Vivekanand - hindi drama review : www.MumbaiTheatreGuide.com

Direction :
Starring :

Shekhar Sen
Shekhar Sen

Jyoti Vyas

Written, directed and enacted by Shekhar Sen, VIVEKANAND is a monologue on the life and philosophy of the modern, intellectual monk Vivekanand. The play is not narrowed down to his life as a religious figure or of his attainment of spirituality but it rather reflects Vivekanand�s revolutionary concept of religion- one that can free his countrymen from bondage and obliterate misery that arises out of weakness, ignorance and superstition.

Vivekanand is shown as questioning the fundamentals of his faith and his religion. He reiterates that �The religion that can not wipe the tears of orphans and take care of widows is of no use to me.� The first half of the play focuses on Vivekanand�s mentor Ramakrishna Paramhansa. Shekhar Sen perceives both these figures as complimentary to each other.

The play charts the course of Vivekanand�s childhood- of the time he spent with his loving, enlightened family, the impact of Brahmosamaj�s sweeping social reforms on his thinking, his divine interaction with Sri Ramkrishana Paramhansa and his landmark speeches at the World Religious Conference at Chicago in the year 1893, where he proclaimed the entire world as one family.

There is a serene beauty about the production. Although Sen�s physical appearance is quite different from that of Vivekanand, his flawless performance and his unflinching commitment leaves one marvelling at the way he takes on Vivekanand�s personna. Every poetic rendition thus receives an overwhelming applause from the audience.

The play is not only a treat to the ears, with Sen�s trained melodious voice but is also food for the mind as it unfolds the intellectual questioning of religion. Prathikrit Mukherjee�s art direction successfully recreates the era and aura of the character. Whether it is VIVEKANAND, KABIR or TULSIDAS-all these productions by Shekhar Sen are a must for theatre lovers for their high literary value, soulful music and for the manner in which its protagonist-saints interpreted religion.

*The writer is a senior theatre and television person who has trained under Ebrahim Alkazi at the National School of Drama (NSD). She has written for publications such as �The Asian Age� and is a regular contributor to the Prithvi Theatre Newsletter (PT Notes). She also offers theatre training to students at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and is an important critical voice for the Gujarati Theatre.

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