Nirdiganta to present its Bengaluru premiere of Gayagalu on Sunday 

Gayagalu, is directed by Shripad Bhat, co-directed by Shwetharani Hassan.
| Photo Credit: HANDOUT E MAIL

Actor Prakash Raj’s incubation centre for theatre and arts, Nirdiganta, will be presenting its debut production Gayagalu (Wounds), for the first time in Bengaluru this Sunday (August 20) at Ranga Shankara, J.P. Nagar.

Gayagalu, a play on the human tragedy of war, is directed by Shripad Bhat, co-directed by Shwetharani Hassan, with music by Anush Shetty and art by Khaju Guttala. It has a team of 15 artistes from across Karnataka.

A scene from the play Gayagalu.
| Photo Credit:
HANDOUT E MAIL

Across languages and cultures

The play delves into finding similarities between what Italian playwright Pirandello says in his novel War and what Karnataka’s Rashtrakavi Kuvempu says in Smashana Kurukshetram. The play explores how many poets and playwrights have reflected on ways in which war breaks society. 

Speaking to The Hindu, Preethi Nagaraj, the creative director of Nirdiganta, said, “The play is a contemporary collage of various poems, with selected parts from different plays, that speak about the ill effects of war. Gayagalu also has poems from prominent writers like Krishnamurthy Hanur, Savita Nagabhushana, Pratibha Nandakumar, Hasan Naeem Surkod and others.”

Nirdiganta will present two shows of Gayagalu on August 20 at Ranga Shankara, at 3.30 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. Tickets for the show are available at the Ranga Shankara box-office and on BookMyShow. A few more shows will be presented at K.H Kalasoudha on August 25 and at the Bangalore International Centre on August 29. 

The play is a contemporary collage of various poems, with selected parts from different plays.
| Photo Credit:
HANDOUT E MAIL

For educational institutions

While Gayagalu is a full-fledged play on war, Nirdiganta is also presenting Kavyaranga for educational institutions, talking about war, oppression, and violence against women. “Kavyaranga is more like a response to exploitation and violence against women, where women have been used as pawns. It is very similar to Gayagalu, but a smaller collage to reach out to the students,” says Ms. Nagaraj.  

Kavyaranga is also directed by Bhat and co-directed by Hassan. The piece has also been presented across the State, as it tours along with Gayagalu, in places including Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga, Haveri, Dharward, and Davangere. The team will be performing for students in Bengaluru too, with presentations at Nagarjuna College on August 22, Kristu Jayanti College on August 23, and at the Mount Carmel College on August 24.