwright and author Bhisam Sahni’s adaptation of the famous tale from the Mahabharata, Madhavi, translated into Nepali and directed by Tanka  Chaulagain, is currently on at the Shilpee Theatre in the Capital. The play has been presented by Theatre Pragya.

The play is based on the classic tale from the Mahabharata where masculine egos are rampant and misogyny is commonplace—women are treated as if they are inanimate objects.

Theatre Pragya’s rendition of the epic tale of love, lust and egos lives up to its source material and, if anything, only adds to further the narrative. Madhavi is charming to sit through and with is flawless execution punches well above its weight.

At the onset, we are greeted by religious chants, transporting the audience to the bygone days where the play is set. The ambience is lifted by the smell of incents, and the set, one of the most creative designs I have seen in recent times, foreshadows what is to come. The set—shaped like a swastika and with an Om sign placed centre-stage—not only works as a multi-chambered regal palace but also sums up the motifs the play revolves around.

In King Yayati’s palace, a yagya is taking place. Hence the all-enveloping smoke. Priests are chanting lines. Enter the lead character, Munikumar Ghalab (played by Ghimire Yubaraj), and the story lurches forward—the rest is a rollercoaster tail-spin. Ghalab is in  big trouble. He once insisted to his guru King Vishvamitra that he would present him with whatever gurudakshina he wished for. The guru wants a total of 800 Ashwamedhi horses from Ghalab. Then starts Ghalab’s desperate quest to meet his promise; which is why he happens to visit King Yayati’s palace. Yayati, renowned across the state for his generosity, informs Ghalab that he has no horses, but instead he vows to give him his daughter, the beautiful Madhavi, who may help him get what he wants.

Bewitched by Madhavi’s grace and charm, Ghalab quickly falls in love. But love is not what is important for him at the moment, it is the gurudakhsina. Putting his own desires on hold, Ghalab embarks on another odyssey to collect the horses. Fate leads him to King Haryescha’s palace. They make a deal: Haryescha (played by Pradeep Regmi) will keep Madhavi for a year until she gives birth to a son and in exchange Ghalab will get 200 Ashwamedhi horses. One year later, once Madhavi has been released, Ghalab makes yet another deal with King Divodaas (played by Saroj Aryal). (It’s interesting to watch how Aryal plays his role. It might remind you of his role in last year’s Sandaju Ko Mahabharat. He is the same mean, stingy guy, and here he is also the lecherous King.)

After yet another deal with King Tapak, Ghalab collects 600 horses. Madhavi is free and back with him, but that is the least of his concerns. The prospect of his failure to fulfilling the gurudakshina nauseates him. It is then that Madhavi visits King Vishvamitra and asks the king to take her and forgive Ghalab.

The text, an interpretation of an episode from the Mahabharata, boasts parallels to modern times as well. Theatre Pragya’s rendition not only lives up to the original text but perhaps also enlivens it. The credit goes to its stellar cast—comprising seasoned actors such as Ghimire Yubaraj, Ram KAC, Saroj Aryal, Archana Panthi, Pradeep Regmi, Sabin Kattel, Kishor Kumar Chaulagain and Jeevan Baral. The cast has been very thoughtfully chosen and they live up to the director’s vision.

It’s the lead, Ghimire Yubaraj, shines through the play. His role as a self-obsessed, arrogant Ghalab could not have been carried out better. Archana Panthi as Madhavi is also as vibrant but she could have done better had she given some effort in adjusting her dialogues and demeanour to the shifting themes.

All in all, Theatre Pragya’s Madhavi comes as a much-needed treat for the Capital’s theatregoers. It has got almost all the elements that make theatres entertaining: sumptuous sets, vibrant acting and a stellar theme.