A scene from the play The Legend of Chogyal Norzang. Picture by Eastern Projections

The Legend of Chogyal Norzang, as the name suggests, is based on a folktale.

The play was on March 27 at the ongoing National School of Drama-sponsored Purbottor Natya Samaroh by the Performing Arts of Tukpen troupe based at Rupa in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.

Considering the complex plot and the amateur performers, the production was a little immature. But the folk elements allowed the director and the artistes enough liberty to make certain aspects easy and interesting, and the unit members did not let the chance slip.

The play begins with a cruel king’s desperate attempt to stop the goddess of water and rain who wants to leave his kingdom. A poor fisherman saves the goddess and she presents him with a magical gift.

On knowing from a Buddhist monk that the gift may fetch him anything he desired, the fisherman wishes to marry a goddess who lives in heaven. But when the goddess appears before him, he realises that he is unfit for her. Later, the fisherman takes the goddess to the greatest king on earth, who marries her.

But soon she becomes a victim of conspiracy of the king’s two other queens, but is saved by her mother-in-law and sent back to heaven. The king, on discovering the truth, punishes the culprits and brings the goddess back.

The explicit use of folk elements and choreography mixed with martial art added to the charm of the production.

The costumes and the props were designed according to the tradition of the Sedukpan and Monpa tribes of Arunachal Pradesh. A Buddhist monk and his two disciples are introduced as the sutradhar to narrate the tale.