Revisiting the Mahabharata

Preeta Mathur


Preeta Mathur portrays various characters of the epic and raises serious questions in theatre group Ank’s 75th production, Prashna Panchali


Joys and sorrows are an intrinsic part of our lives. But it’s only when the going gets tough, that we start questioning things around us and seek answers from the Almighty. However, is it worth asking these questions and hurting ourselves further or should we just accept things the way they are? Theatre stalwart Dinesh Thakur’s new play Prashna Panchali explores all these issues through the eponymous characters of Mahabharata. Based on modern poet Sunita Budhiraja’s work by the same name, the play is a solo performance of poetry in Hindi. It’s quite special for Thakur as it is his group, Ank’s 75th production and the first solo performance show staged by his team. It also marks his return to the theatre circuit as a director after two years following his illness.

The stalwart along with his wife, actor Preeta Mathur, felt that they should stage a play on Buddhiraja’s work after reading it. Mathur read the 200 pages book, which is in free verse Hindi, and chose those parts that could be weaved in a one-hour play. She chose the characters of Kunti, Karna, Arjun, Draupadi, Bhim, Duryodhan, Gandhari and Krishna. Says Mathur, “After reading Prashna Panchali, I felt that the free verse Hindi should not only be read but also heard aloud. As Draupadi was the focal point, I chose those characters who are directly linked with her.”

The Mahabharata is a mirror of our society. In the play Draupadi asks some questions, the answers to which we have been striving to find till date. She questions why don’t the elders help her when she is being disrobed by Dushasan or why Arjun, whom she loves, doesn’t reciprocate her feelings? Similarly, the other characters have questions for themselves and for Draupadi.

Prashna Panchali also questions whether the Mahabharata, that was completely orchestrated by Krishna, was worth the entire war as it involved so much of anguish, bloodshed and suffering.

Mathur says, “In the play, the epic is perceived from the points of views of the Pandavas, Kauravas and Karna. So Arjun asks why didn’t Draupadi oppose when she was married off to all the Pandavas by Kunti. If she was married only to him, then he would have protected her and she would never face any humiliation by the Kauravas. Duryodhan says that his mother Gandhari had blindfolded herself and refused to address his concerns. So when he is deprived of his parents’ love, why should everyone expect him to be understanding? Karna asks Kunti why he should be sympathetic towards her sons, the Pandavas, when she had abandoned him after birth?”

The play also looks at the common perception that Gandhari had blindfolded herself as an act of sacrifice. “Was it really an act of sacrifice? Because usually, when a woman’s husband is physically-challenged, it’s believed that she should be his biggest support. But in this case, Gandhari’s act can also be perceived as that of detachment, she chose to blindfold herself to detach herself from the suffering,” explains Mathur.

The actress, who enacts all the characters in the play, read several contemporary works based on The Mahabharata to get a better understanding. Though she won’t be changing any costumes, she is portraying the diverse roles by adopting different stances and playing with her voice levels.

Prashna Panchali will be staged at Prithvi Theatre on July 28.