Works

Urubhangam

Bhasa's Urubhangam is a play based on an episode taken from the epic Mahabharata. Urubhangam literally means, broken thighs. The play deals with the death of Duryodhana. Pandav hero Bhima breaks Duryodhan's thigh with the gadda or mace, breaking one of the main rules for mace fighting. As the Kaurava prince lies awaiting death, the sudden realisation of the futility of it all hits him hard. Living out his final moments of life, this warmonger actually regrets his course of action which will surely spell doom for his clan. This is Bhasa's play.

But Panikkar imposes on this play his own design. Performed in the theyyam style, Panikkar creates two Duryodhanas in the play. One is the mortal Duryodhana, the warrior meeting his death. The other, or his theyyam, called Suyodhana springs out at the precise moment that Duryodhana's thighs are broken by Bhima. The director manages to bring out the two sides of the wounded hero very deftly by using two actors.

Urubhangam is treat for the senses. The colour, the music, the choreographed movements all add to the majesty of Bhasa's classic. The emotions are all reined in and kept under control. The most poignant moment in the play is actual moment of Duryodhan's death. Another very charged moment is the scene between Duryodhana and his son, Durjayyan. A true ensemble performance, all the actors were true to their roles. V Giresh (Duryodhana), P Gopinath (Balarama) and G Ayyappan (Duryodhana's theyyam) were quite outstanding. The language seemed no barrier.

Similar is the performance of Mohanlal in Karnabharam.

Karnabharam.

Mohanlal made his debut on the stage as Karna in Karnabharam, which was premiered in Delhi's Kamani auditorium as a part of the National Theatre Festival. And Mohanalal did prove that he is second to none even on the stage.

"Mohanlal has learned Kalari and Kathakali, both the traditional art forms, which need a tremendous flexibility of body and concentration of mind. When I was thinking to re-staging Karnabharam for the theatre festival, I decided to cast Mohanlal for the role of Karna," says Panikkar who uses a lot of movements from the traditional performing art forms. "The suggestion was readily accepted by Mohanlal as he was really looking for doing something fresh and exciting."

The story is of Karna, the illegitimate son of Kunti and Surya. A day before the Kurukshetra war, Karna thinks about his past. His charioteer and compatriot, Salyar tells him that he is the son of Kunti. Now Karna is in dilemma. When Kunti comes to meet him to request for sparing Arjuna from his arrows, Karna does not know what to do. He is not able to decide whom he should be faithful to, his duty as a warrior or his duty as Kunti's son. As the most benevolent soul on the earth he promises Kunti that he will spare Arjuna. Through a deceptive act, Indra, the father of Arjuna gains Karna's talismans, an armour and ear rings from him. Now Karna is vulnerable. Knowing his fate he decides to go to the battlefield. At this crucial moment the play comes to an end.

Interestingly, Karnabharam is not a fresh venture. Panikkar had produced it almost two decades back with such consummate actors like Nedumudi Venu, Kodiyettam Gopi and the late film director G. Aravindan. But at that time, all of them were working for a cause - of establishing 'modernism' in culture in general and in theatre in particular.

Major Works

Madhyamavyayogam (1979)
Kalidasa's Vikramorvasiyam (1981, 1996)
Shakuntalam (1982)
Karnabharam (1984, 2001)
Uru Bhangam (1988)
Swapnavasavadattam and Dootavakyam (1996)
Karinkutti, and, Ottayan