The single thematic presentation was taken from the verses of Arunachal Kavirayar’s ‘Rama Natakam’ and ‘Kamba Ramayanam’, and was structured around Ahalya, Sita, Parashurama, Guha, Jatayu, Hanuman and Ravana.
Sowjanya Suresh’s solo thematic presentation Ramarasanubhavam traces a sequence of transformative encounters with the Ramayana, drawn from verses from Arunachal Kavirayar’s ‘Rama Natakam’ and ‘Kamba Ramayanam’. Structured around seven characters – Ahilya, Sita, Parashurama, Guha, Jatayu, Hanuman and Ravana – the presentation examines how contact with Rama reshapes life through grace, humility, devotion and sometimes salvation through death.
Saumya Suresh used a light golden outfit for Ahalya. | Photo Courtesy: B Velankanni Raj
The text begins with Ahalya, whose long penance in the form of a stone ends when she is brought back to life by Rama’s touch, symbolizing not only liberation from the curse but an inner spiritual awakening.
This was followed by Sita’s episode, which focused on the moment of recognition, where her first sight of Rama rekindles an eternal bond that goes beyond earthly love and sets the path for their shared journey.
Red pallu curtain with a small side-fan to represent Sita. | Photo Courtesy: B Velankanni Raj
This is followed by Parashurama’s confrontation with Rama, which marks a turning point from arrogance to humility, as the warrior-sage recognizes Rama’s divinity and retreats in repentance.
The thematic presentation by Saujanya Suresh was based on Arunachal Kavirayar Ram Natakam. | Photo Courtesy: B Velankanni Raj
The story then moves to Guha, whose meeting with Rama highlights devotion that transcends hierarchy, where simple love and devotion elevates the tribal sailor to the status of a brother.
Following Jatayu’s sacrifice, one of the emotional peaks of the text occurs, depicting how devotion expressed through selfless action leads to salvation by the grace of Rama.
Hanuman is then encountered, moving from questioning to submission and showing the transformation of power into service as he takes up his role as Rama’s devoted assistant.
Redemption is explored in the concluding episode with Ravana, suggesting that disobedience and the fall can also result in salvation.
Each episode was marked by clear narrative intent, providing thematic arc coherence and emotional continuity.
In these portrayals, Soujanya demonstrated an amazing ability to shift rapidly between layered emotional states, often transitioning between multiple internal registers within the same character. His facial expressions were precise and immediate, bringing clarity to the narrative progression, while his posture remained confident. In the Guha episode, a brief tribal-dance movement added texture to the depiction, causing a noticeable change in the quality of the movement. The Jatayu section stands out visually with concentrated lighting along with the broad Vishwaroopam to attract the attention of the audience.
Saujanya Suresh portraying Guha. The cross-clad poet clothes are used to suggest Guha’s tribal identity. | Photo Credit: Velankanni Raj B
A notable aspect of the rendition was the thoughtful use of costume additions to characterization. Without making a complete change in attire, Saujanya changed her appearance through selective draping: a light golden-coloured dress for Ahalya, a red pallu cloth with small fans at the sides for Sita, a cross-worn Kavi cloth indicating Guha’s tribal identity, and a dark brownish-black pallu around the neck for Hanuman. These subtle visual cues increased character differentiation while focusing firmly on the acting.
Soujanya Suresh wore a dark brown-black pallu around the neck to portray Hanuman. | Photo Courtesy: B Velankanni Raj
G on singing in the evening orchestra. Srikanth, Saikripa Prasanna on Nattuvangam, GV Guru Bhardwaj on Mridangam, TV Sukanya on flute and B. Muthukumar was included.
Ramarasanubhavam emerged as a disciplined presentation that balanced narrative clarity with internal reflection, relying on controlled expression and observation rather than direct spectacle.
published – January 13, 2026 07:26 PM IST