Shurpanakhi is remembered as a demon – rude, scary and mocked for daring to express her desire for Rama and later Lakshmana. Yet, that is not the focus of writer Apoorva Kasaravalli’s play. shurpanakhi. Instead, it presents the monster as a woman, who may also be vulnerable. Presented by Anandi Arts Foundation, shurpanakhi To be staged at Ranga Shankara, Bengaluru on 10th February at 7.30 pm
Dancers in rehearsal Photo Courtesy: Sudhakar Jain
Directed by Vandana Supriya Kasaravalli, this 90-minute Kannada drama blends the sculptural beauty of Odissi with the folk power of Yakshagana and presents Shurpanakhi not as a caricature but as a woman of humor, longing and strength. “I wanted to put a woman at the center of the stage with strength and honesty, without justifying her or condemning her. Her presence is something we transcend and I wanted to stop there and listen,” says Apoorva, who invited us to watch the rehearsal. shurpanakhi Vyoma Artspace & Studio, in JP Nagar.
In the play, Vandana is shown in the role of Shurpanakhi and Yakshagana artiste Srinidhi Holla is shown in the role of Sakha. Trained in Odissi at Nrityagram and under Guru Vichitrananda Swain in Bhubaneswar, Vandana dances beautifully, seamlessly combining the classical dance style with Kannada songs. Along with him, Yakshagana artiste Srinidhi Holla, with 18 years of experience, brings folk power and stylistic extravagance.
Vandana explains, “Most of the characters have a Sakhi. So we thought why not Shurpanakhi too, and that’s how the story was created.” Shurpanakha Navarasa Prose By Karthik Hebbar. And Apoorva suggested that we write a script about what happens to Shurpanakhi before and after the creation of Karthik and that is how this work came into existence. Apoorva wrote the script in 2019 and shurpanakhi Premiere at Adishakthi’s Veenapani Mahotsav in Pondicherry in 2020. Since then, it has traveled to various places.
Apoorva Kasaravalli Photo Courtesy: Sudhakar Jain
Shurpanakhi’s presentation on stage, her struggle to change her walk, speech, voice and her entire personality to be accepted by the man of her desire: Ram. With the help of her Sakha, the anxious Shurpanakhi transforms into the submissive, sensual Chandranakhi, ready to woo the man of her desire.
The dialogues with Mangaluru dialect are poetic and poignant, especially when Shurpanakhi hears from her friend that Ravana has abducted Sita to avenge his sister’s insult. Shurpanakhi condemns her brother’s actions and asks: ‘Why do women become victims of accidental harm as a result of men’s ego and arrogance?’ And ‘Why should my desire be considered a sin or should I be judged based on my looks or the family I come from?’
Once her nose and ears are cut off by Lakshmana, Shurpanakhi screams and says: ‘Now I will be surrounded and you will see me ugly because I have no nose and ears. But to me, I’m still beautiful. I may come from a demon clan, but I am not one to harbor evil thoughts in my soul. She then asks the audience if they really know her story – these words pierce centuries of dismissal. As Vandana emotes powerfully, her tears shine like little stars in the faint light in her eyes. Music by Hemant Kumar, Karthik Hebbar, Keertan Holla and Thunga forms the center of the production.
Dancers in drama rehearsal Photo Courtesy: Sudhakar Jain
Apoorva says his approach to the script was clear: “Don’t judge a book by its cover. Just because she is Ravana’s sister, doesn’t make her cruel. She is a woman with her own strengths and weaknesses.”
Vandana says that choreographing songs ranging from Odissi to Kannada was exciting and challenging. “I always wanted to work with a Yakshagana artiste and could imagine that the two dance forms would blend seamlessly with Odissi.”
For Srinidhi Holla, working with Vandana and Apoorva for Shoorpanakhi has been a transformative experience. “In Yakshagana, Shurpanakhi has always been portrayed as a demoness. I have never seen her portrayed differently. When I heard this story, it felt new.”
A scene from the first show of the play. | Photo Credit: Courtesy: Raghavendra Bhatt
Apoorva shares: “I wrote this script for my wife and it was a conscious choice. I was not trying to rewrite the epic, but to look at what we have inherited and ask, quietly but firmly, where the empathy had been lost. This work is my attempt to see Shurpanakhi simply as a woman with agency and emotion – nothing more, nothing less.”
“At its core, Shurpanakhi is a feminist reinterpretation that destabilizes rigid binaries of good and evil. With the sculptural stillness of Odissi and the energetic hyperbole of Yakshagana, it creates a visual metaphor for the contradictions within Shurpanakhi – a woman torn between vulnerability and defiance, tenderness and anger,” says Vandana.
shurpanakhi It will be staged at Ranga Shankara, Bengaluru on 10 February. Book tickets on myshow.
published – February 02, 2026 02:46 PM IST