Curtain Raiser Press Release
Theatre performance Khasakkinte Ithihasam – The Legends of Khasak
Jaipur, 24 March: The post-modern novel of O.V.Vijayan—‘The Legend of Khasak’ will be revived on stage for the first time in North India tomorrow. The event will take place as a part of the Performing Arts Festival — Navras. Directed by Deepan Sivaraman, the play which has been worked on by more than a hundred people, is continuation of on-going experiments of making theatre an immersive experience for its audiences. Deepan kept the fragmented narrative structure of the original novel by creating a layered dramatisation.
Deepan uses multiple narrative methods such as video, space, smell and object dramatization in the performance. The act fuses native religious rituals and native art forms and is the culmination of three months of a theatre camp for regional artists. Muted tunes, silenced slogans and an unbroken harmony united the whole village into theatre. The characters of Khasak – Allapicha Mollakka, Maimuna, Appukili, Naizam Ali, Kuttandan Pushari and Ravi meet the spectators in an aesthetically subverted, politically deconstructed, surreal space.
Deepan said “While the production process of Khasak took about six months to complete, it took about 15 years to process in my mind. It was an extra ordinary journey. I knew that Khasak was a complex text to transform into theatre. But I always liked to deal with complex stories. I love to engage with stories that narrate the complex layers of life – the magical – the mysterious and often the contradictory. Khasak challenged me to the core of my artistic ability. In my artistic life, I never felt this level of responsibility. I was not afraid of failure, but I was afraid of being too confident.”
The entry for the above event is through tickets at South Ex on 25 March and 26 March at 6.30 pm. These tickets can be collected from JKK’s Office.