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 The 45th Vikram Sarabhai International Arts Festival - Bijoy Shivram e-mail: bijoyshivram@gmail.com Photos: Puniya January 3, 2025 The 45th Vikram Sarabhai International Arts Festival unfurled in spectacular fashion on Dec 28, 2024 with the premiere of Meanwhile Elsewhere, a theatrical masterpiece that transcends the boundaries of cultural, linguistic, and conceptual realms. Directed by Mallika Sarabhai and Yadavan Chandran, this Indo-Italian collaboration is a luminous testament to the power of art to unite and elevate disparate traditions. Sponsored by Nexon Tiles and an Italian company based in Morbi, the production bears the imprimatur of international partnership while remaining deeply rooted in its Indian ethos.   Meanwhile Elsewhere Drawing inspiration from Italo Calvino's seminal work Invisible Cities, the play breathes life into the profound dialogue between the legendary Venetian explorer Marco Polo and the enigmatic Mongol emperor Kublai Khan. Through Polo's poetic descriptions of fantastical cities, the narrative embarks on a philosophical odyssey - an exploration of the interplay between human existence, the fluidity of language, the constructs of culture, and the intangible threads of imagination. In a brilliant feat of intellectual and artistic synthesis, Yadavan intertwines these themes with elements of contemporary Indian life, creating a symbiotic cultural fusion that is both intellectually exhilarating and emotionally resonant. The play's multilingual nature - spanning English, Italian, Hindi, Gujarati, and Malayalam - reflects the diverse, kaleidoscopic world that it seeks to portray, each language offering a distinct lens through which the audience may engage with the narrative. The choice to embrace such linguistic multiplicity is not merely a stylistic flourish, but a deliberate commentary on the fluidity of communication and the vastness of human experience.   Meanwhile Elsewhere In its visual and thematic richness, Meanwhile Elsewhere conjures a series of metaphorical cities, each one a bold reflection of the human condition. The city that repeats three times, its temperature fluctuating with each iteration, evokes the cyclical nature of time and the emotional oscillations that define our lives. The city of Raissa is a haunting, choreographed depiction of emotional paradox, where dance becomes a vessel for the simultaneous exploration of sorrow and joy, light and dark. The city of Valdrada, with its mirror-like reflection, contemplates the tension between illusion and reality, while Leonia - reminiscent of the waste-riddled streets of Pirana in Ahmedabad - holds up a stark mirror to the excesses and environmental decay of modernity. Zubaide, a place inhabited solely by men, raises poignant questions about gender and societal structures, while Adelma, a city of the dead, whispers the existential mysteries of life and death. And, in a brilliant abstraction, a city represented by a chessboard becomes a vivid metaphor for the grand strategies and inevitable conflicts that shape our existence.   Meanwhile Elsewhere The grand scale of the production - boasting a 35-member ensemble cast, including Mallika Sarabhai and luminaries such as Hridayanath Gharekan, Nisarg Trivedi, Sarvesh Sridhar, Lucrezia Maniscotti, Manini Chakraborty, Penelope Deen, and Gaurang Anand - imbues Meanwhile Elsewhere with an immersive, almost otherworldly intensity. The intricate choreography, the breath-taking visual design, and the potent emotional undercurrents coalesce to form an experience that is at once cerebral and visceral. While the sheer scale of the production, the extraordinary execution and visionary ambition of Yadavan ensure that Meanwhile Elsewhere will remain etched in the annals of theatrical history as a defining moment of the festival. A work of rare depth and beauty, it not only expands the boundaries of performance art but also invites audiences to reflect on the vast, interconnected web of human existence, culture, and imagination - a truly monumental contribution to the global theatrical landscape.  Mallika Sarabhai in 'A Tale of Heroes and Gods' On the second day of the 45th Vikram Sarabhai International Arts Festival, the performance A Tale of Heroes and Gods unfolded like a dream, a poetic confluence of cultures that breathed new life into the art of storytelling. It was a masterful symphony of sound and vision, where the traditions of Western and Indian music embraced, each amplifying the other in a seamless blend of harmony and contrast. The stage came alive with unique instruments from both worlds - each note, each rhythm a testament to the universality of music as a language of the soul. One of the most striking elements of the evening was the interplay of voices. The deep, resonant tones of the female vocalist reverberated through the space like the steady heartbeat of the earth, grounding the audience in its richness. Opposing this, the male artist's soaring high notes seemed to pierce the heavens, carrying the listener into realms of awe and wonder. Together, their voices created a soundscape that was both dynamic and profoundly emotional, a delicate dance of opposites that spoke to the dualities of life itself.  At the core of this mesmerizing experience was Mallika Sarabhai's spellbinding interpretation of the Mahabharata. Through her singular vision, the ancient epic was transformed into a cosmic narrative - a celestial game where gods shaped the destinies of men through endless cycles of creation and destruction. Time itself became a character in her retelling, an omnipresent force that guided, constrained, and propelled the story forward. This framing offered a fresh perspective on the timeless tale, inviting the audience to ponder the inevitability of fate and the cyclical nature of existence. Edoardo Catemario's musical genius provided the perfect accompaniment to Sarabhai's narrative. His compositions were a symphonic force, alternating between moments of intense grandeur and delicate intimacy. The music underscored every twist of the tale, amplifying its emotional depth and driving its momentum. Each arrangement was crafted with care, evoking a spectrum of feelings that ranged from the tender to the transcendent.  The production was further enriched by the participation of 18 exceptionally talented musicians. Each brought their unique artistry to the performance, weaving an intricate and vibrant sonic tapestry that enveloped the audience. Their synergy and precision elevated the production, making it a true celebration of collective creativity and cultural fusion. This innovative reimagining of the Mahabharata was more than just a performance - it was an odyssey. It blurred the boundaries between past and present, mythology and reality, individual and universal. By melding the ancient with the contemporary, it invited the audience to see the epic through new eyes, to find relevance in its timeless themes, and to connect with the deeper truths it reveals about the human experience. As the final notes faded into silence, the audience was left in a state of quiet reverence - a testament to the transformative power of art. This was not merely an evening of entertainment; it was a journey of discovery, a vivid reminder of how stories, music, and performance can transcend time and space to touch the very core of our being.  Bijoy Shivram is an accomplished Indian classical dancer trained in Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi. A passionate promoter of the arts and a skilled graphic designer, he currently serves as the Vice Principal of JG College of Performing Arts and the Assistant Director (Operations) overseeing 17 JG colleges. He is also the founder of Preksha, an organization dedicated to the promotion of art and culture in Ahmedabad. Since 2020, Bijoy has curated the YouTube series 'Gurudakshina - An Ode to our Gurus,' celebrating the legacy of mentorship and tradition. |
