Published in 1892, Chitrangada, which chronicles the encounter between a titular warrior-princess from Manipur and Arjuna, and makes unambiguous feminist and humanist statements at the meta-narrative level, is among the most relevant among the poet’s nritya natyas. Its frequent revivals in modern performative traditions serve as timely reminders of the enduring popularity of a narrative that not only sparks dialogue and reflection but also highlights contemporary concerns along the lines of gender and identity. Nohi Shamanya Nari, staged recently at Sisir Mancha by the students of the NGCB Foundation as part of Kavipranam, marked a conventional interpretation of Tagore’s dance-drama shorn of experimentation.
The mythical elements of the narrative found a perfect vessel in the structural codes and the visual grandeur of Gaudiya Nritya, a forsaken dance form from Bengal that borrows heavily from temple sculptures, the Vaishnavite Sevadasi tradition of Purulia, and the tropes of medieval literature. Kaberi Puitandy Kar, who conceptualised, directed and choreographed the performance, donned the role of Kurupa, the masculine facet of Chintrangada, who was raised by her father as a prince. Kar’s verve and energetic footwork communicated Chitrangada’s emotional upheaval as she is spurned by Arjuna and then prays to Madana to grant her exquisite beauty. In “Bodhu kon alo laglo chokhe”, Kar portrayed Chitrangada’s wounded pride in perfect balance with her hitherto subterranean subjugation.
Indrajit Sarkar as Madan revelled in dialogue delivery and his character’s exchange with Kurupa through “Tai ami dinu bor” marked a pivotal segment. However, the transformation from Kurupa to Shurupa could have been more imaginative. The synchronous interplay between Arjuna (Arghya Das) and Shurupa (Chitrangada’s conventionally feminine form) played by Jayati Chakraborty was dipped in the shringar ras as the two dancers tapped into fluid movements to evoke the joy of breaking through physical individuality and realising a spiritual union. But the epilogue on gender equality and external beauty felt strenuous and redundant.