Here's the story of Ram, Broadway style

HANDS ON EXPERIENCE: The aim of this show was to innovatively popularise Indian mythology.

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Keywords: Bangalore, Ramayana

Bangalore: Ninety professional dancers, a 15-member live orchestra and a captivated audience of 3,000 people – the premiere live performance of the Rama Katha Vismaya organised by the Rama Seva Mandali and presented by the Abhinav Dance Company was an innovative show presented in the opulent Broadway style.

“I can’t really classify it into anything, I can’t say it's a dance production or a drama production or a music production, it’s an experience. It’s been a dream production to get something close to a Broadway show,” composer Praveen D Rao said.

The Ramayana was presented in a unique style with Yashoda narrating the Ramayana to a young Krishna. While the live orchestra kept the audience spellbound, the show itself boasted of rich costumes and a variety of dance forms.

“Whenever we see Broadway shows, we've always wanted to do Indian themes, so Ramayana has got all the characters, the celestials, the demons and the animals. It’s very interesting for a theatrical presentation, so we've combined music, dance, theatre costumes and set props. It's a thrilling experience combined with art and entertainment,” choreographer Nirupama Rajendra said.

The aim was to innovatively popularise Indian mythology among the younger generation and the strategy seems to have worked.

“It was very nice and inspiring for the Indian youth. The illustration of the story was nice,” an audience member said.

While another enthusiast said, “I used to be a dancer myself. I understand the nuances and I enjoyed every bit of it.”

But Rajendra sums up the show in the best manner saying, “They have these shows in Las Vegas or New York, and now we Indians also present art in that style. This is just the beginning.”