G. Venu and Natanakairali bring their acclaimed masterpiece to Mumbai for the first time, turning the lens on the Mahabharata’s Duryodhana through Kutiyattam, as the fallen warrior looks back on his life and confronts the human cost of war.
On a battlefield strewn with the fallen, a mortally wounded Duryodhana faces the end of his life and the ruin of his dynasty. Bhasa’s Urubhangam (The Broken Thighs) brings the Mahabharata’s most infamous warrior to the heart of a tragedy, offering a strikingly human portrait of Duryodhana in his final moments as he confronts loss, vengeance and the possibility of reconciliation.
Making its Mumbai premiere, this Kutiyattam adaptation unfolds across six scenes and four characters—Balarama, Duryodhana, Gandhari and Asvathama—bringing each one of them into a powerful reckoning with the aftermath of battle. As Duryodhana lies wounded, memories surface, a mother mourns, a son seeks revenge, and the consequences of conflict comes sharply into view. As his life draws to a close, visions of his ancestors, fallen kin and the world beyond the battlefield lead to the play’s ritual conclusion, Mudiyakkitha.
Following the success of ‘Mrcchakatikam’ at The Studio Theatre, Natanakairali returns to Mumbai with another of G. Venu’s masterpieces with a stellar cast featuring Sooraj Nambiar as Duryodhana, Kapila Venu as Gandhari, Pothiyil Ranjith Chakyar as Balarama and Ammannur Rajaneesh Chakyar as Asvathama. Live percussion is performed by Kalamandalam Rajeev, Kalamandalam Hariharan and Kalamandalam Narayanan Nambiar on mizhavu, and Kalanilayam Unnikrishnan on idakka, with make-up by Kalanilayam Haridas. English subtitles accompany the performance.
This performance is supported by Reliance Foundation.
Event venue
The Studio Theatre, NMACC, Jio World Centre, G Block, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra East, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400051, India
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