1 Some retellings of the story end triumphantly with Rama’s coronation and the inauguration of his dharmic rule. Most pre-colonial Hindu narratives which retell Rama’s story begin with his birth on earth, but Chandravati’s 16th-century Bengali telling of the story opens with Sita’s birth. Where does the Ramayana narrative begin and end? The question sounds straightforward, yet no single answer applies to every textual rendition.
Keywords: Hindu Ramayana, Dalit play, gender critique, Indian regional theater, Ravana, Ramayana narrative, Ramayana enactment, patriarchy, Ramayana kandas, Ramayana discourse “Beyond Enactment” examines effects of Ramayana performances on everyday life and society. “Conversations and Arguments” highlights debates about Ramayana productions in Kutiyattam, Sattriya, and Talamaddale. “Performing Gender” analyzes two South Indian performances: a modern Tamil play critiquing patriarchal constructions of the Ramayana, and Nangyarkuttu, a pre-modern solo dance form in Kerala, whose reconstruction is infused with a woman’s contemporary sensibility.
“Interrogating the Anti-Hero” examines performances centered on Ravana as anti-hero or as dissident artist. “The Politics of Caste” deals with a Hindi poem and play scripts about the beheading of Shambuk, a Shudra character in the Ramayana tradition, linking them to Dalit demands for equality in 20th- and 21st-century India. “Orientations and Beginnings” sets out an overview of intersections between Ramayana Studies and Performance Studies. This chapter examines case studies of Ramayana performances from different Indian regions and their relationships to diverse Ramayana texts, and provides a map of the volume.
Preface and Acknowledgments: The Journey of the Book.
0 kommentar(er)
