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The Prophet
The Prophet, Third Bharatanatyam Dance Theatre, Dancing Storyteller. In the darkness that enveloped a materialistic and angst filled world, she came as a saviour. This is the story of a Prophet – of her destiny, her divinity and her doubt
In the darkness that enveloped a materialistic and angst filled world, she came as a saviour. This is the story of a Prophet – of her destiny, her divinity and her doubt
On 17th of November, the third Bharatanatyam Dance Theatre presentation of the renowned danseuse, Savitha Sastry was staged at Ravindra Bharathi, Hyderabad. Her connection with this city, goes back to her birth, says her writer/lyricist husband AK Srikanth. Together, they created “Soul Cages”, “Yudh” and now, “The Prophet”, all received well by the Hyderabad audience. In fact, connoisseurs look forward to their productions. Music composer Rajkumar Bharathi plays a very significant role in these dance theatres, providing the most vital element of the dance, which is music. The powerful voice over further adds to the mystery and the magic. Savitha, single handed, dons all the roles and engages the viewers, as she now came to be known as the “dancing storyteller”.
“The Prophet” deals with destiny, divinity and doubt. The story opens with a “devadutha”, descending from the heaven, to this dark, materialistic and angst filled earth. She is looked up to as a saviour, who would lead people to their salvation. She dances to the music of the Gods and lives amongst the people as a symbol of hope. Her childhood is troubled by an abusive father and poverty. She runs away from home, to join a dancing school as a servant. Now her world is filled with joyous dance as the guru offers to teach her dance and she proves to be an excellent student. Her life’s journey continues with acquiring fame as a renowned dancer. She opens an ashram for needy children. Her good deeds and her direct dialogues with God earn her the title of “Prophet”. But when the Divine Voice tells her that she has only a year to live, she loses her equanimity and peace and faces doubt. Devaduta travels back to the places and people she left behind in her life, looking for answers, but the answers are contrary to her long held beliefs. In a world of equals, where hierarchies don’t exist, a prophet has no role. She ends her life by consuming poison.
