Bhima

Bhima
Language: English
Devised and performed by: Vivek Vijayakumaran and Sachin Gurjale
Directed by: Anitha Santhanam
Drawing 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).
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