A Greater Dawn

In this adaptation of Sri Aurobindo’s Savitri, Veenapani explores the epic struggle between Savitri and Death, in which she asks for, and eventually gets, the life of her husband Satyavan. In this play, Veenapani has explored and realised that stylisation of Kalaripayyatu and Koodiyattam, their suggestion rather than depiction, would work well with its philosophical theme. The poem is not just about Savitri asking Death for Satyavan. Veenapani says,” its about an evolution from unconciousness like a psychoanalyst, until she is enlightened and realises that Death is the shadow of God, that she is the Death and the Supreme Being herself, and that everything in the world is one principle. That complete identity is love. The love of man that thrills to the love of God is yet an elite monopoly accesssible only to a few mystics, but with evolution, will become part of the normal conciosuness of man”. A Greater Dawn also marks her beginning into in-depth research into the martial art form of Kalaripayyattu and her exploration of the form as method of training the actor’s body and psyche. The production also features stylised movements from other forms such as Chhau, Koodiyattam and Tai-chi.