Bheemaparvam

Extracted from the life of the epic characters of the Mahabharata, Bheemaparvam
is the tragedy of Bheema, the second of the Pandava brothers, who gains, through
the author's ironic undertones, a new psychological depth. It ceases to become the
story of supernatural heroes: it is a story of the life of ordinary human beings,
fated to live in exile and destined to sail through the ocean of innumerable worries.
Bheemaparvam forces us to ask the serious questions that we brush aside while viewing
the Pandavas’ journey to success. It is an attempt to read between the lines and
explain the pregnant silences of the Mahabharata. It ruptures the binaries of good
and evil, success and failure etc.
All the characters here have their own complex shades. The manipulation prowess
of Kunti backed by the political mastermind Vidura, the self-imposed, almost fake
justness of Yudhishthira, the tribal innocence of the Kattalas etc. exemplify this.
All these are depicted through the memories of Bheema during the Mahaprasthan. The
text ends with the realization of Bheema that it is not the heavens that one needs
but the world he is leaving behind. He then turns back and steps down from the lofty
peaks to the valley seen far below, leaving behind his dear ones.
To visualise the epic world through modern theatre techniques is a highly experimental
project. Bheemaparvam makes very important suggestions to the unspoken but implicit
polyphony within the Mahabharata. By looking from the viewpoint of tragical Bheema,
the script not only de-centres the heroes but also opens up the many worlds that
they simultaneously represent. Bheema thus appears as a rajasa character, led by
primeval tribal connections. Why did his heart cry when the Kattala woman and her
five sons were burnt alive in the house of wax? His love and marriage to Hidimbi,
and his son Ghatotkacha deepen these connections… Kunti’s revelation to Bheema,
who is curious about his lineage, about the ‘forest man who came like a hurricane’
brings him to the realization that ‘the demonic other’ resides not elsewhere but
in one’s very self. All these sculpt the character of Bheema in profound complexity.
Bheemaparvam encompasses the ancient and modern psycho-social worlds at once. The
play makes use of traditional art forms with modern theatrical designs and presents
magnificent visual and musical experience.
On Stage
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Back Stage
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Bheeman
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Anil Prabhakaran
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Costume
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Tarique Hameed, Raj Kumar, Bhasi Dwaraka
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Yudhishthiran
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Satheesh KG
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Set/Property
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Tarique Hameed, Uday Bharadwaj
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Arjunan
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Mohd. Musthafa
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Music
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Premjish Achari, Hima S, Satheesh KG, Sandhya Sankar
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Nakulan
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Sheron KPR
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Lighting
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Jose Koshy
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Sahadevan
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Shan Rahman
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Lighting asst.
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Kiran Pawar
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Gandhari
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Deepa VK
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Stage Manager
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Santhosh MV
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Kunthi
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Hima S
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Asst. Stage Managers
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Siddik Rabiyath, Manoj Thejaswini
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Draupadi
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Hameeda CK
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Asst. Director
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Vinod Kumar B
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Draupadi (image)
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Silpa Ravi
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Script, Designs and Direction
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Samkutty Pattomkary
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Hidimbi
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Sandhya Shankar
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Kattalathi
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Seema MP
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Thozhi
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Vandana MV
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Yudhishthiran (image)
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Pramod Puzhankara
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Krishnan/Vidurar
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Siddik Rabiyath
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Sanjayan/Kripar
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Vinod KK
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Dhritharashtrar
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Rajagopal
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Hidimban/Naga 1
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Raj Kumar
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Naga 2
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Tarique Hameed
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Purochanan/Kattalan 1
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Vinod Kumar PV
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Khanakan/Kattalan 2/Dronar
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Santhosh MV
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Naga Guru/Kattalan 3/Ekalavyan
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Manoj Thejaswini
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Visokan/Kattalan 4/Arjunan
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Manaf KK
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Kattalan 5
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Umar
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Ghatolkachan
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Babu CK
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Vyasa/Group-1
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Manish Kumar
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Group-2
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Uday Bharadwaj
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Young Bheema
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Sudev S Nair
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Young Duryodhanan
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Vishnu Anil
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Young Karnan
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Athul Babu
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Young Dussasanan
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Rahul Krishna
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Young Ghatolkachan
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Deepasree
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