Oka Anokha Roopkatha Chalk Circle - A Multilingual play

A powerful multilingual adaptation of Brecht's classic The Caucasian Chalk Circle, that brings contemporary today's social and political realities to the stage.

Brecht's The Caucasian Chalk Circle, despite being written around the end of World War II, remains relevant in today's world. Shudrka's play Oka Anokha Roopkatha Chalk Circle, based on Brecht's work, is adapted into a contemporary theatre production that reflects the current social and political issues across India. The play uses four different languages, highlighting the fact that India is a nation of diverse cultures and languages. The actors come from different parts of India and speak different mother tongues, Bengali, English, Telugu, and Hindi. These are the four languages used in the performance.

One can see how people from different regions communicate and understand one another without any prior knowledge of each other's language, using the universal language of theatre. The play begins with the farmers' protest in Punjab against the Farm Bills, where one of the farmers suggests staging a play as a form of protest. They decide to perform a play they have been rehearsing for the past few days. But what about the props and costumes? "We can use whatever is around us as props," someone says, "and whatever we are wearing can also serve as costumes." As the performance unfolds, we learn the stories of Raja (Georgi), Suvedarni (Natella), Dia (Michael), Suman and Suma (Simon and Grusha), and Mustak (Azdak).

The play features 15 characters on stage. It is designed in such a way that the production cost is minimal and it can be performed anywhere, whether there is a stage or not. The actors take on multiple roles, including farmers, peasants, soldiers, Georgi, Natella, Fat Prince (Ganesh), Simon, Grusha, Lavrenti, Aniko, Jassup (Srinu), and the Doctors (Ellaia and Mallaia). Throughout the performance, the actors use their bodies to create different formations and sculptures. At one point, they form a bridge for Suma to cross the river. Later, they become demons in the night. At another moment, they transform into a flowing river while singing a beautiful Bengali folk song. They also become soldiers engaged in battle, villagers carrying out daily activities, and many other characters. The production also offers glimpses of the diverse cultures found across different states of India.

The props used in the play include sticks, drinking bottles, a clay pot, and other household items. The actors wear simple villagers' costumes, and since each performer plays multiple roles, they make quick costume changes or add extra costume pieces to distinguish between characters. This practical approach keeps the production simple and adaptable. The play has been performed at many theatre festivals across India.

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Venue: Lamakaan, Hyderabad, India