The sitar is silent in the play Enchantment, which traces Pt. Ravi Shankar’s journey

It was the story of an artiste who strode the world of music like a colossus. His creativity and musical acumen shaped the imagination of an entire generation and continues to inspire young musicians. Credited with placing the sitar on the global map, Pt. Ravi Shankar’s journey was traced in the play Enchantment, staged recently at the Museum Theatre. Written and directed by Gowri Ramnarayan and presented by JustUs Repertory, the production was a fundraiser for REACH, a non-profit organisation dedicated to tuberculosis care and prevention.

Encapsulating the many facets of a phenomenal artiste — whose persona and music continue to resonate in public memory — within the framework of a short play is no easy feat. Gowri chose a linear narrative modee to highlight the defining moments of Pt Ravi Shankar’s life.

“Artistes are here to enact his life story, not recreate his persona,” said Gowri Ramnarayan at the outset, addressing any misgivings about the play’s approach. Clad in a kurta-pyjama and jacket, Yohan Chacko portrayed the sitar maestro, while Aarabi Veeraraghavan took on the role of the sutradhaar.

Enchantment began with Ravi’s childhood days in Benaras, then his travel to Paris, his stint with elder brother and celebrated dancer Uday Shankar’s company, where he explored and developed his musical skills, alongside dancing and acting in productions, Ravi’s intense training in gurukul parampara under the legendary musician Allaudin Khan at Maihar, his marriage to the guru’s daughter Annapurna Devi and their troubled relationship. It also touched upon his love for dancer Kamala Shastri and his eventual marriage to Sukanya. All these formed a significant part of the narrative. Towards the end, Enchantment spoke about his phenomenal success in the West (apparently, he was uncomfortable with the label of ‘world musician’), playing at the Woodstock Festival and collaborating with the likes of George Harrison of the Beatles and violin virtuoso Yehudi Menuhin, his rivalry with Vilayat Khan and his composing music for the film, Anuradha. All these aspects unfolded mostly through conversations between the protagonist and the sutradhaar. The narrative was interspersed with projected images, dance sequences and rendition of songs.

Yohan Chacko and Aarabi Veeraghavan in Enchantment.
| Photo Credit:
RAGHUNATHAN SR

Yohan Chacko, was impressive in his portrayal, adding strength to the dramatisation of the artiste’s journey. However, what irked many in the audience was the disproportionate focus on Ravi Shankar’s personal relationships. Even if this was a deliberate choice, the portrayal lacked emotional depth. It raises the question: how much creative liberty can a writer or director take in a biographical play? Moreover, some of the lines used to convey this side of Pt. Ravi Shankar could have been subtle and dignified. The humour, at times, felt caricatured. The depiction of the inimitable guru Allauddin Khan, too, left much to be desired —particularly in a brief sequence when Aarabi played the Ustad by just wearing a shawl over her top.

Another sore point in Enchantment was its portrayal of Annapurna Devi. It largely focused on her personal traits such as being insecure and jealous of the women in her husband’s life and tyrannical towards son Shubhendra. At the time, Annapurna was the only woman surbahar player and was regarded as a musician of equal, if not greater, calibre than Pt. Ravi Shankar. But these aspects were overlooked.

From Ganga arathi in Benaras and Balasaraswati ‘s ‘Krishna nee begane’ to Pt. Ravi Shankar’s iconic song from the film Anuradha, the dance sequences by Bharatanatyam artistes Renjith and Vijna ran parallel to the narrative rather than being a part of it. The musical score relied more on well-known vocalist Bombay Jayashri Ramnath’s singing. The sound of the sitar, the real protagonist of the evening, was hardly heard.

Besides Vidhya Subramaniam in a cameo role, Renjith and Vijna’s students were part of the play. The recorded music also featured singers Aditya Prakash, Chaitra Sairam and Vignesh Ishwar.