Ramayana from a woman’s perspective: Gauri Ramnarayan’s play reimagines the epic

RamayanaWriter, playwright and journalist Gauri Ramnarayan believes that there is dominance of male characters. “When you mention the epic, you think of male heroes. If Sita had not been Ram’s wife, he would not have been there,” she says, adding: “All the women Ramayana Have supporting roles. They appear and disappear and are reflected by the male gaze. In 2019, Gauri wrote a play featuring six women who play supporting roles in Ramayana. Now titled ‘What She Said’ it is going to be staged for the first time in Coimbatore.

The play, which has also been directed by Gauri, will be presented by actors Sunanda Raghunathan, Akhila Ramnarayan and Arabi Veeraraghavan. It will feature live singing by Srividya Vadlamani and sound design by B Charles, founder of Chennai Art Theatre. “I have written the play as six monologues,” says Gauri, adding that each actor will play two roles.

what will the women be like Ramayana See Ram’s story? This was the first question that came to Gauri’s mind when she started writing the play.

“This is the first time I have written a play that focuses entirely on women,” she says: “For the actors themselves, it has been a journey of self-discovery.”

For the story, she chose six women from “different levels of existence”, representing diverse backgrounds and origins. It provides the audience with a chance to see the epic through a different spectrum. For example, how would it be if Ramayana Is it seen from the perspective of Kaikeyi or Urmila? “You will see two different colors,” says Gauri.

Gauri believes that every story is complete only when it finds its listener. “For an actor speaking on stage, the play comes alive only when there is an audience; a community that will understand the women’s perspective,” she says, adding that she hopes ‘What She Said’ will find that kind of community in the city.

A scene from the drama Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

When the play premiered at Kalakshetra Theater in December 2019, it was a “resounding success”. Unfortunately for them, the pandemic soon arrived and they could not take it to other parts of the country. “That’s why we are reviving it this year,” says Gauri.

Music will play an important role in the storytelling, with Srividya’s live singing enhancing the experience. “What cannot be expressed through words, through a woman’s voice, will be expressed through music,” says Gauri. The play is being staged in the city in collaboration with Medai, and the team is traveling with it to Bengaluru next. Gauri hopes to take it to other cities as well.

‘What She Said’ is being staged on February 7, 7 pm at Medai The Stage, Clusters Media Institute, 439, Kamarajar Road, Hope College, Coimbatore. Tickets on BookMyShow.