\t\t\t\t\t\t [aesop_image force_fullwidth=”off” lightbox=”off” captionposition=”left” captionsrc=”custom” align=”center” imgwidth=”100%” img=”https:\/\/performingartslegacy.org\/guhamalabika\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/314\/2023\/11\/e1325258-9f07-49e7-880e-ea5afd5f0feb.jpg” panorama=”off”]\n
Undisputedly the greatest name in Bengali literature, Rabindranath Tagore was not only one of the greatest poets, but also a master storyteller, brilliant novelist, versatile playwright (both musicals and stage plays), essayist, lyricist, composer, and above all, a timeless philosopher of worldly views. Chandalika <\/em>(meaning \u201cthe daughter of the untouchable\u201d) is one of Rabindranath Tagore\u2019s best-known plays, which he later transformed into a musical. Two of the main characters are from the lowest rung of the caste system, but he didn\u2019t really want to tell a story of an ancient societal system \u2013 he was telling the story of the universal underprivileged with enormous potential in humanism and spirituality.<\/p>\n The conflicts in the story are between the three main characters. Prakriti, the daughter born of an untouchable, refuses to accept the lowly position in her society the ancient system has bestowed on her. Her mother seems to have accepted this as her fate; all she wants is to coexist peacefully with as little confrontation as possible. She is baffled by her daughter\u2019s unreasonable stubbornness, and cannot quite comprehend her search for emancipation.<\/p>\n Enters Ananda, a monk without worldly attachments in search of true wisdom, a disciple of Lord Buddha. Thirsty in the blazing sun, he asks Prakriti for a drink of water who at first refuses. She is an untouchable! How can she offer water to such a holy person? Ananda insists and gently reminds her that she is also a human just like him and water from her is nothing less than holy water; it quenches the thirst just as well. Prakriti is overwhelmed by his kindness and acceptance. A quenched Ananda blesses her and leaves. Prakriti begins to realize she is falling in love.<\/p>\n Rabindranath masterfully intertwines the stories of Prakriti, her mother, and Ananda in a spellbinding musical that transcends time and place. Prakriti embarks on a journey of self-discovery, finding freedom and self-worth. Ananda, devoted to his spiritual path, is unsettled by the stirrings of human desire. Meanwhile, the mother\u2019s unconditional love for her daughter leads her to cast a magical spell on Ananda, enchanting him back to Prakriti. Through this timeless legend, Rabindranath imparts a profound and humanistic lesson, rich with psychological and spiritual depth\u2014one that continues to transform me, whether I\u2019m reading it alone or performing it on stage.<\/p>\n Living far away from my birth place, every time I perform this fable through dance accompanied by the haunting music, I realize that the search for human dignity in all of us is so timeless and universal\u2013 it still haunts us and drives us forward toward a better union, in the modern Western world just as it did millennia ago in a distant ancient land with its ritualistic customs and practices. The story is still so true today, an ordinary mother\u2019s unflinching and even fatalistic love for her child, a young person\u2019s awakening into a world of possibilities, of dignity and love, and a spiritual quest that demands forgiveness in our hearts, no matter what human frailties we might have. I can truly say that this musical drama is closest to my heart! [aesop_image force_fullwidth=”off” lightbox=”off” captionposition=”left” captionsrc=”custom” align=”center” imgwidth=”100%” img=”https:\/\/performingartslegacy.org\/guhamalabika\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/314\/2023\/11\/e1325258-9f07-49e7-880e-ea5afd5f0feb.jpg” panorama=”off”] Undisputedly the greatest name in Bengali literature, Rabindranath Tagore was not only one of the greatest poets, but also a master storyteller, brilliant novelist, versatile playwright (both musicals and stage plays), essayist, lyricist, composer, and above all, a timeless philosopher of worldly views. Chandalika (meaning \u201cthe […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":344,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-278","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-highlight","category-repertoire"],"metadata":{"_wpac_members_redirect_to":[""],"_wpac_show_in_search":["0"],"_wpac_show_excerpt_in_search":["0"],"_wpac_nonmembers_redirect_to":[""],"ase_chapter_enable_timeline":["off"],"_edit_last":["344"],"ase_map_component_start_point":["a:2:{s:3:\"lat\";d:29.76;s:3:\"lng\";d:-95.38;}"]},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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