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Ragasandhana, a play based on the compositions of harmonium maestro Ravindra Katoti, is bringing back the lost tradition of musical theatre.
Katoti, who has accompanied such greats as Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and Gangubai Hangal, wrote Kannada compositions in 17 genres, including khayal, thumri, tappa, and natyageet.
Musical theatre calls for actors who can sing at a professional level. Over the decades, singing actors have become rare in almost all Indian languages.
A conversation about the paucity of Kannada compositions for Hindustani classical music set Katoti off on this exploratory journey.
"My son Tejas and I were talking about why bandishes are so rare in Kannada, and then I thought I should try and create some myself," Katoti told Hit magazine.
After he had about two dozen compositions ready, he began to wonder how to take it to the audiences. That was when the idea of a play came up, and Korgi Shankaranarayana Upadhyaya stepped in to create a narrative in the tradition of the classical Indian play, replete with a sutradhara, hero and heroine. The play eventually took shape, and is now being taken across Karnataka.
Katoti, who heads Bijapure Harmonium Foundation, is also working on giving the harmonium the status of a solo instrument. It is largely used for accompaniment, and is not seen so frequently on stage as a solo instrument.
Siddharth Belmannu and Deepika Bhat play the hero and heroine, and their singing talent turns the proceedings into a musical feast, says Katoti, who plays the harmonium for the production. The director plays the sutradhara.
Ragasandhana premiered in Sagar, Shivamogga district, on April 4. Another show is coming up on June 5 at 6.30 pm, Ravindra Kalakshetra, Bengaluru.
* Follow the Bijapure Harmonium Foundation's Instagram account for show updates.
