Navia Natarajan premiered Draupadi - Unbound at the The Trinity Arts Festival in RR Sabha on 19th November. Navia’s plain costume stood in contrast to the archetypal persona of Draupadi, while her movement vocabulary highlighted the character’s endurance. The production consistently returned to the question, “Where did it all begin?” Did it all begin with Draupadi’s birth from fire or her marriage to the five Pandavas or the game of dice and injustice to women? The structural flow of the production moved between timelines, posing pointed reflections. “What happens when a woman is truly angered? Does it break the world around her?” The work suggested a firm yes. Navia portrayed the conflict between emotion and dharma with anga and chakra bhramaris and pataka hasta. Though the intent was clear, the control in the core wavered in places.

The scene depicting Arjuna shooting the fish at the swayamvara, paired with precise lighting. A dancer cum light designer, Surya Rao, designing the lighting added an extra dimension to the production. The moment featuring the line “penna pandhaya porula?” and her inner voice with red-lit spot was striking. The vocal support, however, felt uneven, with misplaced svara sthanams and sruti lapses causing distraction. The lyrics was carefully chosen and strong usage of poetics words were impactful. An alarippu was woven into the theme of fragility and resilience, likened to a flower that can be crushed yet continues to endure. The climax, where Draupadi lifts the arrow herself, carried a clear sense of tension. Navia ended the piece portraying her hair let loose, suggesting a state of partly resolved emotion.

Lyrics by Professor Raghuram and lighting by Surya N. Rao were significant strengths of the production. The ensemble featured M. S. Sukhi (music and rhythm), Sudarshini (nattuvangam), Gopika Madhusoodan (vocal), Venkatasubramanian (violin), and Sumesh(chenda).

PC: Iyappan Arumugam