Date: 15 Sep 2018
Venue: The LTG Auditorium

Radhashtami – the divine Consort Radha’s birthday was celebrated last weekend mainly in Barsana and Vrindavan. We landed up celebrating this event dramatically. We watched Samantak Teerth, a play based on the life of Shri Krishna. Staged by Aadyantara and scripted and directed by Dr. Madhuri Subodh, the venue was LTG Auditorium.

Being Sunday, we reached LTG a little early and a sizeable audience had already gathered by then.  Perhaps because of the subject, Lord Krishna, who is an enigma in Hindu mythology, the enthusiasm among them was palpable.

The plot is inspired by Bhagwat Puran. Samantak Teerth is a holy spot where many people associated with Lord Krishna arrive 18 years after the Kurukshetra War. The theatre is about what happens during the occasion. The interactions and conversations circulate around Krishna. In this process we, the audience get insights. Insights into Krishna – lover of Radha, Krishna – husband to Rukmini, Satyabhama and others, Krishna – companion of Draupadi, Krishna – friend to Sudama, Krishna – brother of Subhadra, Krishna the son, the king and the diplomat.

The sincerity to the subject, the dedication of the author and the enormous research that would have gone into capturing this multi-faceted character in a span of about 2 hours is most impressive. While we had some idea about Krishna through common knowledge, popular culture, folklores and Grandmother’s tales, there is so much that was new to us. The portrayal of his background to offering his soldiers to Kauravas during the War of Kurukshetra; his multiple marriages; his soul-connect with Radha were most enlightening. No wonder, the auditorium was totally silent during the play.

Given the vastness of the subject, it is not surprising that the play was long. At times, it became a bit too verbose. This slackened the pace of the play. A little edited version would streamline the piece. Also, the actors need some more practice here. While they were 10/10 on enthusiasm, they faltered at some points. Noteworthy among the cast were however Akhil Khattar (Sudama / Vishwamitra ) and Vibhuti Bahel (Saudamini / Subhadra). Their voice, diction and stage presence were very pro and conveyed just the right emotions. They shone throughout the play.

Delhi-fun-dos has been associated as a media partner for this play. It humbles us to be part of such a spontaneous project as Samantak Teerth that aims so high. We look forward to seeing many such refreshing work from Aadyantara.