Members of the group rehearse for Abhigyan Shakuntalam. Telegraph picture

Imphal, Aug. 1: The gentle pathos of Kalidasa’s Abhigyan Shakuntalam has been imbued with the colours and subtlety of Manipuri drama.

Kshetri Jugindro, the director of Manipuri Ensemble, a leading theatre group of the state, has joined a host of directors who have endeavoured to capture the essence of the eternal romance between King Dushyanta and Shakuntala.

The play, to be staged at the Jawaharlal Nehru Dance Academy in Imphal on August 8, promises to be a show with a difference.

“It will be a marked departure from the other Manipuri plays on the same theme. It is an attempt to add a new flavour using the indigenous form of performing arts. Emphasis is given to instilling the science of theatre among the actors and empowering them to show their inner strength through their performance,” the director said.

Theatre personality Sanakhya Ibotombi had produced a play on the same theme some years ago. However, he had used the Raas Leela and nat sankritan forms.

Another troupe had staged the play in Sanskrit, with the resplendent costumes of ancient India.

The play portrays the romance between King Dushyanta, who goes out hunting in the forest, where he meets Shakuntala and falls in love with her. He marries Shakuntala in secret and goes back to his capital. He forgets her after sage Durvasa curses him but finally, he accepts her as his wife and meets his two sons.

Jugindro, a National School of Drama graduate in direction, has set the play in the backdrop of Manipuri culture. Moreover, all the 23 artistes will debut with this play.

“Producing a play with experienced artistes is another thing. But preparing a play with fresh talent is a different ball game altogether. We began preparation in April and are rehearsing from 6am to 2pm daily,” he said.

The director has used the beats of the pung cholom (Manipuri drum), classical dance form and folk music for a distinctive identity.

Jugindro has travelled to the hills and conducted workshops on indigenous theatre in Senapati, Ukhrul and Chandel.

Another reason behind using Kalidasa’s play is the lack of good scripts by local playwrights.

“You do not get any script from our writers as and when you want. Of course there are good playwrights, but everybody is after their scripts. Even if you get a script, the playwrights are unhappy when you make changes in the script to suit your play,” he said.