Bundelkhand comes to Versova

Narottam Bain in performance

When Raghubir Yadav sang "Mehengai daayan khaye jaat hai" in Peepli Live (2010), such was the impact of the song that it became an anthem for the disillusionment of the common man with the then government's inability to control inflation. While its lyrics became an introduction to Bundeli for many, the native speakers and scholars of the language have always sworn by its expressive power.

Mumbaikars can get a glimpse into the linguistic and cultural traditions of Bundelkhand through a theatrical performance this Saturday, followed by Bundeli Khichdi, an evening of folk songs from the region on Sunday.

Actors who are part of the play

Set in the region surrounding Dholpur and Bharatpur in eastern Rajasthan, the play is an adaptation of Khabsoorat Bahu, written by well-known Bundeli playwright, Nag Bodas. "It is a satire on superstitious beliefs that unfolds through the story of a newly married couple," informs Keshav Lokwani, who has co-directed the play with Manoj Khandal. He adds that music plays a crucial role in Bundeli plays, including this one.

Theatre indeed was the medium that introduced Narottam Bain to folk songs. The actor who hails from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh spent 13 years in the theatre circuit of the city, which boasts of a strong Bundeli theatre tradition, before moving to Mumbai in 2005. Since then, he has acted in several plays in the language to deepen the roots of Bundeli culture in Mumbai.

"As part of my theatre group, I used to take my plays to the interiors of Bundelkhand, where villagers would sing traditional songs," Bain tells us. His repertoire for the evening will include rai - a fast-paced rhythmic pattern that can get even someone with two left feet to dance - and bamboliya, a conversational song that's sung when people travel in bullock carts to far off places, or when they are farming. "The idea is to popularise Bundeli folk culture here, just as Mumbai is familiar with Punjabi and Rajasthani folk," Bain sums up.

ON August 18 (play), 8 pm; August 19 (folk songs), 8 pm
AT OverAct, Aram Nagar, Versova, Andheri West
LOG ON TO bookmyshow.com
Cost Rs 200

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