After the success of his earlier plays, TULSI, KABEER, VIVEKANAND, Shekhar Sen is back with his unique mono act musical play SOORDAS. The play covers 105 years of the saint's life which he devoted to Lord Krishna and includes his encounters with Mahaprabhu Vallabhacharya, Swami Haridas, Tulsidas, Meerabai, the Mughal emperor Akbar and his court musician Tansen.
As the play opens, we see Soordas sitting on a platform with a Sitar in his hand and singing the famous bhajan 'Ankhiyan hari darshan ki pyaasi'. The song has a transcending effect as it transports you to another world of calmness, serenity and love. Soordas who was born blind to poor parents was a victim of neglect and abuse and this forced him to leave home at the tender age of six. His mother loved Soor (as he was fondly known) and told him to confide in Lord Krishna who would take away all his pain and sufferings. Soordas was god loving and this gave him the strength to leave his home and spend his entire life in service of 'Bal Gopal'.
Soordas always felt the presence of Lord Krishna around him. There is a scene where Soordas tells the audience how he would put 'natkhat bal gopal' to sleep with his lullabies. Krishna is said to have had tears in his eyes. When Soor asks him the reason for the tears, Krishna replies "Teri preet ne mera kajal bhiga diya". This scene epitomizes love and makes one wonder if such pious feelings still exists in today's world.
With his Bal Gopal he leaves for Vrindavan and stays in a small hut with Bachu Baba and his wife Laxmi. Soor earns a lot of respect for his beautiful voice and his love for Krishna. Laxmi showers him with motherly love as she herself is childless. When Soordas is sixteen years old, he is summoned by the Chaudhary of Rawal Gaon, which is Radha's birth place, to recite the Bhagvat for nine days. At the age of twenty, he decides to visit Ayodhya with his friend Manesar. His narration of the scene in which Ayodhya is destroyed by Sikandar Shah Lodhi's army is remarkable but its historicity is in doubt.
Soordas' blindness did not deter him to learn and recite the Srimad Bhagvat. An encounter with the great saint Vallabhacharya on the banks of Yamuna in his teenage years transformed his life completely. Mahaprabhu Vallabhacharya advised him to compose and sing Bhagvad Lila- devotional songs in praise of Krishna and Radha. There is a scene where Mahaprabhu encourages him by saying "Aatma se acha koi darshak nahi" and tells him to spread the love of Krishna everywhere. For the rest of his life Soordas follows what his guru said and lends his voice singing devotional lyrical ballads for Bal Gopal.
Soor's interactions with Swami Haridas, Mirabai and Akbar are also noteworthy. Shekar Sen gives an outstanding performance by bringing out the right emotion at the right time. Playing many characters can be challenging but he delivers a flawless performance. He has essayed the role of a blind man with grace. The tranquility, peace and innocence which Shekhar Sen is able to play out, is commendable.
The play has 36 melodious bhajans and ragas. If you are familiar with the bhajans, you will find yourself singing along with the actor. The set comprises few intricately designed platforms which the actor uses to his comfort. Pictures of Lord Krishna are projected on the white screen behind the platforms. The music of the play is soothing. The red and yellow lights throughout the play don't speak much for the light design but seem suited to the play's narrative style and content.
The play is too long and tends to become monotonous at times. Since it also focuses a lot on spirituality, and religious philosophy, it isn't provocative and is rather like a superbly delivered religious discourse, animated by Shekar Sen's oratory and musical skills. One thing though the viewer will learn from the play is that one should be god loving and not god fearing.
*Astha Arora acts in Yatri's productions. She has a graduate degree in Mass Media and is now pursuing her Masters in Journalism.
Soordas always felt the presence of Lord Krishna around him. There is a scene where Soordas tells the audience how he would put 'natkhat bal gopal' to sleep with his lullabies. Krishna is said to have had tears in his eyes. When Soor asks him the reason for the tears, Krishna replies "Teri preet ne mera kajal bhiga diya". This scene epitomizes love and makes one wonder if such pious feelings still exists in today's world.
