Bhima

BhimaSunday, 22nd November, 6.00 p.m. - 7.10 p.m.Language: EnglishAbout the PerformanceDrawing inspiration from Ashok Malhotra’s Child Man, MT Vasudevan Nair’s Randamoozham, and Jeanette Winterson’s Weight, this play explores the paradoxes and ironies in the life of the second Pandava, Bhima.Who is Bhima? What is his hunger? Who feeds it? What are the choices available to a hero? What is the fate of a strong man in contemporary times? These are some of the questions around which the key narrative of the play evolves. What is his relevance to contemporary life? Would his version of masculinity be acceptable in today’s world?If Bhima were to live today, who would he be — a loyal middle-management warrior who is the engine of the company but never its CEO? A family man who defines himself only in terms of roles — the breadwinner, the husband, the son — who will do anything for his family? Or does he exist as an individual beyond these roles? Does society look after its Bhimas, or is it only Arjuna we want?Contrasting the Koodiyattam form with contemporary dialogue and commentary, using music and poetry as interventions, Bhima re-examines a version of masculinity and its interaction with modernity.Bhima won the Best Innovative Sound Design award for Sachin Gurjale at the 2017 Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META).Cast Devised and performed by: Vivek Vijayakumaran and Sachin GurjaleCrewConcept: Vivek VijayakumaranDirection: Anitha SanthanamText: Sachin Gurjale, Vivek Vijayakumaran, Ajith Lal, Swetanshu Bora and Anitha SanthanamCostume: Surabhi Vasisht and Aruna MPoster Design: Pratyush SinghLighting Designer: Manju NarayanProduction Manager: Robin JoeAbout the ArtistsVivek VijayakumaranVivek Vijayakumaran is a Bengaluru-based theatre director, actor, and pedagogue with over 15 years of experience in performance, embodied research, and actor training. Trained under masters including Heisnam Kanhailal, Guru G. Venu, and at the Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski and Thomas Richards, his practice integrates traditional Indian performance frameworks like Navarasa with contemporary physical theatre. His paper on his pedagogy of training contemporary actors in Navarasas has been selected for publication.As Artistic Director of Our Theatre Collective and Studio, Vivek leads experimental, research-driven performance initiatives. His original stage work includes directing the contemporary physical theatre piece The Thumb and acclaimed productions like IT IS YOU. He has acted in the feature film, Pada. Vivek has served as visiting faculty at Drama School Mumbai and Azim Premji University, and trained over 300 performers in India. He was named one of Forbes India’s 12 Boundary-Pushing Theatre Innovators.Sachin GurjaleSachin Gurjale is a theatre practitioner, drummer and sound designer and has been active in the Bengaluru cultural scene for over two decades. Sachin’s collaboration in the Bhima project dates back to 2014 when he travelled with Vivek to Iranjalakuda to study the role of the Mizhavu in a Koodiyattam performance under the guidance of Kalamandalam Rajeev. With this perspective, he designed a percussive score for Bhima that brought his own influence of the African djembe and other urban folk instruments.Anitha SanthanamAnitha Santhanam is a seasoned theatre and movement practitioner based in Bengaluru. Holding the embodied imagination as its core, her creative work spans performance, direction and teaching. She was part of the core faculty team at Drama School Mumbai (2022-2024), faculty of Integral Theatre on the FECAT program at SMART (2013-2022) and an artist-in-residence at the Srishti Manipal institute of Art, Design and Technology Bengaluru (2009-2013).Anitha is also a two-time awardee of the Charles Wallace India Trust scholarship through which she trained in actor-created theatre and the Lecoq pedagogy at LISPA London, under the mentorship of Thomas Pratkki.During her time in London, Anitha also trained with ARTIS education to facilitate integrated arts-in-education programs in schools and with JABADAO in developmental movement play for children. She is a trained Bharatanatyam performer and holds a diploma in Choreography from NIKC, Bengaluru.Photo Credits: Bharath TiwariAbout the FestivalPLAYINTERPLAY is a theatre festival with a difference. It celebrates 50 years of the Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation, bringing together its theatre awardees and scholars to show their work, share their experiences, skills and learnings, and converse on matters of common interest.PLAYINTERPLAY presents plays that are new to Bengaluru. What is different, however, is that it looks back as well as forward, featuring a work of theatre that has been specially revived for the festival and readings of plays that are still to become the finished article.PLAYINTERPLAY does more: it forges connections between its constituent parts — performances, workshops, conversations and experience sharing — emphasising the interplay between thought, learning and practice.See the plays! Apply for the workshops! Join the conversations! Soak in the magic of theatre.About the Artistic Director Anmol Vellani is the founder and former executive director of India Foundation for the Arts, the first independent philanthropic organisation in India devoted exclusively to supporting the arts. He is also the co-founder of Toto Funds the Arts, which nurtures, encourages and rewards new voices and emerging talent in the arts.Anmol did not, however, aspire to become a professional in the field of philanthropy. His early fascination was with the arts, especially theatre and music, and also philosophy, which he studied at the Universities of Poona, Oxford and Cambridge. He taught ethics, logic and the history of philosophy at Elphinstone College, Mumbai, in the 1970s.His writing and talks — on arts entrepreneurship, the creative economy, cultural policy, the role of grant-making foundations, culture and development, arts collaboration and the performing arts, for example — have reflected on the insights he has gleaned from his long engagement with the arts and philanthropy.Anmol has been associated with nearly 50 plays as a director, designer or actor. He has directed theatre productions in different languages and cities. His last two plays — Innocence (2024) and Apne Ghar Jaisa (2022) — have been lauded for their sharp and critical look at contemporary social and political realities in India.