Deepa's Jottings

Having watched Adishakti Laboratory for Theatre Art Research (what a mouthful, I'll call it ALTAR for short!)'s earlier production, "The Tenth Head" at Ranga Shankara, and reviewed it here, I was prepared for an interesting evening when I went to watch "Nidrdravathvam". The play is about two brothers of the protagonist and the antagonist of the Ramayana: Lakshmana and Kumbhakarna. They are connected in having received boons that, in the words of the excellent brochure provided by ALTAR, "dramatically alter their cycles of sleep and wakefulness." Kumbharkarna's tongue is tied by Saraswati, and instead of asking for "Nirdevatvam" (destruction of the Devas) he…

Having watched Adishakti Laboratory for Theatre Art Research (what a mouthful, I'll call it ALTAR for short!)'s earlier production, "The Tenth Head" at Ranga Shankara, and reviewed it here, I was prepared for an interesting evening when I went to watch "Nidrdravathvam". The play is about two brothers of the protagonist and the antagonist of the Ramayana: Lakshmana and Kumbhakarna. They are connected in having received boons that, in the words of the excellent brochure provided by ALTAR, "dramatically alter their cycles of sleep and wakefulness." Kumbharkarna's tongue is tied by Saraswati, and instead of asking for "Nirdevatvam" (destruction of the Devas) he…

Bangalore enters the summer with the flowering of the Pink Poui (Tababuia rosea)...you can see here about Tabebuia. Watch out for these blooms on many roads, and especially at the Jayanagar Shopping Complex!

Bangalore enters the summer with the flowering of the Pink Poui (Tababuia rosea)...you can see here about Tabebuia. Watch out for these blooms on many roads, and especially at the Jayanagar Shopping Complex!

The familiar face of wrongdoing...two scooterists who are caught breaking a one-way rule are being nabbed by the policeman. I could not wait to see what the outcome of this encounter would be. Would the people on the scooter pay the required fine? Would they try to bribe the cop?   Would they be successful if so? Or would they try to "beg forgiveness" and plead to be let off this once? Or would they try to intimidate the cop by dropping the names of bigwigs they know, or are related to? I had to move on, but did not…

The familiar face of wrongdoing...two scooterists who are caught breaking a one-way rule are being nabbed by the policeman. I could not wait to see what the outcome of this encounter would be. Would the people on the scooter pay the required fine? Would they try to bribe the cop?   Would they be successful if so? Or would they try to "beg forgiveness" and plead to be let off this once? Or would they try to intimidate the cop by dropping the names of bigwigs they know, or are related to? I had to move on, but did not…

The Vayu Vajra Volvo service is specifically for commuters to and from the airport. However, on 31 Oct 2013,  when I came out of the airport terminal after a 30-hour plane journey,  hoping to take the bus, at 1.30am. I was told that since the "demand  kadimeyittu" (demand was low) , the Vayu Vajra service up to 4.30am had been withdrawn. BMTC is making good profits; why should they withdraw a service precisely when it is most needed, just because the number of commuters is low? Is profit the only consideration when it is a matter of public transportation?   I was forced…

The Vayu Vajra Volvo service is specifically for commuters to and from the airport. However, on 31 Oct 2013,  when I came out of the airport terminal after a 30-hour plane journey,  hoping to take the bus, at 1.30am. I was told that since the "demand  kadimeyittu" (demand was low) , the Vayu Vajra service up to 4.30am had been withdrawn. BMTC is making good profits; why should they withdraw a service precisely when it is most needed, just because the number of commuters is low? Is profit the only consideration when it is a matter of public transportation?   I was forced…

The play, "The Tenth Head", written by Vinay Kumar KJ, directed by Veenapani Chawla, and staged by Adishakti Laboratory and Theatre Art Research, Puduchery, has a very interesting central premise: that all the heads of Ravana are not alike, and that the tenth head is quite different from the other nine.   Intrigued by this, I went to watch the staging at Ranga Shankara, on the 18th of February, 2014. I found myself both interested and puzzled at different times during the play.   The on-again-off-again power situation took its toll on Ranga Shankara's usual punctuality, and the play started…

The play, "The Tenth Head", written by Vinay Kumar KJ, directed by Veenapani Chawla, and staged by Adishakti Laboratory and Theatre Art Research, Puduchery, has a very interesting central premise: that all the heads of Ravana are not alike, and that the tenth head is quite different from the other nine.   Intrigued by this, I went to watch the staging at Ranga Shankara, on the 18th of February, 2014. I found myself both interested and puzzled at different times during the play.   The on-again-off-again power situation took its toll on Ranga Shankara's usual punctuality, and the play started…