Watch this play at Prithvi Theatre that delves into the desires of women in Indian mythology

A play traces the stories of female desires from Indian mythology and narrates them in the form of a dance musical

Every teaching that surrounds desire, trains us to not feel it. Desires are bad; they make us selfish but desire is what forms the crux of human existence. We desire to grow, we desire to live a certain life, and we desire to exist. Writer and director Ulka Puri believes in these maxims.

And while the desires of man have been addressed before, it is the woman who has been shunned for her feelings. Puri realised this during the conference for CoHab (Canada) at Mumbai University that was held several years ago. “I was speaking at the conference about the stories of several women I had known and realised how their desires have been suppressed for years now,” she says. In an effort to bring out similar stories, Puri wrote Ballad of Desires, a dance piece that will soon be performed at Prithvi Theatre.

The play depicts the stories of female desire in an age where women were looked at as holy figures. It speaks of Ahalya, the wife of sage Gautam Muni and her passionate affair with a god; the seduction of Menaka and her love for Vishwamitra; and of several others who were cursed for their desires. “As I was reading these stories, the ambiguity of these emotions came to the surface. Buddha says that desire is the root cause of all misery, and some believe that desire motivates you to reach your goal in life. As I sought all of this, I decided to construct a piece that traces the abstract concepts of desire through the women in our mythology,” Puri reveals.

Ulka Puri

The play, performed by three artistes, has several dance forms that blend together to portray different emotions. “The play is divided into three parts — darkness, water and light. In order to depict that type of darkness, we introduced a Japanese dance form called Butoh. Butoh has firm and grotesque moves that fit in with the theme. We have selected the dance forms according to the theme and not created the play according to the dance forms,” The director has also used poems by renowned writers like Pablo Neruda to represent the emotions within the story. “With simple language, we hope to make this play relatable and enjoyable for the younger audiences as well,” Puri hopes. 

On: May 9; 8 pm 
At: Prithvi Theatre, Juhu. 
Log on to: in.bookmyshow.com
Cost: Rs 350

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