Enchantment, written and directed by Gowri Ramnarayan, presented a layered portrait of the sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, tracing his nine-decade journey as musician, composer, and human being. In 90 minutes, the play managed to offer glimpses of his art, influences, and relationships, through a crisp script and a tightly structured narrative.

The play began with young Ravi Shankar—Robu, as he was fondly called—born into an affluent family but raised in genteel poverty. The subsequent scenes moved through his formative years and influences: his elder brother Uday Shankar, the extraordinary dancer and showman who introduced him to the world of performance; his years travelling with Uday’s troupe in Europe and America; and his presence at the Almora India Cultural Centre, where he sang and danced.

Rare pictures of Ravi Shankar were also shown, adding visual depth to the storytelling. The turning point came when he chose to answer the irresistible call of the sitar, leaving behind a life of comfort for the rigours of Maihar and the discipline of Ustad Allauddin Khan. It was this shift, and the years of gruelling training that followed, which transformed him into a successful instrumentalist and eventually a world-renowned figure.

The dialogues, delivered with understated humour, allowed the story to move seamlessly between episodes of his life. Musical compositions of Ravi Shankar were interwoven with the narrative, rendered with sensitivity by vidushi Bombay Jayashri, supported by Aditya Prakash, Vignesh Ishwar, and Chaitrra Sairam. The sitar itself was never seen on stage, yet its presence was always felt through the music that flowed in and out of the performance.

Lesser-known aspects of the maestro’s life found their way into the script—his composition of Sare Jahan Se Achcha, his experiments in film music, the ragas he created, and his admiration for dancer T. Balasaraswati, especially for her moving interpretation of Krishna nee begane.

The inclusion of songs from films such as Anuradha—Hai re voh din kyun na aye and Kaise din beete, kaise beeti ratiyan—and the haunting Hiyaa jarat rahat din rain ho Rama from Godaan evoked nostalgia, reminding the audience of how he blended folk and classical idioms into timeless melodies. Hearing these golden tunes in a theatrical setting was a special experience.

The play did not shy away from portraying his personal life with honesty—his relationships with Annapurna Devi, Kamala (played by dancer Vidhya Subramanian), and Sukanya Shankar (played by Arabhi Veeraraghavan), all presented with grace and dignity. Arabhi Veeraraghavan moved with ease between the roles of sootradhar, Sukanya, and the journalist, while Renjith and Vijna’s dance interludes offered a visual dimension to Ravi Shankar’s compositions.

Yohan Chaco’s performance as Ravi Shankar was noteworthy. With his backcombed hair and grey curls, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the maestro. His acting conveyed shifting moods, silences, and pauses with restraint, allowing the audience to enter into the inner life of the artist. Costumes in crisp cotton and simple props on stage created an aesthetic of clarity, while Sneha Sheejith’s unobtrusive lighting design supported the flow without distraction.

The play concluded with a journalist (Arabhi Veeraraghavan) probing Ravi Shankar about his life choices—his stint in acting, his many collaborations, and whether he had regrets. This final sequence drew attention to the vulnerability behind the legend. Did he have fears? Would he have lived differently? Gowri’s reflective closing brought out the humanity of a figure so often seen only as a larger-than-life icon.

Enchantment resisted both glorification and simplification. It offered instead an honest, intimate look at Ravi Shankar—the celebrated sitarist, the composer of unforgettable melodies, and above all, a human being with strengths, contradictions, loves, fears, and longings.

The event was organised in support of REACH, a Chennai-based non-profit committed to addressing tuberculosis (TB) and other public health issues.

by

Sukanya S