GLITCH IN THE MYTH, written and directed by and starring Anoushka Zaveri is a reimagining of the Ramayana by Princess Sita. It's not a retelling of the story from Sita's perspective - that has been done before, no, there's a difference between the two. In this version of the Ramayana, Sita is not the beautiful daughter of King Janak, the faithful, dutiful wife of Lord Ram or a damsel in distress who must be saved; she is still a princess, but she is also a smart young woman with her own dreams and ambitions and a longing for adventure. She is not madly in love with Lord Ram; it is, in fact, an unsatisfying marriage, where the bored princess only follows her husband into the forest with the hopes of embarking on an interesting journey.
All the characters are turned on their heads: Queen Kaikeyi, the demoness Shurpanakha and Queen Mandodari are all part of a secret sisterhood, helping Sita on a secret quest. Lord Ram's portrayal as a unidimensional, sexist and slightly narcissistic man, if understood as a part of a story aiming to criticize patriarchal society and not as a direct criticism of the god, adds a fair bit of humour to the story. Some of the early exchanges between Lord Ram and Princess Sita, where she explains that the kingdom needs to cultivate water-efficient crops to fight a water crisis only to be swept aside by her husband, are especially funny.
While all the events of the Ramayana pan out as in the original story, the motivations behind each event change and that is what makes this telling more interesting. Acting mingles with classical dance in this version, where in the beginning Zaveri gives the audience a sort of glossary of the specific mudras or gestures from classical dance that represent the main characters or certain important words featuring in the epic. It is a delight to suddenly notice a gesture during the performance and being able to identify the character without an introduction. Zaveri's sister, Maahi Zaveri, accompanies the performance on vocals and tabla and successfully creates the appropriate mood for each scene through her vocalizations of Hindustani classical pieces.
It is an interesting, daring concept for which the creator must be lauded. However, the style of the performance constantly brings you out of the story, refusing to let you bond with the protagonist emotionally, and consequently, not compelling you to root for her or feel too much for her suffering. The acting is slightly loud, like a folk theatre performance or a puppet show. And while that may be intentional, it keeps you from fully immersing into Sita's emotions. It is an enjoyable play worth a discussion, but it is not likely to linger on in the mind for long after.
*Neha Shende is an avid theatre-goer and enjoys watching old Bollywood movies in her free time.
