In 1824, the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin wrote Gypsies, an epic narrative poem considered the most mature of his Southern poems. Exactly two centuries later, a dramatization of this great piece of Russian literature was performed by Purvabhyas Natya Sansthan at the Prithvi Fringe Festival in Mumbai. The 569-line poem is translated and adapted for the stage by Prairna Agarwal.
The story revolves around Zamphyra, a nomadic tribal girl whose beauty and freedom captivate a Muscovite nobleman, Aleko.
Whereas Zamphyra is played by NSD alumnus Prairna Agarwal, Aleko is played by Akash Mishra.
Enchanted by Zamphyra's way of life, Aleko abandons civilized society to seek the same freedom and simplicity that he believes are embodied by his ladylove. Despite warnings from the tribe's chief and Zamphyra's father - played by Navin Agarwal - who cautions him that the nomadic life wears down city dwellers, Aleko is undeterred. He chooses "exile by my own volition."
At first, Aleko is enamored with the gypsy life. He openly denounces the city, which to him has become "stale as a slave song's tuneless measures." However, as the years pass, his initial excitement fades. His nerves begin to unravel, and at night, he gnashes his teeth as if tormented by an unseen force. The source of his anxiety is Zamphyra's growing indifference toward him.
In a conversation with Zamphyra's father, Aleko expresses his inner turmoil and is told of the elder's own experience with a love that tore him apart. Mariola, his love, abandoned him, leaving him to "abhor all women" and lose his desire for tenderness. Hearing this, Aleko is consumed with rage and demands to know why the elder didn't seek revenge. The father replies that love cannot be caged. But Aleko, the city-bred nobleman, insists he would not have been so forgiving.
When Aleko is confronted with the same cruelty - Zamphyra's emotional distance - he is unable to contain his fury. In a fit of rage, he murders not only Zamphyra's lover but also his beloved, after she boldly declares her disdain for his vicious nature and regrets ever loving him. She reiterates that she never broke any vow of eternal love, for she had always maintained that love must be fluid -- and that Aleko was ironically attacking her for the same freedom that had made him initially fall for her.
Attacked with a knife for her transgression, Zamphyra dies a tragic heroine.
GYPSIES is an eternal tale of femininity and agency, one of the rare romances that places greater autonomy in the hands of the woman. As a parting thought, the play's director, Navin Agarwal, poses the question: Even today, two hundred years after Pushkin wrote the poem, why do jilted lovers still resort to violence against women?
As a play, this one-hour performance has attempted to answer this very question. It takes the help of Russian folklore songs - translated into Hindi - to drive the wedge between the two lovers forward. Even the background music is used effectively to that effect, which highlights the tragedy that follows towards the end.
The stage design shows a white tent-like structure to showcase the temporary lifestyle inhabited by nomadic tribes. The costumes too are effectively designed to portray the gypsies accurately.
It is said that Pushkin himself struggled between the constraints of his bureaucratic life and his personal quest for freedom. In this sense, the perennial conflict depicted through the lens of a gypsy tribe beautifully reflects the aesthetic and philosophical depth of Pushkin's thoughts.
Nomadic women are often exoticized for their wild freedoms and humble nature. Yet, when this freedom threatens the ego of the male, the qualities that once enchanted him begin to feel like poison. While the play offers Aleko a chance for redemption - suggesting that rage, like a ghost, can possess him until dawn brings clarity - Aleko willingly blinds himself to reason. Instead, he succumbs to the same vices he once despised in city dwellers.
Freudian critics might also note the generational patterns in the relationships of Mariola, Zamphyra's mother, and Zamphyra herself, as they each navigate love and abandonment.
Prairna Agarwal's translation and dramatic adaptation are effective, capturing the essence of the original while making it accessible to contemporary audiences. As actors, both Prairna and her real-life father, Navin Agarwal, perform the role of Zamphyra and the tribal chief respectively with poise and restraint. However, the play's dramatic murders fade as quickly as nail varnish remover evaporates into the air, failing to build on the tension created thus far.
Nevertheless, the attempt to introduce audiences to Pushkin's work through a one-act play is commendable. Minor quibbles aside, it would be a tragedy if Russia's Shakespeare were not given a full encounter with Indian audiences.
*Divyani Rattanpal has worked as a journalist for The Quint, where she was also among the Founding Team members. While there, she also hosted and produced a podcast and fronted several standups. She's also worked for The Times of India group. She's now a theatre and film actor.
